Table Time Activity: Measurement
Skill Check
Begin with stacking numbers on top of each other in sequential order. Model saying each number out loud as you stack them up.
See if you can encourage your child to stack the Legos as well; a silly way to encourage participation is to “accidentally” knock the tower down!
If successful so far, begin to narrate as your tower becomes “bigger” and “smaller”. Ask you child to identify any “big” and “small” towers.
Growing My Skills
Turn your towers on their sides to become snakes and begin to notice out loud as your snakes get “longer” and “shorter”. Ask your child which snake has “more” Legos.
Wonder together how many Legos it will take to build towers the same length as small toys and household items.
Practice adding and subtracting 1 or 2 Legos at a time from towers and noticing how many are left.
Floortime Play Activity: Goodnight / Wake Up!
Skill Check
Model “falling asleep” with silly snoring noises followed by big silly yawns or tickles awake.
As your child shows more interest, encourage them to join in and slow the activity down to support attention skills!
If your child shows interest, introduce a doll and model the doll falling asleep and waking up with you. Encourage your child to tuck the baby in and tickle it awake too!
Growing My Skills
If your child enjoys tickling the doll awake give them the choice between different body parts to tickle for an easy way to build in academics!
Wonder with your child how the doll feels as he is falling asleep or getting tickled awake.
See if your child will act out a longer sequence of play; initiate offering the doll breakfast or driving to Blue Bird Day!
Creative Time Activity: Coffee Filter Color Theory
Skill Check
Encourage your child to color on coffee filter with as much independence as possible to select marker color and remove cap.
Practice scribbles and straight lines while decorating coffee filter. Fun sounds like “zzzzzzip!” help encourage participation!
Model for your child misting the coffee filter and celebrate together as the colors bleed; if they find the activity motivating, see if they can squeeze the nozzle themselves or if they will request your help appropriately.
Growing My Skills
Practice creating more challenging shapes such as circles, squares and plus signs; these are important precursors to handwriting!
See if your child can recognize letters or even simple sight words, and reward them if they can by getting to spray the filter!
If your child seems ready to expand even further, practice tracing their name in uppercase letters. Rather than the popular “connect the dot” style tracing, instead use a light colored marker for a more visually supportive solid line to trace.
Movement Time Activity: Dinosaur Walks
Skill Check
Model getting onto your hands and knees and roaring like a dinosaur; get silly with it and encourage your child to join in!
Encourage your child to crawl around on different textured surfaces or put a few couch pillows in their way so they have to dino-crawl over.
Growing My Skills
Encourage your little dinosaur to pull up to a kneeling position for their “big dino roar”!
Create an obstacle course for the dinosaur to plan and sequence crawling over/under/through obstacles in a particular order.
