Believe it or not, rhymes help children learn pre-reading skills. Here are some rhymes to start you off.One of the most helpful pre-reading skills to learn is that words are made up of sounds. To sound out c-a-t is cat and d-o-g is dog. This is the basic principle behind phonics – you might have come across phonics before. Lots of experts believe that practicing lots of rhymes from an early age seems to lower the probability that children will have reading problems when they reach school.
Playing games and singing songs that feature rhymes can be of great benefit. Here are a selection of favourites:
Songs that emphasize the little sounds with a rhythm
This is the way the ladies ride Trit- trot trit- trot trit- trot This is the way the gentlemen ride Gallup, gallup,gallup This is the way the old man rides Hobble-dee hobble-dee And down in a ditch.
The actions (trotting, galloping or hobbleddeing on the knee) emphasise the rhythm. The down in the ditch is a surprise that makes her laugh- and the excitement improves listening next time around.
We do not need to restrict ourselves to nursery songs. Any song that fits the words to a clear rhythm or emphasizes the little sounds works well, even pop songs old or new work!
Rhymes that emphasize the little sounds through repetition.
Humpty Dumpty
Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall Humpty Dumpty had a great fall All the kings horses and all the kings men Couldn’t put humpty together again.
Baba Black Sheep
Baba black sheep have you and wool Yes sir, yes sir three bags full One for the master and one for the dame And one for the little boy that lives down the lane.
Rhyme it
I saw a cat and he was wearing a………… hat. I saw a pig and he was wearing a………….wig. I saw a hen holding a …………pen I saw a stoat and he was wearing a ………coat.
You can either take turns to make up the sentences or you can provide the animals and he can provide the rhymes.
Silly
Silly rhymes are great fun, he’ll be having so much fun he won’t think for one minute he’s learning! The sillier the better!
Playtime hints and tips to help develop pre-reading skillsIt can sometimes feel like you’re under pressure to have your child reading before they’ve even started school. But this really isn’t something you need to worry about. There is no need to rush to give them a head start – did you know that some countries don’t even start their children reading until the age of 7 and those children actually do go on to be better readers than those who start earlier!
The most important things you can do to help are to foster a love of books in your child, even if he can’t read yet and always positively encourage his efforts towards reading. If you help him understand that books are good fun, he’ll learn without even realising it!
Below are some easy tips and pointers for preparing your pre-schooler for reading:
1. Reading is fun!
Encourage a positive view of reading by;
* Setting a good example * - let him see that mummy reads too!
* Enjoy books together * – let him get to know the feel of books and enjoy looking through them.
* Bedtime stories * – sharing story books when you’re safe and cuddled up in bed builds positive images of reading that will last for a lifetime
It’s all in the detail!
Reading needs concentration and attention to detail, so practice these skills through play;
* Look for the surprises * - Look for picture books that have a hidden character on each page.
* Search in the shops * - have him look for one of his favourite foods in the supermarket as you do the weekly shop. Watch out for logos and familiar labels.
* Out and About * – When you’re out and about look carefully at things like leaves, flowers and shells. Point out the details.
Familiarity with Letters
Start building early familiarity with letters through simple play ideas;
* Books * - look for individual letters in books. S for snake or F for Freddy.
*Out and About* - look for individual letters on car number plates, street signs etc
* Toys * - look out for toys with letters for added play value- especially those that tell you the sounds when you press a button
* Food * - look for letters on food packets.
* Words * - look for frequent words like the in his story books.
Familiarity with sounds
Words and sentences are quite rhythmic and built up of a collection of sounds, get them used to this idea with some of these tips;
* Poems and rhyme * - read poems, nursery rhymes and books written in rhyme.
* Game play * - play games that use rhymes.
* Names * - clap out the syllables of his name. Can he do it? Can he clap out his whole name? Freddie is two claps Freddie Walker is four. Who do you know with the most claps?
