Table Time
Skill Check
This activity uses a child’s spatial skills, object recognition and fine motor skills.
Growing My Skills
1. Print out template and gather writing utensil.
2. Discuss who friends are and which ones they would like to draw.
3. Identify what they like to do together, focus on letter formation and sounds while writing.
4. Draw image to reflect words.
Floortime Play
Activity: Tea Party with “Friends!”
Materials:
Pretend foods
Pretend cups
Stuffed animals
Skill Check
The goal of this activity is to promote turn-taking, passing out materials to “friends” (stuffed animals) and initiating interactions with “friends.” There should be limited structure and a lot of pretending/imagination during this time.
Relaxation Time
Skill Check
The goal of this activity is to slow down and engage quiet time and listening skills during read aloud activity. It also allows children to think about what they like to do with their friends and the challenges of making new friends
Growing My Skills
What does your child like about this story?
Did anything make them feel sad?
What does your child like about their old friends?
What do they like about their new friends?
Creative Time
Activity: Friendship Mural
Materials:
Sidewalk chalk
Sidewalk OR Paper
Crayons/Markers
Skill Check
This activity allows your child to think about, name, and show what they like about their friends. It’s a great conversation starter as well as a way to help them stay emotionally connected to peers
Growing My Skills
1. Gather your materials.
2. Talk with your child about their friends at Blue Bird or in the community.
3. Write down their friends’ names on the sidewalk or paper, one friend at a time.
4. For each friend, ask your child to draw a picture about that friend.
5. Ask your child about their picture.
6. Repeat with the next friend’s name.
Movement Time
Activity: Catch
Materials:
Ball or favorite stuffed animal
Skill Check
The goal of this week focuses on playing catch, which is a favorite game with friends at Blue Bird!
Growing My Skills
Stand closer together (3-4 feet) if catch is a new game, and stand farther apart (6-8 feet) if catch is an old favorite.
Work on an underhand throw/catch first, then you can advance to a bounce pass and overhead pass.
Remind your child to keep their eyes on the ball and to get both of their hands ready by positioning them open and out.
You can cue them to catch by “closing” or “clapping” their hands together when the ball comes.
A modification is trapping the ball between their chest and arms if they’re not quite there yet with their timing, coordination, and motor planning to catch with two hands.
Mealtime
Activity: What’s your favorite food (10 questions)?
Materials:
Play 10 questions to guess a friend’s favorite food.
Optional: play with printed pictures of favorite foods (ex: pizza, pasta, rice, apples, etc.).
Optional: watch the video “Are You Hungry?”
Skill Check
Goal: expand your child’s vocabulary around food and to identify a peer or family member’s favorite food.
Growing My Skills
How to play:
1. Pick a friend or family member to play with.
2. Both people playing must think of a favorite food but don’t say it out loud.
3. Each person can ask ten questions to guess what food their partner is thinking of. Ex: is it green? is it soft? is it a fruit?
Optional: if the food your child guessed is in the pantry, try to prepare it together.
Language Time
Activity: Friendship Crafts
Materials:
Self portrait: Paper plates, markers/crayons, yarn, googly eyes, glue
Friendship bracelets: pipe cleaners, cut up plastic straws (½-1 inch pieces), beads
Paper chain craft: Construction paper (pre-cut into strips), tape or stapler (for adult use)
Skill Check
The goal of this week is to target pragmatic language skills. Work on taking turns with friends/siblings/cousins, sharing toys, looking at our friends when talking and using our listening ears when they are talking. You can discuss how playdates are different and how you might miss your friends. You can set up a virtual playdate or draw a picture/write a letter and send it to your friend.
Expanding Skills
Make a self-portrait, talk about what makes you YOU
Make friendship bracelets, using cut straws/beads and pipe cleaners
Color and decorate BBD Diversity Coloring Page
Paper chain craft, take turns adding links with friends/siblings/parents/cousins
Plan a playdate or virtual playdate with a friend to say Hi and to tell them about your summer!
