| ACTIVITIES: INDOOR |
| WHAT IS IT? |
| Age: Toddler+ |
| What You Need |
|
A large cardboard box
A light blanket or a blindfold
Various items, such as small toys |
| What to Do |
Put several small toys in a large cardboard box
Cover the box with a blanket, leaving just a small opening
enough to put two hands through (or you can use a blindfold instead)
Let children take turns picking up a toy while blindfolded and
trying to guess what it is
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| FLANNEL TRAIN PUZZLE |
| Age: Toddler+ |
| What You Need |
 A
large piece of cardboard or foam board
One yard of green flannel
4-5 small pieces of felt (can be found at craft stores)
Duct tape and scissors |
| What to Do |
|
Make a flannel board by wrapping a foam board or cardboard with
flannel and securing it with a duct tape in the back
Cut out several felt shapes: one large rectangle, one small
rectangle, one square, one triangle, and two circles (making each
piece a different color will encourage color differentiation)
Assemble a train engine with your child, and then let them build
a train on their own
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BOTTLE BOWLING |
| Age: Toddler+ |
| What You Need |
| Clean, empty plastic bottles without lids (if you
keep the lids, make sure they are securely attached with glue for
safety)
A ball |
| What to Do |
| Set the bottles in a row or in a group
Let your child try to knock down the bottles by rolling the ball
towards them (throwing the ball instead of rolling is okay, too!)
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| WATER MATH |
| Age: Baby+ |
| What You Need |
|
Various size containers and funnels |
| What to Do |
| This is a great bathtime
activity! Let your child discover the basic math concepts, such
as empty/full, shallow/deep, small/big as he or she pours water
in and out various containers. |
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| MY BOOK |
| Age: Preschool+ |
|
Many preschoolers like to talk and have a lot to say. Although most can't yet write words themselves, they enjoy dictating stories for others to write for them. |
| What You Need |
 Paper
Paper punch
Safety scissors
Pencil, pen, crayons
Yarn or staples
Glue
|
| What to Do |
|
Make a booklet of five or six pages. Your child can help punch holes close to one edge and thread yarn through the holes to keep the pages together. You can also staple the pages together.
On the outside cover of the booklet, print your child's name. Explain that this is going to be a book about him
or her.
Let your child talk about what they will draw on each page. As
they talk, print on the page what he or she says. Here are some examples:
Other people in my family
My favorite toys
My favorite books
My friends
My pet
My neighborhood
My home (or My bedroom)
After each or all the stories have been documented, have your
child draw pictures on each page, add stickers, etc.
Encourage them to read the new book to family members and visitors.
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| OOBLECK |
| Age: Toddler+ |
| Oobleck is a fictional form of green precipitation
invented by children's author Dr. Seuss in the book Bartholomew and
the Oobleck. The word has since been used to describe a weird
substance - it is liquid yet solid. This very messy activity is sure
to fascinate anyone! |
| What You Need |
|
1 cup cornstarch
1/3 cup water
5 to 7 drops food coloring(optional) |
| What to Do |
|
Mix water and food coloring together. Slowly add
cornstarch. Do not stir. Let the mixture stand for 1 to 2 minutes.
Pick a handful of the oobleck up and squeeze it until it forms a
hard ball. Open your hand and the oobleck will turn from a solid
back into a liquid. If it gets too dry after awhile, just add a bit
more water.
Note that oobleck contains no preservatives and is
therefore perishable. |
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| FISH TANK |
| Age: Toddler+ |
| What You Need |
 Three sheets of
cardboard or construction paper: blue, light blue, and
green
Stickers with fish and/or other sea life
Glue and scissors |
| What to Do |
Prepare the fish tank "setting" in advance
(older children can make it
 themselves): use a light blue sheet
of cardboard as your base, and glue blue and green cutouts on
top of it to create water, seaweeds, or any other objects
appropriate for a fish tankGive your child a sheet of stickers
with fish, corals, etc., and ask them to place them
wherever they'd like. Try not to interfere, and let the
child's imagination do all the work.
