So with a lot of us being home bound by the Coronavirus, I thought it might be useful to put together a list of great indoor activities to do with your little one. I tried to do ones that use common household items so you don't need to go to the store.
Social/Emotional:
Social Emotional Learning is by far the most important domain in the early years and many would argue that it continues to be so for life. The most important thing you can do for your toddler is be there and love them. Give them hugs, kisses and your undivided attention for however long you can, truly listen when they speak. They are learning so much from watching you and what you do, you are setting them up as a lifelong learner. The quotation about not remembering what you taught them but how you made them feel always resonates with me.
Besides that however, there are also many activities you can do with your little one to support this domain.
Caring for a doll/animal/plant-When children play with dolls they are trying to reenact what they see us as parents do as well as make sense of their interactions with us and exhibit responsability and care. Helping to do things for a doll, pet or plant can help reinforce these ideas.
Making surprises for others-it can be anything, a drawing, a scavenger hunt, maybe even bringing a flower or a water bottle to someone in the family fosters the idea of thinking about others. Talk to your little one to process it (How do you think (parent, sibling, pet, grandparent etc) will feel when they get/find this?
Make a photo books
of faces-young children often experience many emotions but can't say how they're feeling. You could make a photo book (or draw, if you feel so inclined) of your child/and you making different faces expressing emotions and write the name of it underneath. Read the book with your kiddo, they'll love seeing themselves.
Photo books-in general are a great way for your child to stay connected to family. We look at ours all the time and it helps not only reinforce the memories of who people are, but also allows for ample opportunities to see new things. For example, my kiddo has started to notice everyone has eyes and sometimes will even count things in the different photos. Having photos in your phone, is great, but we hardly ever look back at them. Looking at the books really helps us remember family. For infants, you can do black and white photos (since they see contrasts better than color at first) and hang them up on the wall by the changing table.
Playing games with winning and losing-Games are so important for teaching about turn taking, regulating emotions etc. It is really important not to let your little one win every single time. Failure and losing create learning. It might seem harsh, but no one likes to play with the kid who throws a tantrum every time they lose. Teaching your kids that losing happens in a controlled environment like your home will help them when they play with others (who might not let them win). Additionally, it helps them to start to learn and master games that involve strategy.
Freeze Dance-So this might not seem like it, but games like freeze dance really help teach about regulating your impulse controls. For infants, a lot of studies have shown that children who dance while seeing others dance made them act more helpful to others.
Fine Motor:
Kids at this age seem to be really fascinated by the idea of objects in and out of containers. Take whatever you have (tupperware, tissue box, toilet paper roll, coffee container etc.) and put an object (playing cards, pen caps, egg shakers etc) inside. Invite your kiddo to explore. One of my favorites for this is egg cartons because that allows your kiddo to practice moving and division skills. Our egg cartons have the added bonus of a picture of chickens on the front so that leads to a whole lot of animal songs/talk/books etc.
Water painting-Fill a small bowl or cookie sheet with water and use either a paintbrush (or a spatula) let your child "paint" with water on the walls, tables, chairs etc.
Water and soap painting- pour a little bit of water and soap mixture onto your table or countertop, let your little one explore the sensory aspect of feeling it on your child's fingers. It's also a great way to help clean the house!
Tear up paper:
Take your old junk mail and have your child practice tearing the paper into strips and shreds. You can use these later to make paper chains, collages or just have a Tupperware of shredded paper that will be fun for sensory play.
Art corner: Instead of an easel, you can pinup some packaging paper (I used the kind we get in amazon packages) on a wall and have your child draw that way. Sometimes I tape up other pieces of paper on to it, but it's a great way to get the fine motor muscles working.
Art supplies:
Crayons:
If you are using the thicker crayons, break them in half so it will be easier for them to get a good grip on the crayon. I like crayons better than markers because they strengthen the muscles more and give "feedback" (they're harder to move on the page than a marker which glides easily).
Markers:
This is a great trick I learned from the art teacher at my former school. Once your child's markers dry up, put them in a cup of water and let them soak for a bit, you will have instant water colors. You can use the marker itself as a new paintbrush.
Fingerpaint:
You can make an edible version by simply mixing food coloring and yogurt together. It can get messy so maybe best to do it at your child's high chair or put down newspaper before you start the activity. I wouldn't even use paper (really young children will probably be more interested in the sensory aspect and mixing the different colors together. Remember, not all artwork has to be on paper and permanent. For young ones it's all about the experience and process of creating).