Familiarity with shapes
Words and letters are just shapes, for example A is based on a triangle, recognising shapes is a good building block for reading;
*Books* – look for objects in picture books that are a particular shape
*Out and About* - look for shapes outside, wheels on cars, round-abouts, road signs, paving slabs etc
Playtime hints and tips to help your child discover wonder of science and natureFrom the mument he can get about by himself, you’ll see that your baby loves to investigate and explore everything! Many of the simple activities that he loves actually do help him learn basic scientific principles. For example, playing with bath toys will teach him simple lessons about solids and liquids, and, the best thing is, he is learning all the time without even realising it.
All the things surrounding him provide ample material to develop his ’scientific’ side. From leaves and animals in nature, to toys and furniture – they all have a part in play as he explores his world.
Early on, he’ll want to know “what happens if…” and will often come up with his own answer. Don’t feel like you need to give any kind of a scientific explanation of the principle at play, the most important thing is to let him experience what happens.
Day to day there are lots of ways to help bring out the scientist in him!
How do things move?
* Try pushing balls down a slope with him to watch what happens
* What happens if you send different shapes down, do they move quicker or slower, or do they get stuck half way?
What floats?
Bath time is a brilliant time to investigate water and its effects.
* What floats? Give him household bits and pieces made of different materials to try.
* What sinks? Try different shapes and materials again.
* Which things soak up water? Try paper plates, face flannels, sponges, ducks, plastic cups.
* What happens to bubbles when he puts soap in the bath?
How does your garden grow?
Growing things is a great way to learn about nature, and the best thing is that children love to grow! They also love creepy crawlies so there are lots of great things to explore in the garden.
* Plant sunflower seeds in pots. How tall will they grow? Watch how they turn to face the sun.
* Put some grass seed (or better still cress) on a wet flannel - keep it damp and watch the roots and shoots pop out of the seed.
* Plant some radishes- it only takes 6 weeks from planting to harvest.
* How many legs do spiders have? See if you can catch one and count the legs.
* How many birds come to the bird table?
* What happens when you put a piece of celery in a jar of coloured water over night? It will come out the colour of the water!
* How quickly does a bamboo cane grow? You will need a tape measure!
These are just a few ideas, I’m sure that you can think of lots more to make everyday learning discoveries.
As he becomes more mobile, as his memory improves and as his confidence in his own ability grows, you’re almost certain to see a quick progression in his learning. He can move around to look closer at things and, with his improved hand skills and coordination, he is able explore them more. He is learning about the world all the time but he’ll enjoy these simple games and activities to help encourage him along his way.
Games
*Sponge squeeze*
This is a fun way for baby to explore texture, water and shape and engage in social interaction. This is best played at bath-time.
* Buy a pack or two of sponges and cut each one into a different shape.
* Drop them into the bath one at a time and let him explore them.
* Put each sponge on the side of the bath and press out the water. The sponge should stick to the side of the bath.
* Baby will probably want to make a grab for it.
*Tower demolition*
This game helps build baby’s confidence that he can make things happen, and he will begin to learn that a toy seen in one place can actually be the same toy that he saw somewhere else a mument ago!
* Sit on the floor in front of your baby and build a tower of 4 – 5 bricks between you.
* Encourage her to knock them over
* She will love the excitement of knocking the bricks over and won’t get bored of this game for quite some time!
*Hunt the toy*
In this six months, many of the toys and games that babies enjoy most are those that help reinforce the idea that objects can move and still be the same object, and also that they can still exist even if they are hidden!
Take one of baby’s favourite toys and a cloth or tea towel. Put the cloth over the toy and lift it off to show her the toy. Give her a turn to see if she too will lift it off to expose the toy. You can also try the following ideas;
* Try her with the toy half covered
* Try with the toy completely covered
* If you’re playing with a toy that makes a noise, see what her reaction is if you get the toy to go off from under the cloth.
* Try removing the toy before she (or you) takes the cloth off. Is she surprised?
* Bye-bye baby*
Before children can talk using words they can understand and use hand signs. So include some of these hand signals regularly in play and day to day routine. The easiest one is waving hello or bye-bye.
