Table Time
Activity: Letter Garden
Materials:
Construction paper
Markers
Tape or a poster board!
Skill Check
The goal of this week is work on identifying upper case letters either by pointing to the letter or labeling the letter! You can target a few letters a day to grow the letter garden!
Expanding Skills
Sing the alphabet
Place flower letters in order from A-Z
Have the child identify the letters out of alphabetical order
Identify the sound the letter makes
Floortime Play
Activity: Growing Up, Up, Up!
Materials:
Stacking blocks
Cups
Or boxes
Skill Check
The goal of this activity is to spend time together in a playful, imaginative way. There should be limited structure and a lot of pretending.
Expanding Skills
Rock your child slowly and pretend they are a baby
Sing your child’s favorite lullabies
Be surprised if you child resists and say “Oh yes, you are a big girl/boy”, then play it again
Use this time to connect and remember those sweet infant days
Don’t be discouraged if your child does not want to be held, give them space and then try again.
Build on the baby theme by rocking baby dolls or stuffed animals together, each with your own baby
Relaxation Time
Activity: Mindful Breathing
Book:
Breathe like a Bear by Kira Willey – Imagine You’re A Tree (follow along as Dr. Laura Mraz reads this mindfulness meditation here)
Skill Check
The goal of this week is to practice bringing attention to breath in a fun and playful way
Expanding Skills
Read “Imagine You’re a Tree”
Look out the window together and choose the tree that you want to be
Create a new, unique tree with art materials or scraps around the house
Have everyone in the family describe the details of their tree
Creative Time
Activity: Spring Flower Fine Motor Tray
Materials:
Colander
Fake Flowers
Skill Check
The goal of this activity is for your child to use fine motor skills while creatively making a flower bouquet!
Expanding Skills
Encourage them to arrange the flowers in patters, use their favorite colors, etc.
Movement Time
Activity: Tree Pose
Materials:
Yoga mat
Bubbles
Or a balloon for added challenge
Skill Check
The goal of this week is to stay balanced on one foot while raising your arms toward the sky, like a tree!
Expanding Skills
When standing on one foot, reach the opposite hand into the sky, creating a new position. Switch hands while staying balanced
Try to pop bubbles or hit a balloon in your tree position
Try looking up or closing your eyes
Have everyone in the family do the tree pose and try to connect branches
Mealtime
Activity: Learning About Food!
Materials:
Preferred and novel foods
All done bowl
Utensils
Plate
Skill Check
The goal of this activity is to assess your child’s responses to new foods and promote exploration in a safe and supportive environment
Expanding Skills
This might be difficult if your child is a “picky eater”. Focus on their ability to explore foods without signs of distress. Praise your child for small victories, such as playing with new foods for 5 minutes! Model the exploration of different foods, working your way up to your mouth.
Print out the “Food Scientist” visual to help you structure the activity. Make sure you confirm that your child is ready for each step of food science before continuing on to the next step. It’s important to stop at the step your child is uncomfortable with and move on to a different food. You can place a food in the ‘all done bowl’ when reaching this point. Focus on labeling sensory properties at each step to help your child learn this new language.
- Touch the food and verbally describe the way it feels. Texture: “This _____ feels _____.” (Is the food bumpy or smooth or slimy?) Temperature: “The _____ feels _____.”(Is the food warm or cool?)
- Move the food to your nose and smell. Describe the scent. Smell: “This _____ smells _____.” (Does the food smell sweet or sour or spicy?)
- Move the food to your mouth. Play with the food without eating it.
Pretend the food is lipstick
Give the food a kiss - Slowly work your way up to licking and tasting the food. Describe the sensations, textures, and observations of the way the food tastes.
“The grape feels cool in my mouth. It is soft. When I chew the grape, it tastes sour.”
Language Time
Activity: Plant Crafts!
Materials:
Paper
Scissors
Glue
Markers
Any other crafting materials you have accessible
Skill Check
The goal of this week is to provide opportunity for your child to increase use, expand, and improve understanding of language through play
Expanding Skills
If you are able, take a walk outside with your child, or look out the window, and find things that grow (e.g., a tree, flower). You can talk about how each day the plant gets taller and taller, and describe how it looks (e.g., color, shape).
Visual support is helpful for this activity, so consider taking a picture of it!
Return back to your home and use paper, makers, or whatever crafting supplies are accessible and make the plant!
Expressive language skills such as requesting and describing can be targeted by modeling the language or by prompting them to use their words to request for an art material
Make your own and take turns with the materials to target turn taking
Following directions and sequencing can be targeted with helping them organize and complete the steps to making the craft