You can frame the finished masterpiece and hang it on a wall. This
will boost your child's confidence, and show them that you
appreciate their talent and creativity. |
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| MOVE THE ICE! |
| Age: Toddler+ |
| This can be a fun birthday game for older children, or an interesting activity for a three-year old. |
| What You Need |
| Ice cubes
Two containers
A pair of tongs |
| What to Do |
|
Fill two containers with cold water
Put several ice cubes in one of the containers
Let your child use the tongs to move the ice cubes from one container to the other
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JUMBO COINS |
| Age: Toddler |
| What You Need |
| Metal lids from
the frozen juice containers
An old purse
|
| What to Do |
| Rinse out several lids from
frozen juice containers (they don't have sharp edges), dry them off
well. These are the "coins"
Fill up an old purse with "the coins" and give
it to your child. They will love taking the "money" out of the purse
and putting it back in.
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| EXPRESS YOUR HEALTH!™ |
| Age: Preschool+ |
This is a great activity sheet packet from CDC (www.cdc.gov) that includes coloring pages on nutrition and walking safety; connect-the-dots and recipes for calcium-rich treats for strong bones; and a choose-the-safe-way activity using shapes. |
 Click on the picture on the right to open the activity sheet packet (4 sheets). It will open in a new window.
Note:
 This document is in PDF format. You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader to access the file. If you do not have the Acrobat Reader, you may download a free copy from the Adobe Web site.
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TABLE TENT |
| Age: Toddler+ |
| What You Need |
|
A large sheet |
| What to Do |
| Cover a table with a sheet that's big enough to reach the floor on all sides. This makes a great playhouse that's particularly good for a rainy day. |
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BOX CAR |
| Age: Toddler |
| What You Need |
|
A large cardboard box |
| What to Do |
| Give your child a large cardboard box to push around the room. He may want to take his stuffed animal or toy for a ride in it. If the box isn't too high-you'll most likely find your toddler in the box as well. |
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SHOPPING TRIP |
| Age: Toddler+ |
Shopping for groceries is just one of many daily routines that you can use to help your child learn. Shopping is especially good for teaching your child new words and for introducing him to new people and places.
What You Need
A grocery shopping list
What to Do
Pick a time when neither you nor your child is hungry or tired.
At the grocery store, put your child in the grocery cart so that he faces you. Take your time as you walk up and down the aisles.
Let your child feel the items that you buy-a cold carton of milk, for example or the skin of an orange. Talk to your child about the items: "The skin of the orange is rough and bumpy. Here, you feel it."
Be sure to name the objects that you see on shelves and talk about what you are seeing and doing: "First, we're going to buy some cereal. See, it's in a big red and blue box. Listen to the great noise it makes when I shake the box. Can you shake the box? Now we're going to pay for the groceries. We'll put them on the counter while I get out the money. The cashier will tell us how much we have to pay."
Encourage your child to practice saying "hi" and "bye-bye" to clerks and other shoppers.
Leave for home before your child gets tired or grumpy.
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| TOUCH AND SEE! |
| Age: Baby |
Whenever they are awake, babies are hard at work,
trying to learn all about the world. To help them learn, they need
many different things to play with and inspect. Objects you have
around your home offer many possibilities. |
| What You Need |
| A wooden
spoon
Different textured fabrics, such as velvet,
cotton, corduroy, terry cloth, satin, burlap and fake fur
An empty toilet-paper or paper-towel roll
Pots, pans and lids
An old purse or basket with things to put in
and take out
Measuring cups and spoons
Boxes and plastic containers
Noisemakers (rattles, a bottle filled with
beans) |
| What to Do |
| Let your baby look at, touch
and listen to a variety of objects. Objects that are brightly
colored, have interesting textures and make noises are particularly
good.
Put one or two of the objects in a play area
where your baby can reach them-more than two may confuse him.
(Many of the objects will interest toddlers and older
preschoolers. For example, babies love to inspect a paper towel
roll. But a 4-year-old might use it as a megaphone for talking
or singing, a telescope or a tunnel for a toy car.)
Always make sure that the objects are not too
small or that there are no small parts that can pose a chocking
hazard. |
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PILLOW JUMP |
| Age: Toddler |
| What You Need |
| Pillows |
| What to Do |
| Give your child several pillows to jump into. (Toddlers usually figure out how to do this on their own!) |
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SLIME |
| Age: Preschool+ |
| What You Need |
|
1 cup of soap flakes (you can grate a bar of mild soap, such as Ivory)
1/2 gallon (about 8 cups) of warm water
A wide, open container
Cups, sponges, plastic bottles, funnels, etc. |
| What to Do |
|
Mix the grated soap with water
Allow the mixture to stand until it thickens and becomes slimy
Beat the mixture with a fork to make it froth
Pour it in a wide, open container
Give your child the cups, sponges, funnels, etc., and let the fun begin!