* Teach her to wave bye-bye.
* Wave bye-bye to everyone when she goes to bed.
* Wave bye-bye to the bus as it disappears down the road.
* Wave bye-bye to the sheep in the field.
* Wave bye-bye to the trains at the station.
At this age he will really love playing with water in the bath. Not only does he find out 'how'and 'why' but he’ll also be practicing eye-hand co-ordination.
* Give him something to pour water from like a jug, and something to pour in to, like a plastic cup
* Also give him something that floats when empty but sinks when full, like a plastic bottle.
* Give him a selection of sponges that soak up water.
* Give him floating ducks that he can send away, with a wave of water
* Let him explore what he can do with these objects and he’ll have great fun
Making butterfly prints
This is a simple painting activity that works like magic and its one that is a real classic. It teaches children to work towards an end, that creating is fun and of course improves hand-eye coordination too.
* Take some thickened paint in two or more colours
* Take small pieces of paper and fold down the middle
* Show him how to put paint on one side of the paper
* Gently fold the paper over and press to get paint on both sides
* Open up to show him the beautiful butterfly he made!
Tip!
*How to make your own thick paint*
To make your own thick paint put a desert spoon of flour into a saucepan with a little water, whisk, bring to the boil and add a little colouring.
For older children you could add powder paint rather than food colouring.
Sorting the socks
Get some help with the laundry and help him to learn very basic maths principles and matching too!
* Put all the socks in a bag
* Ask him to sort them in to pairs!
Heads and bodies
Another pairing game that helps teach basic maths ideas.
* Take about 5 – 10 small pieces of card and on to each stick pictures of animals cut from magazines
* Cut each card in two, so that the head is on one side and the body on the other
* Ask him to pair them up with the right head and right body
* Ask him to do mismatches – what is the silliest animal he can make and what would he call it?
Picture match
On a variation on the game above, this pairing game encourages him to look for what objects have in common – this encourages early maths and also as he will be looking for the detail, this also helps develop early reading.
* Take 10 – 20 pieces of card and stick objects on them, there should be two of each different kind of object – so for example two cars, two mugs and two sofas. Some pairs should be identical pictures but some can be the same sort of object but different pictures
* Ask him to form the pairs – this will help him understand that things can have something in common even if they are a different size or colour for example.
Find the sticker
This is a simple hide and seek game that helps him look carefully - an important skill for early reading.
* Take some sticky backed shapes or cut them out from sticky backed paper
* Ask him to wait outside the room while you stick these to various objects around the room
* Tell him how many you have hidden and let him have fun looking for them
* If he needs help, give him hints when he is getting 'warm'!
Play Guide - Social and Emotional Development 3 - 5 years
According to a recent survey, around 10% of school children don’t have a friend. As families are spending less time discussing things over meals and safety concerns mean children spend less time playing out with friends, it is more important than ever to practice social and emotional skills through play and daily routine.
Games
* Monsters *
Children play through their worries by incorporating them into games. A child who is afraid of monsters will love to dress up as one.
- Take an old pillowcase, cut out eye holes and put it over her head
- Make sure you also cut holes for her arms!
- Use a head band to keep the costume place
- Now all she has to do is scare people!
* No hose pipe ban! *
Children love to be silly and get really excited. One way to guarantee laughter and fun is a to get the hose pipe out on a hot day. This is a good game to break the ice between children and ensure laughs.
- Let the children run in and out of the water
- Or chase them round with the water
- Or both!
* Shark infested waters *
Another game that is great for more than one child to play, that is guaranteed to break the ice.
- Lay out paper plates in a path on the garden.
- The children must step from one plate to the next without falling in the shark infested waters!
* Duck duck goose *
This is a good game for at least four children.
- Children sit in a circle
- One is picked to be ’it’
- The one who is ’it’ walks around the circle tapping them on the head saying ’duck’, ’duck’, ’duck’
- Without warning she suddenly says ’goose’ instead and then starts to run around the circle
- The child she picked to be goose must run after her and try to make it back to her space in the circle first.
