| ACTIVITIES: MODERATELY
MESSY |
| Some of these activities
could qualify as being 'not messy', but since they can involve
working with crayons/paints, we have included them in this category. |
| 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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| 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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| MY BOOK |
| Age: Preschool+ |
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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
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| What to Do |
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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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| 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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| EXPRESS YOUR HEALTH!™ (Part 1) |
| Age: Big Kids |
| This is a great activity sheet from CDC (www.cdc.gov) that includes a maze on hand washing and a word search on staying safe. |
 Click on the picture on the right 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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| EXPRESS YOUR HEALTH!™ (Part 2) |
| Age: Big Kids |
| This is another fun and educational activity sheet from CDC (www.cdc.gov) that includes word scramblers on physical activities and a word search on healthy eating. |
 Click on the picture on the right 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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| 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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| 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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| EXPRESS YOUR HEALTH!™ for
Preschoolers |
| Age: Preschool+ |
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This activity sheet packet from CDC
(www.cdc.gov) is intended for younger children and 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.
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 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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