| ACTIVITIES: MODERATE ENERGY |
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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TABLE TENT |
| Age: Toddler+ |
| What You Need |
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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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| WHAT IS IT? |
| Age: Toddler+ |
| What You Need |
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A large cardboard box
A light blanket or a blindfold
Various items, such as small toys |
| What to Do |
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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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| 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 |
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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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PAINTING WITH WATER |
| Age: Toddler+ |
| What You Need |
|
A large brush
A bucket filled with water |
| What to Do |
| This is a fun outdoor activity. Let your child pretend to "paint" the walls of the house, sidewalk, fence, etc. |
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| COLOR WEEK |
| Age: Toddler+ |
| This activity helps older toddlers and preschoolers learn colors. |
| What to Do |
| Make each day of the week a certain color, such as Yellow Monday, Green Tuesday, etc.
Ask your child to find objects of that color throughout the day
If you go to a grocery store, ask your child to pick out fruits/vegetables of the selected color; serve them as snacks or a side dish
Ask him or her to paint something with the color of the day |
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| ANIMAL OF THE DAY |
| Age: Toddler+ |
| This activity works best if you have an easy access to a zoo (along with a zoo membership) - you can then turn every trip into a fun, memorable (and educational) event! |
| What You Need |
|
A book or magazine about animals |
| What to Do |
| At the zoo, talk about animals you and your child see, and let him or her pick the Animal of the Day (the one that they liked the most)
Make the selected animal a part of your day by featuring it in various activities throughout the day. Here are some ideas: |
- Read a book to your child about that animal
- Look at some pictures and ask to describe what they see
- Sing a song together (if you don't know a song about a particular animal, you can always make up words to a well-known one, such as, "And on that farm he had a giraffe..."
- Ask him or her to draw the animal (or color a picture in a coloring book)
- Ask your child (or tell them if a new animal is being introduced) what kind of snacks/food the Animal of the Day might eat; serve the suggested food for snacks or dinner if possible (Use your imagination! Grass can be replaced by cucumber or green pepper cut into long thin strips; lettuce can serve as leaves; you can cut out various shapes out of red peppers, tomatoes, carrots, etc.)
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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 |
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A high chair with a tray
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| What to Do |
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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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| 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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| GARDENING |
| Age: Toddler+ |
| What You Need |
|
An edible plant (parsley, dill,
basil, strawberry, etc.)
A small pot
Planting soil (preferably,
organic) |
| What to Do |
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Take your child to a nursery.
Keep it simple - get just one
plant and one pot (and a bag of potting soil if you need
it) on this trip. The last thing you want to do is spend
an hour running after your toddler in an attempt to stop
him from tipping over yet another $500 ceramic vase,
while trying to decide which plants will make a nice
addition to your garden.
At home (in the backyard), have your
child help you fill the pot with soil - he or she can
use their shovel for this
Put the plant in, and add a little
more soil to cover up the roots
Have your child water it with a
small water can
Your child will love watching the
plant grow, and taking care of it. This activity might
even make the "green stuff" more acceptable on their
dinner plate!
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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 |
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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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