- Whoever is left standing is ’it’
* Baby clinic *
Role play is great for developing social skill. Playing at 'baby clinic' is a good one for more than two children.
- Set up a waiting room with chairs
- Scales to weigh the baby
- Tape measure to measure her
- Dolls and teddies to act as babies
Games and Activities to Stimulate Mobility 7-12 months
Playtime tips and games to encourage movement and mobility.
In this six-month period your baby will become quite mobile, but don’t worry, less than half of babies are walking as the year ends. Most will be crawling and many of them will be able to pull themselves up on furniture.
Games
*Play, play, play*
Make the most of toys in her toy box to help keep her entertained and mobile. Toys that encourage her to bounce are great for strengthening the legs, walker or push alongs are good for children beginning to walk around the furniture.
*Come on baby!*
Encourage her to creep (and later crawl) by putting toys just out of reach.
Encourage her to pull herself up by putting toys into the arm-chair.
Encourage her to step out by pushing furniture close together
Let her take her weight on her legs and dance on your lap
*Crawling fun*
Chase her around the sofa (you can crawl too!)
Make a tunnel from some old boxes and let her crawl through.
Show her something – then put it across the room so she must crawl to reach it.
* Up and down*
She not only needs to pull herself up - she also needs to let herself down. Toys in the arm-chair will encourage her to pull herself up - toys in an adjoining chair (which she needs to crawl to) encourage her to pull herself up and sit down again.
*Walky walky!*
Once she is able to stand and support herself with minimum support, she will love having her hands held while she walks. Backbreaking for you- but huge fun for her!
*Dancing*
Once babies find their feet they will want to stand and bounce whenever they have an opportunity. Let her dance on your lap and/or jump her up and down and swing her in the air.
Games and Activities to stimlulate mobility 1–2 years
Most babies will start this year on their feet, even if they are not walking independently yet. They will finish this year confident walkers
Games
* Toy Box *
Walkers are great for this stage, she has all the strength in her legs, but doesn’t quite have the balance. From about 19 months, she’ll also enjoy pull along toys – ask her to take her pull along doggy for a walk!
* Baby’s crawling! *
When she is able to walk, crawling then becomes a fun activity. Play games of crawling around the furniture, up and down slopes and through tubes made from old boxes or tunnels.
* Puddle stamp *
A much-loved game for a really wet day. Just get out your waterproofs and wellies, find a puddle and stamp in it.
* Races *
Once she is moving with confidence she will enjoy a race. She doesn’t need anyone to race against, you just need to say the magic words READY STEADY GO!
* Let’s kick *
By the time she is two she will be able to kick and throw a ball - but only from a standing position and not with any great accuracy. Play kicking games in the garden.
* Move to the music *
Put on some great music and enjoy a dance together
Choose different styles of music. As you enjoy the different styles, encourage her to dance in different ways too.
At two she runs with flat feet and can’t yet take off from her toes. She can’t change speeds easily. She can just about jump off the ground and can comfortably manage a sit and ride. As the year progresses she’ll be able to walk along a log or wall, stand on one foot and use a slide by herself.
Games
* Toy Box *
Lots of toys are available to help encourage her movement and mobility. Pull alongs, push-alongs are great and many of you will have access to climbing frames or slides in the garden or at a local park.
* Don’t step on the cracks *
When you’re out and about, play a game of avoiding the cracks. She’ll be able to practice taking off as she jumps from safe spot to safe spot.
* Shadow tag *
This is a game of tag with a difference- you catch someone by stepping in their shadow. Chase games are good for her to practice stopping and starting, changing direction and learning to change speed quickly.
* Running in the wind *
Nothing quite excites little ones as much as running in a high wind. You can find an exposed spot and lean into the wind. Pretend it is blowing you both away or just run after flying leaves and bits of tissue paper.
By three his running is better, but he still has problems stopping and turning. By five these should be better. He can comfortably jump with both feet and can walk on tip toes. The best games to play between these ages encourage balance, dodging and jumping.