Play dough:
Play dough is amazing for just about anything. I like to cook it with my kiddo, and let her pick out the color. She's more interested in it when it's in a container than a bag, so I just store it in an old store bought container or tupperware. It's also great to do Pat-A-Cake with, so that you can form the letter of your child's name. Once your child is comfortable with just the dough you can add tools like spatulas or Legos to make designs or cut it into pieces.
Here's my favorite recipe (it lasts for months if it's stored in an airtight container or bag!):
1/2 cup flour
1/4 cup salt
1 tsp cream of Tartar
1 tbsp oil (vegetable, canola, baby etc.)
1/2 cup warm water
Food Coloring
Pour all dry ingredients into a big pot or large pan (the key is to have a large surface area). Mix dry ingredients together. Then add oil and mix. In a cup or bowl, mix warm water with food coloring (the more food coloring, the more vibrant the color I'd do at least 20 drops). Add colored water to pot and cook over low flame. Constantly stir to smooth out bumps. Once play dough starts to pull away from sides turn off the flame and remove play dough from pan. Knead a lot with your hands (sprinkle flour if too sticky) until dough starts to cool.
Loose Parts:
I cannot get enough of these, because they really inspire the imagination and are so easy to get a hold of. Here's an article that explains the ideas behind it and gives inspirational activities to try.
Builders & breakers
Building is great because it teaches physics, and math and art concepts like measurements and fitting shapes in space. We've been doing a lot of building since shelter in started, but we don't have a real set of blocks. Instead we've been using an old game of Jenga as our blocks and started trying to do domino sequences where you can knock them down. Lately (us adults) have been trying to do designs and seeing if we can mke it go two stories high. My little one loves knocking it down, but yesterday for the first time tried to set them up in a row herself. You can challenge cousins or friends, grandparents etc. to make their own domino sequence and film them.
If you have two kids are at home, here's a great game that will keep them occupied for hours! Find waterbottles or toilet paper/paper towel rolls or plastic cups, whatever. Put half of them lying down and half of them standing up. Designate one child as a builder and the other as a breaker. (You might want to set some rules, like you can only use your left hand or the builder can use two, the breaker can only use one etc.) Tell them the goal is to get all of them standing up (for the builder) and all of them lying down (if they're the breaker). You can also have them switch roles at some point. If your kids are of equal-ish ability the game can go on for a long time.
Gross Motor:
Parachute:
You can make a "parachute" out of a sheet. Place your child in the middle of the sheet and shake the sheet. You can also put your little one under the sheet and lift it up and down letting it gently fall on their head. If your toddler can walk on his or her own, have your toddler take one part of the sheet while you take the other and walk in a circle or crumple it in the middle. If you both stand out and can hold it taut, you can take a small ball and bounce it up and down on the sheet. There are lots of parachute songs you can google on Youtube as well.
Magic carpet ride:
Similar to Parachute, take a sheet, have your kiddo lay in the center and drag them around your home. You can alternate on their tummy or side, sitting etc. You can put some pillows in the path and have them go over "bumps". Another variation of this is to make a "burrito" with your little as the filling. It's great for your kiddo to feel surrounded by fabric, feel free to "roll" your "burrito", they'll love it!
Obstacle courses & mazes:
Using craft, Duck Tape or crepe paper, you can create cool obstacle courses, mazes and hopscotch courses that get your kiddo moving those big body muscles. Check out these littles!
You can also just use regular household items like pillows, furniture, walk while holding a spoon etc. It's so important to move those big body muscles-this mom's blog gives some great ideas.
Ball play:
For infants, you can roll the ball on their bodies just so they can get the feel of it. While toddlers aren't always the most skilled at catching and throwing a ball, you can start out slow by rolling the ball to your little one. Not only will it help them work on their balls skills, they'll also learn how to take turns. Afterwards you can do different variations of games like indoor bowling with recycled water bottles, basket ball by trying to have your little one throw a ball into an old cardboard box. My little one loves to lie on her ball on her tummy and then roll around.
For older toddlers you can use a balloon instead of a ball and see if they can keep it up in the air without letting it touch the ground or see if they can blow on the balloon to make it move from one spot to another.
Make a pillow fort:
Perhaps the best part about building a pillow fort is jumping on to the pillows. I like to "sandwich" my little one between two pillows so she can feel totally wrapped up. It's also great for creating a space that is more calm, you can use it to read stories or have a picnic.