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| OBSTACLE COURSE |
| Age: Baby |
| When your baby starts crawling, you can set up a mini-obstacle course that will add even more excitement to their new mobility, while helping to strengthen the muscles. |
| What You Need |
|
A large cardboard box
Packing tape
A pillow (you can even use several pillows of various sizes) |
| What to Do |
|
Make a tunnel out of a large cardboard box by opening both ends of the box, then taping them together to form a tunnel. For even more fun, cut a few small "windows" along the tunnel
Place a large (but not too thick) pillow near one of the openings of the tunnel. Let your baby crawl over the pillow and into the tunnel (or the other way around!) |
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| MEMORY GAME |
| Age: Baby+ |
| Although this seems like an activity suitable
for older babies (that can point), you can play it with kids as
little as 5-6 months old. Just make sure to pay attention to the
non-verbal cues your baby is using instead of pointing! |
| What You Need |
|
A favorite toy
Three cardboard boxes (preferably of the same size)
|
| What to Do |
|
Put three cardboard boxes upside down in front of your baby
Show him or her their favorite toy; slowly put it under one of
the boxes
Ask, "Where is... (the toy)? Where did it go?", and wait for the
baby to respond by cooing, pointing, or other means
Lift the box your baby points at, and say, "You found it! Here
it is!" (or, "It's not here, where else can it be?")
Continue looking until the toy is found
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| PUZZLE TREASURE HUNT |
| Age: Preschool+ |
|
This is a variation of a traditional treasure hunt. For younger children, use just one or two puzzles with the minimum number of pieces. For older children, you can add an extra puzzle or two, depending on how long you want the search process to be. |
| What You Need |
|
Several small (9-12 pieces) puzzles
A treasure (can be a birthday gift, or a prize if several teams are competing)
Small boxes |
| What to Do |
|
Put the puzzles together, flip them over, and write clues on the back of each puzzle (with each clue leading to the location of the next puzzle)
Take the puzzles apart, and put each puzzle in a separate box
Hide the boxes and the "treasure"
Let the search begin! |
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| THE HAPPY EARTH DAY |
| Age: Big Kids |
| This is an 11-page coloring book from U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (www.epa.gov) full of tips for making the Earth a better place |
 Click on the picture on the left to open the activity sheet. It will open in a new window.
Note:
This document is in PDF format. You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader to access the file. If you do not have the Acrobat Reader, you may download a free copy from the Adobe Web site. |
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| SPLASH! |
| Age: Baby+ |
| This activity is good for babies who have started eating solid foods and are comfortable in a high chair. Your little one will be having so much fun, you might even have enough time to clean up the dishes! Just make sure to wipe all the wet surfaces with a dry rag afterwards. |
| What You Need |
|
A high chair with a tray
|
| What to Do |
|
After your baby finishes eating, rinse off the high chair tray, attach it back to the chair, and fill it with about 1/3 inch of water
Leave the rest up to the baby!
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| PUFFY PAINTING |
| Age: Big Kids |
The paint used for this activity will puff up when you cook it in the microwave!
Caution: Adult supervision required |
| What You Need |
|
1 tablespoon of self-rising flour
1 tablespoon of salt
Food coloring (3-4 colors)
Small containers
Thick paper or cardboard |
| What to Do |
|
Mix all the ingredients and add water until you get a smooth paste (use one container for each color)
Let your child use these paints to paint something on the cardboard
Microwave the painting for about 10 seconds or until the paint is dry
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| LETTER OF THE DAY |
| Age: Preschool+ |
| This activity is a fun and creative way to really learn those letters! You can use any or all of the ideas listed below, or make up your own as you go. |
| What You Need |
|
Various objects beginning with the same letter
Food items (e.g., fruits, vegetables, etc.) beginning with the same letter |
| What to Do |
| In the morning, announce that this day will be all about one letter (The Day of the Letter P, for example)
Ask your child to find and point at objects beginning with the selected letter (e.g., a plane, plant, plate, etc.) throughout the day
Suggest to draw a picture of something beginning with that letter
Serve food beginning with the letter of the day for breakfast, lunch, and dinner (for example, peas, potatoes, pasta, etc.). If you can't think of any food items starting with a particular letter, use a recipe starting with that letter, or simply cut some letter shapes out of red peppers or other vegetables and serve them on the side |
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