Outdoor Activities
*Skates* - amongst the very best balancing toys.
*Footballs* - to kick you have to balance on one foot - doing this on the run is too difficult, but he can stand and kick.
*Bikes* with stabilisers at first, but as he rides there will be times when he isn’t using them.
Games
* Jack be nimble *
Action rhymes are a great way of encouraging movement. In this popular classic he will be encouraged to practice jumping over small objects.
Jack be nimble jack be quick
Jack jump over the candle stick
(or anything else you can find that is less than about 4 inches high!)
Hopscotch
This playtime classic game has been around for generations. To play the traditional game she throws a stone to land in each square in turn and then hops out to collect it before returning to the start. She must not step in a box with a stone in it however. This can be quite complicated for this age, but she will enjoy hopping and jumping nonetheless.
* Simon says *
A classic, whatever Simon says you must do, but if he doesn’t say ’Simon Says’ you don’t do it! Use any actions that he needs to practice.
Simon says jump up and down
Simon says hop on one foot
Simon says jump forward
Simon says one knee on the floor
Simon says touch the ground Jump back
(do all the others - but not this one)
Tag
Over the next few years children must perfect dodging and changing direction on the run. These days such skills are the basis of most sports. A traditional game that practices this skill is simply tag. There are lots of variations – here are a few:
* Underground he * - If you are caught you stand legs apart - if someone crawls through you are freed.
* Stick in the mud * - If you are caught you must stay as still as a statue until someone frees you.
* Touch wood * - You are safe from being caught if you are touching wood.
* Three squats * - You are safe if you squat down - but you only have three chances to use this.
* Off the ground * - You are safe if you are off the ground - but you can only stay until you have counted to ten
Toys and games for eye-hand co-ordination 0-6 months
In the first weeks, his hand-eye co-ordination will make steady progress and quite quickly. As such major changes occur, we have broken this section down further.
In the first weeks
In the first weeks your baby’s eyes and hands do not work together – he will just watch. His favourite toys and things are bright and move. He will enjoy watching the following kinds of objects:
* His reflection in a mirror
* The toys on his gym
* A mobile.
* A torch you shine on the ceiling of a darkened room.
* Flashing lights.
* Shiny objects that catch the light.
* His hands if they come into view.
6 weeks +
He is more ready to swipe with his arm at objects he sees. He’ll enjoy;
* The toys on his gym.
* The rattle you hold for him.
* Toys fixed to his bouncer, pushchair or cot.
2 – 4 months
He will gradually develop the skill to grab.
He will grab objects and toys firmly and shake them. He’ll also put them to his mouth – this is him actually putting his hand to his mouth rather than the toy. Toys are tested with this in mind. Look for toys that have small sections that are easy to grab or hold.
5-6 months
His grasping is more deliberate and he will reach without constantly monitoring his hand. Because he can reach and clasps toys from above as well as from the side he is able to pick things off the floor. He knows when something is out of reach and does not try to grab it. Most babies now transfers toys from one hand to the other. He’ll enjoy playing with;
* Toys he can pick up, take to his mouth or pass from hand to hand.
* Toys he can grab and hold- especially those with textures he can feel and which make noises when he grabs them.
* Toys which he can bat with a more open hand.
* He may like to cuddle a soft toy and stroke an interesting texture.
* Link-a-Doos toys that connect to nursery equipment or toys are great for bat-at fun.
Playtime tips and games to encourage eye-hand co-ordination.
Now that his hands are becoming more skilled he begins to treat toys more individually. He might start putting two bricks on top of each other, push his toy train or put things into his sorter. He can use a pincer grip to pick up small items and will use his thumb to push a larger object into his hand.
(b>Games
* Toy Box *
This really is the age of the hand and he needs lots of practice, toys are the safest things to practice with. He needs toys that will encourage him in different ways. Look for toys that enable him to;
Bang a toy onto the tray of his highchair or one toy onto another.
Prod soft spongy textures
Poke his finger into little spaces.
Feel different textures.