Fabrics:
Pull out some sheets, pillow cases and your old clothes and see what your child can create with them.
Yoga/Adult Workouts
I started doing some Yoga stretches this morning and when I got to the pushups, my kiddo climbed on top of my back. It was impossible, but we both had a good laugh. If you're really committed to it, you can try others like this from StudioSweat.
Cooking and sensory:
Cooking with your kiddos not only helps them gain important life skills, it also helps them in almost every academic domain (there's math in measuring, literacy in reading the recipe, science in seeing solids and liquids, patience/self regulation in waiting for things to cook or form and it ignites almost all the senses). I've already touched on making playdough and there's a bunch of other child friendly recipes out there that are great.
While cooking with toddlers can definitely be messy, it doesn't have to be a long ordeal. You can make bubble soap (1 part dish soap, 4 parts water + 2 tsp sugar) to use for entertainment later.
While I have my kiddo help me make pancakes for breakfast each week, it inevitably turns into a "lets explore with flour" session. Its really cool to see how much she loves the texture of the soft flour on her hands. Cornstarch also works really well for sensory play.
Water play is such a great sensory activity and doesn't have to be messy or formally set up. It's essentially what your toddler is doing in the bath with their toys. Other ways of doing it can be in the sink, using a hose or sprinkler if you have one. Even just filling up a big pot or pan. In our old apartment, I used to put down one of the cheap plastic table cloths and just a little pan of water available.
Shaving Cream works really well if you can be sure your kiddo won't eat it. Besides just the feel of it, a lot of them also have scents that are strong. You can also experiment putting in some food coloring (you can buy or make your own) and see what happens when they mix it.
Shadow Puppets & Light Exploration
Shadow puppets with your hands are a great way to start conversations about animals, tell stories, make connections between what their hands are doing and what they see and experience the different sensations of light and dark. The greatest part of it is that it is easy to do, either pull out a flashlight or if you don't have one, try to angle a reading lamp against a wall in a dark room. You can extend it by putting colored tissue paper over the head of the flashlight to do different colors or shining a light in a mirror. You can experiment if objects project bigger or smaller at different angles and distances from the light source.
For older kids, you can put a scarf over there eyes as a blindfold and try to get them to walk (safely) around the room by following instructions or see if they can tell what direction your voice or music is coming from. Give them a challenge of trying to put together a block structure or draw blindfolded or in a dark room. You can talk about how light makes you feel and how dark makes you feel (hot, cold, happy, calm, etc.) If you're lucky enough to have a dimming light try different levels and see what your kiddo loves the best!
Literacy:
A bit of shameless self-promotion but here's an article I wrote for Motherly on how to make reading with your child more interactive https://www.mother.ly/u/karenkeesling
Another great idea is to have family members send your baby/toddler/child postcards or greeting cards. They're great because they have pictures and print, are easy to carry around wherever you may be going and your child feels special that they are getting mail. We even went so far as to create a mailbox out of a file folder and cardboard boxes that my kiddo checks every morning. We put in a little note the night before and picture (usually a character from one of her books, or a shape or a picture of one of her toys) etc.
Songs and chants are such a great way for teaching literacy. Literacy doesn't only mean reading, it also means gaining understanding of how language works. Raffi's songs like Willaby Wallaby or Baby Beluga are great for teaching alliteration. His song "I like to eat apples and bananas" is great for teaching long vowel sounds. Most songs and chants are great for teaching rhyming words as well. The fact that they're too a beat makes them easier to remember and you can start leaving out words and see if your kiddo can come up with the missing part. Many books are also songs so they go hand and hand. Feel free to email me at Karen.s.keesling@gmail.com if you'd like a list of great songs that were made into books or vice-versa.
Mold letters out of play dough. For example, when I used to chant pat-a-cake with my kiddo, I'd always role the dough into the first letter of her name. You can also draw in shaving cream, soil, sand, or on your kiddo's palm or leg. The goal is to ignite the senses and get them used to using their hands.
Go on a letter hunt. Maybe your license plate has one of the letters of your kiddo's name or maybe your street name starts with the same letter as a family member. For example, whenever we go past our house, there's a sign for 15 M.P.H. We always point out the letters and say Mama, Papa, Home.