Explore things by stroking his hand across them
Explore by moving toys in his hand
Explore by holding toys with one hand and exploring with the other.
Pass toys between hands
Pick up toys.
Drop toy - initially by tipping them out of his hand but gradually by turning his hand over and then letting go.
Place toys where he wants them to be.
He will need to practice picking up small objects- and since these still tend to go to his mouth small bits of food are best for this.
Something like an activity table is good as they very often feature lots of these actions in one, and they also have the added bonus that they are sturdy enough for him to practice pulling himself up on to his feet.
Toys like blocks and rounds are good for placing or rolling actions.
"Try Peek A Blocks or Roll A Rounds".
* Pincer practice *
He needs to practice using the pincer grip - and since he is still putting most things into his mouth food is the safest thing to practice on!
Peas and carrots - Cut carrots into pea size squares and give him a dish
Pasta - Small pasta shapes can be played with in the same way.
Slices of banana - small pieces of apple, berries or any other food he enjoys.
* Wiggle worms *
Give him a bowl of cooked spaghetti to play with. He will enjoy squashing it in his hand, picking up pieces in his fingers and generally messing about with it. All great for developing dexterity.
* Jelly wobble *
Try the above but with Jelly or mashed potato. These are both great for squashing in his hands and exploring texture.
* Stroke *
Let him stroke your face.
Let him stroke different textured fabrics such as the carpet or a silky cushion.
Talk about the textures.
* Dropsy! *
Let him practice dropping toys from the pram or high chair. Pick them up so he can do it again.
Attach some toys to his high chair with a short piece of elastic so they bounce up and down when he throws them out. Can he grab them back?
* Put and post *
He may be able to put one brick on top of another - but will not line it up first. The Peek A Blocks Collection features a Shape Sorter which is a good choice as the blocks can be handled or stacked and also posted through the differently shaped holes.
The easiest shapes for his sorter are round balls - as long as he gets the ball to the hole he can push it through.
He loves putting things into containers and will enjoy a little bucket or bag to put things into.
By one he may be able to put one brick on top of another.
* Turn *
Give her a chunky board book to read, turning the pages requires the pincer grip!
By her first birthday your baby is pointing and her hands have become quite skilled at handling objects. She can pick up and put down and place things more or less where she wants them. The major advance in this year is the development of her wrist bones, these allow her to twist her hand and place things more accurately.
Games
* Toy Box *
She is making great progress with dexterity so give her toys that will help encourage this. Look out for:
- Shape sorters
- Blocks
- Simple puzzles
- Toys with doors to hide things behind
- Toy phones
- Stackers
* Scotble *
Give her a crayon and let her scotble to her hearts content
* Play Dough *
Give her play dough and let her squeeze it through her fingers. By two she might like to cut it too with a plastic knife.
* Water and sand *
Pour it - soft sand can be poured like water. Let her play with both. She will need a jug, some cups, maybe something to stir with.
Capture It - water flows easily into and out of containers that you dip in to it. The same actions work with sand - but this must be scooped up and does not spill as easily.
Float on it - Everything sits on top of the sand – but some things sink into the water.
Stick to it - Sand sticks to her hands and so does water. But only water soaks into her sleeves.
Mould it – when sand and water are mixed they can be moulded. Give her shapes to press into the sand and help her make sand castles. Water eventually sinks into the sand- but will stay for a short time on the surface. Let her explore this.
* Stackers *
Collect boxes large and small and pile them one on top of the other.
You can also try stacking one inside the other.
At this age she will be extremely curious and will want to explore everything and everywhere, including every nook and cranny of your house so he’ll be sure to keep you on your toes! Play games to stimulate her growing sense of wonder and her love of discovery. )
Frozen Fun
This is a simple exploratory game for bath-time.
* Make a tray of ice cubes – if you have a fancy shaped one even better and you can also add food colouring to make the shapes even more interesting.
* Drop them into the bath
* They will float at first and then gradually disappear with the warmth of the water.
* Talk about what’s happening, to your baby this will seem like magic but they will be learning a little science at the same time!