There's a ton of resources out there, and of course reading is very important but there are so many ways to learn and become literate. Sometimes even just a finger play is enough.
Social/Emotional:
Social Emotional Learning is by far the most important domain in the early years and many would argue that it continues to be so for life. The most important thing you can do for your toddler is be there and love them. Give them hugs, kisses and your undivided attention for however long you can, truly listen when they speak. They are learning so much from watching you and what you do, you are setting them up as a lifelong learner. The quotation about not remembering what you taught them but how you made them feel always resonates with me.
Besides that however, there are also many activities you can do with your little one to support this domain.
Caring for a doll/animal/plant-When children play with dolls they are trying to reenact what they see us as parents do as well as make sense of their interactions with us and exhibit responsability and care. Helping to do things for a doll, pet or plant can help reinforce these ideas.
Making surprises for others-it can be anything, a drawing, a scavenger hunt, maybe even bringing a flower or a water bottle to someone in the family fosters the idea of thinking about others. Talk to your little one to process it (How do you think (parent, sibling, pet, grandparent etc) will feel when they get/find this?
Make a photo books
of faces-young children often experience many emotions but can't say how they're feeling. You could make a photo book (or draw, if you feel so inclined) of your child/and you making different faces expressing emotions and write the name of it underneath. Read the book with your kiddo, they'll love seeing themselves.
Photo books-in general are a great way for your child to stay connected to family. We look at ours all the time and it helps not only reinforce the memories of who people are, but also allows for ample opportunities to see new things. For example, my kiddo has started to notice everyone has eyes and sometimes will even count things in the different photos. Having photos in your phone, is great, but we hardly ever look back at them. Looking at the books really helps us remember family. For infants, you can do black and white photos (since they see contrasts better than color at first) and hang them up on the wall by the changing table.
Playing games with winning and losing-Games are so important for teaching about turn taking, regulating emotions etc. It is really important not to let your little one win every single time. Failure and losing create learning. It might seem harsh, but no one likes to play with the kid who throws a tantrum every time they lose. Teaching your kids that losing happens in a controlled environment like your home will help them when they play with others (who might not let them win). Additionally, it helps them to start to learn and master games that involve strategy.
Freeze Dance-So this might not seem like it, but games like freeze dance really help teach about regulating your impulse controls. For infants, a lot of studies have shown that children who dance while seeing others dance made them act more helpful to others.
Fine Motor:
Kids at this age seem to be really fascinated by the idea of objects in and out of containers. Take whatever you have (tupperware, tissue box, toilet paper roll, coffee container etc.) and put an object (playing cards, pen caps, egg shakers etc) inside. Invite your kiddo to explore. One of my favorites for this is egg cartons because that allows your kiddo to practice moving and division skills. Our egg cartons have the added bonus of a picture of chickens on the front so that leads to a whole lot of animal songs/talk/books etc.
Water painting-Fill a small bowl or cookie sheet with water and use either a paintbrush (or a spatula) let your child "paint" with water on the walls, tables, chairs etc.
Water and soap painting- pour a little bit of water and soap mixture onto your table or countertop, let your little one explore the sensory aspect of feeling it on your child's fingers. It's also a great way to help clean the house!
Tear up paper:
Take your old junk mail and have your child practice tearing the paper into strips and shreds. You can use these later to make paper chains, collages or just have a Tupperware of shredded paper that will be fun for sensory play.
Art corner: Instead of an easel, you can pinup some packaging paper (I used the kind we get in amazon packages) on a wall and have your child draw that way. Sometimes I tape up other pieces of paper on to it, but it's a great way to get the fine motor muscles working.
Art supplies:
Crayons:
If you are using the thicker crayons, break them in half so it will be easier for them to get a good grip on the crayon. I like crayons better than markers because they strengthen the muscles more and give "feedback" (they're harder to move on the page than a marker which glides easily).
Markers:
This is a great trick I learned from the art teacher at my former school. Once your child's markers dry up, put them in a cup of water and let them soak for a bit, you will have instant water colors. You can use the marker itself as a new paintbrush.
Fingerpaint:
You can make an edible version by simply mixing food coloring and yogurt together. It can get messy so maybe best to do it at your child's high chair or put down newspaper before you start the activity. I wouldn't even use paper (really young children will probably be more interested in the sensory aspect and mixing the different colors together. Remember, not all artwork has to be on paper and permanent. For young ones it's all about the experience and process of creating).
Play dough:
Play dough is amazing for just about anything. I like to cook it with my kiddo, and let her pick out the color. She's more interested in it when it's in a container than a bag, so I just store it in an old store bought container or tupperware. It's also great to do Pat-A-Cake with, so that you can form the letter of your child's name. Once your child is comfortable with just the dough you can add tools like spatulas or Legos to make designs or cut it into pieces.
Here's my favorite recipe (it lasts for months if it's stored in an airtight container or bag!):
1/2 cup flour
1/4 cup salt
1 tsp cream of Tartar
1 tbsp oil (vegetable, canola, baby etc.)
1/2 cup warm water
Food Coloring
Pour all dry ingredients into a big pot or large pan (the key is to have a large surface area). Mix dry ingredients together. Then add oil and mix. In a cup or bowl, mix warm water with food coloring (the more food coloring, the more vibrant the color I'd do at least 20 drops). Add colored water to pot and cook over low flame. Constantly stir to smooth out bumps. Once play dough starts to pull away from sides turn off the flame and remove play dough from pan. Knead a lot with your hands (sprinkle flour if too sticky) until dough starts to cool.
Loose Parts:
I cannot get enough of these, because they really inspire the imagination and are so easy to get a hold of. Here's an article that explains the ideas behind it and gives inspirational activities to try.
Builders & breakers
Building is great because it teaches physics, and math and art concepts like measurements and fitting shapes in space. We've been doing a lot of building since shelter in started, but we don't have a real set of blocks. Instead we've been using an old game of Jenga as our blocks and started trying to do domino sequences where you can knock them down. Lately (us adults) have been trying to do designs and seeing if we can mke it go two stories high. My little one loves knocking it down, but yesterday for the first time tried to set them up in a row herself. You can challenge cousins or friends, grandparents etc. to make their own domino sequence and film them.
If you have two kids are at home, here's a great game that will keep them occupied for hours! Find waterbottles or toilet paper/paper towel rolls or plastic cups, whatever. Put half of them lying down and half of them standing up. Designate one child as a builder and the other as a breaker. (You might want to set some rules, like you can only use your left hand or the builder can use two, the breaker can only use one etc.) Tell them the goal is to get all of them standing up (for the builder) and all of them lying down (if they're the breaker). You can also have them switch roles at some point. If your kids are of equal-ish ability the game can go on for a long time.
Gross Motor:
Parachute:
You can make a "parachute" out of a sheet. Place your child in the middle of the sheet and shake the sheet. You can also put your little one under the sheet and lift it up and down letting it gently fall on their head. If your toddler can walk on his or her own, have your toddler take one part of the sheet while you take the other and walk in a circle or crumple it in the middle. If you both stand out and can hold it taut, you can take a small ball and bounce it up and down on the sheet. There are lots of parachute songs you can google on Youtube as well.
Magic carpet ride:
Similar to Parachute, take a sheet, have your kiddo lay in the center and drag them around your home. You can alternate on their tummy or side, sitting etc. You can put some pillows in the path and have them go over "bumps". Another variation of this is to make a "burrito" with your little as the filling. It's great for your kiddo to feel surrounded by fabric, feel free to "roll" your "burrito", they'll love it!
Obstacle courses & mazes:
Using craft, Duck Tape or crepe paper, you can create cool obstacle courses, mazes and hopscotch courses that get your kiddo moving those big body muscles. Check out these littles!
You can also just use regular household items like pillows, furniture, walk while holding a spoon etc. It's so important to move those big body muscles-this mom's blog gives some great ideas.
Ball play:
For infants, you can roll the ball on their bodies just so they can get the feel of it. While toddlers aren't always the most skilled at catching and throwing a ball, you can start out slow by rolling the ball to your little one. Not only will it help them work on their balls skills, they'll also learn how to take turns. Afterwards you can do different variations of games like indoor bowling with recycled water bottles, basket ball by trying to have your little one throw a ball into an old cardboard box. My little one loves to lie on her ball on her tummy and then roll around.
For older toddlers you can use a balloon instead of a ball and see if they can keep it up in the air without letting it touch the ground or see if they can blow on the balloon to make it move from one spot to another.
Make a pillow fort:
Perhaps the best part about building a pillow fort is jumping on to the pillows. I like to "sandwich" my little one between two pillows so she can feel totally wrapped up. It's also great for creating a space that is more calm, you can use it to read stories or have a picnic.