Little fishes
This is another simple bath game to help her discover what happens to some objects in water.
* Cut little fishes from shiny paper (magazine covers are best) drop these into the bath.
* Explore what happens when she splashes (they should float)
* Explore what happens when she pours water on them (they should sink)
Finger painting
An early painting task which will encourage her to learn that she can make things happen.
* This is a messy one so make sure you protect the floor and baby!
* You need some thickened paint in a pot with a hole big enough for her finger.
* Show her how to dip her finger in and encourage her to make marks on paper
Tip:
*How to thicken paint*
To make your own thickened paint, put a desert spoon of flour into a saucepan with a little water, whisk, bring to the boil and add a little food colouring.
For an older child, you could make this in the same way but add powder paint rather than food colouring.
Taking a print
This game is another messy one so take care to protect the floor and clothing. This game is particularly good for playing with younger and older siblings together as it is great fun!
* You need thickened paint in two different colours (see above for how to thicken paint)
* Put two or three dollops of each colour in a plastic plate or tray
* Give your baby a spoon to stir the two together, they will form a great messy mixture that has bits of both colour and some where the colour has changed so for example you might red, yellow and orange shades
* Take a piece of clean paper and place over the top of the paint to make a print of the colour mixture (if you’re also playing with older siblings you might let them do this bit themselves!)
Paper balls
This game is very basic and helps teach her about distance and space.
At this age a ball is easier to throw if she throws it underhand and can get a firm grip. If he is throwing in the house she needs something that will not do any serious damage. Newspaper balls are ideal.
Make balls out of newspaper and encourage her
* To throw them into a chair
* To throw them into a news paper basket
My drawer
When your baby is this young, she’ll love playing very close to you, and because she is this close to you, you’ll naturally talk to them more which is great. This game features opening and closing, emptying and filling – a big favourite for toddlers.
* Put some toys in a low drawer (could be in the bedroom or kitchen perhaps)
* Cut out your baby’s initial letter and stick it to the front of the drawer
* He can now play at emptying and filling this drawer whenever he wants to
* That’s all there is to it, easy play possibilities are everywhere!
Push me pull me
Making something you can play with gives a real sense of achievement and ’I can do it’ which, in turn, builds confidence for learning. This simple craft activity also helps develop hand-eye co-ordination.
* Give her a plastic jar or bottle and some pasta
* Her job is to put the pasta in the jar and then put on the lid ( she might need some help here!)
* Tie some string around the jar top for her and show her she can now pull it along and make noise!
* If you have a grassy bank outside you can also play at rolling it down the hill.
Sand is a wonderful substance for experiments. When it is dry it flows like water, when wet you can mould it - and when very wet it forms a slurry and flows. You can run a stick through it to leave a temporary trail. It can be used to build castles, or roads for his cars. In fact it’s the perfect “I made that happen toy” for a small child.
The beach
The beach offers so many opportunities it is hard to know where to start!
* A hole to sit in. If he is not quite sitting firmly dig him a small hole and wedge his bottom. He will be able to sit- but put towels all around him so he does not eat the sand.
* Make sand castles. Fill buckets and upturn them or simply pile up the sand and mould into walls. A little wet sand dribbled over the walls makes it look a bit creepy. Decorate with sea weed, lollipop sticks and shells.
* Make a sea wall. Best played when the tide is coming in. Dig a hole for him to sit in, make a wall around it, and pile up the sand to stop the sea encroaching.
* Make holes and channels from the waters edge up the beach- when the waves reach the channel the water flows.
* Dig channels from rock pools and watch the water flow.
* Slide down banks of soft sand
In the garden
It is possible to buy sand pits with lids. Do cover it when not in use to ensure no stray bits of rubbish or stones get in. Do not use sharp sand (as the name suggests the grains are sharp). It is possible to buy finer soft sand by the bag.
* Make sand castles – give him bucket and spade or different household containers like Tupperware tubs
* Make rake patterns – have a game of making patterns with a rake or other objects.