Fabrics:
Pull out some sheets, pillow cases and your old clothes and see what your child can create with them.
Yoga/Adult Workouts
I started doing some Yoga stretches this morning and when I got to the pushups, my kiddo climbed on top of my back. It was impossible, but we both had a good laugh. If you're really committed to it, you can try others like this from StudioSweat.
Cooking and sensory:
Cooking with your kiddos not only helps them gain important life skills, it also helps them in almost every academic domain (there's math in measuring, literacy in reading the recipe, science in seeing solids and liquids, patience/self regulation in waiting for things to cook or form and it ignites almost all the senses). I've already touched on making playdough and there's a bunch of other child friendly recipes out there that are great.
While cooking with toddlers can definitely be messy, it doesn't have to be a long ordeal. You can make bubble soap (1 part dish soap, 4 parts water + 2 tsp sugar) to use for entertainment later.
While I have my kiddo help me make pancakes for breakfast each week, it inevitably turns into a "lets explore with flour" session. Its really cool to see how much she loves the texture of the soft flour on her hands. Cornstarch also works really well for sensory play.
Water play is such a great sensory activity and doesn't have to be messy or formally set up. It's essentially what your toddler is doing in the bath with their toys. Other ways of doing it can be in the sink, using a hose or sprinkler if you have one. Even just filling up a big pot or pan. In our old apartment, I used to put down one of the cheap plastic table cloths and just a little pan of water available.
Shaving Cream works really well if you can be sure your kiddo won't eat it. Besides just the feel of it, a lot of them also have scents that are strong. You can also experiment putting in some food coloring (you can buy or make your own) and see what happens when they mix it.
Shadow Puppets & Light Exploration
Shadow puppets with your hands are a great way to start conversations about animals, tell stories, make connections between what their hands are doing and what they see and experience the different sensations of light and dark. The greatest part of it is that it is easy to do, either pull out a flashlight or if you don't have one, try to angle a reading lamp against a wall in a dark room. You can extend it by putting colored tissue paper over the head of the flashlight to do different colors or shining a light in a mirror. You can experiment if objects project bigger or smaller at different angles and distances from the light source.
For older kids, you can put a scarf over there eyes as a blindfold and try to get them to walk (safely) around the room by following instructions or see if they can tell what direction your voice or music is coming from. Give them a challenge of trying to put together a block structure or draw blindfolded or in a dark room. You can talk about how light makes you feel and how dark makes you feel (hot, cold, happy, calm, etc.) If you're lucky enough to have a dimming light try different levels and see what your kiddo loves the best!
Literacy:
A bit of shameless self-promotion but here's an article I wrote for Motherly on how to make reading with your child more interactive https://www.mother.ly/u/karenkeesling
Another great idea is to have family members send your baby/toddler/child postcards or greeting cards. They're great because they have pictures and print, are easy to carry around wherever you may be going and your child feels special that they are getting mail. We even went so far as to create a mailbox out of a file folder and cardboard boxes that my kiddo checks every morning. We put in a little note the night before and picture (usually a character from one of her books, or a shape or a picture of one of her toys) etc.
Songs and chants are such a great way for teaching literacy. Literacy doesn't only mean reading, it also means gaining understanding of how language works. Raffi's songs like Willaby Wallaby or Baby Beluga are great for teaching alliteration. His song "I like to eat apples and bananas" is great for teaching long vowel sounds. Most songs and chants are great for teaching rhyming words as well. The fact that they're too a beat makes them easier to remember and you can start leaving out words and see if your kiddo can come up with the missing part. Many books are also songs so they go hand and hand. Feel free to email me at Karen.s.keesling@gmail.com if you'd like a list of great songs that were made into books or vice-versa.
Mold letters out of play dough. For example, when I used to chant pat-a-cake with my kiddo, I'd always role the dough into the first letter of her name. You can also draw in shaving cream, soil, sand, or on your kiddo's palm or leg. The goal is to ignite the senses and get them used to using their hands.
Go on a letter hunt. Maybe your license plate has one of the letters of your kiddo's name or maybe your street name starts with the same letter as a family member. For example, whenever we go past our house, there's a sign for 15 M.P.H. We always point out the letters and say Mama, Papa, Home.
There's a ton of resources out there, and of course reading is very important but there are so many ways to learn and become literate. Sometimes even just a finger play is enough.
Comments
Post a Comment