* Make roads – use a tool or stick to make roads in the sand for his cars
* Pouring -Scoop it up and pour it in lumps from a jug.
* Mixing - Mix water with sand to make a slurry and pour this from a jug.
In the house.
There are lots of ways for creative play with sand indoors, you can use ordinary fine sand, or buy coloured sands, or even just use similar substances such as sugar.
* Touching – Sand or sugar feels good for him just to run his hands through.
* Pouring – Sand or sugar can be poured through a funnel. This is great fun and is also great for developing his dexterity as he gains control of his wrists.
* Making Pictures – Give him a tray and then fill a bag with sand or sugar. If you seal it with an elastic band and then snip a small corner off, he can play at pouring it out and make sand pictures on the tray.
* Weighing – Weigh sand with scales, is wet sand heavier or lighter than dry?
* Sand in water - A spoonful of sand can be added to water and stirred- the grains swim around and colour the water but some settles at the bottom, if more sand is added he makes a slurry that can be poured and which will flow into interesting shapes..
Bring out the Van Gogh in your little one with some arty games and activities.
Drawing and painting not only offer a child a way of expressing themselves creatively - they are also excellent activities for improving eye-hand co-ordination and the control of tools, primarily pen or pencil. This is a skill they will also need for school.
This is reason enough to give a child plenty of practice, but there are more benefits to art and painting activities;
* Learning 'I can do it'
* Learning to sit still and concentrate.
* Learning to express themselves (especially if you talk about what they have done).
* Building self confidence (especially if you show how proud you are - and if you put the drawings on display)
* Structured painting activities teach a child to work from beginning to end.
* Learning that learning and doing things is fun
Before you start
Accept there will be mess and prepare for it. No child can enjoy painting if they are afraid of making a mess!
* Find a place - if you can’t put a table or easel in an easily cleaned area, put down a plastic sheet or table cloth. If you cover this with newspaper too, you cut down the possibility of slipping.
* Expect children to take care - but don’t be critical of reasonable mess, it’s all part of the fun.
* Dress for the occasion - you can buy painting aprons or one of your old shirts, T-shirts or blouses can be cut down to make a painting overall.
* Cleaning brushes is a source of frustration to children because they tend to get their paintings too wet. You could either show them how to wipe the brush on kitchen paper or have a different brush for each colour.
Tools - Brushes, pens and crayons
Have a variety of different sized brushes to hand, these produce different kinds of pictures. Crayons are also good. Felt tips are okay for older children but not recommended for under threes. Chalk is a great choice as this can even be used on the garden path for fun outdoor art, and then washed down with the hose.
Paper and paint
Art shops offer a range of paper which you can buy in rolls - but for everyday painting you can use make use of lots of your rubbish! The back of cereal boxes, washable wall paper, old letters and circulars, computer print-outs, they are all fine for painting. Do check the absorbency though –too shiny and paint slides off - too absorbent and the paper will rip when it is wet.
Structured and free
First and foremost painting and drawing must be fun - and that means children should paint and draw exactly what they want.
Structured
* Colouring in a drawing
* Drawing to order
* Tracing or drawing around objects
* Printing
Free
* Having a pot of paint a brush and a piece of paper and doing what he feels like.
* Hand and foot prints
* Finger and sponge painting, blow painting
After they finish
Clearing up should be part of the activity
* Encourage him to wash out brushes and put them away.
* Wash down surfaces with a cloth.
* Put paints away
And remember drawing does not have to be messy - A soft pencil and a bit of paper can be used anywhere and everywhere and you carry these around in your handbag for impromptu play. Alternatively you could try a mess-free creative product like Doodle Pro, that lets them explore their creative side without the mess.
Construction is great for developing hand-eye co-ordination and also for building confidence and a sense of achievement. There are lots of construction toys available in a variety of formats but you can also use boxes and items from around the home.
Over the counter play sets
These come in a wide variety and in all sizes.
* Sets which do not need to be put together in very precise ways are best for the very youngest children.
* Sets that require more precise positioning but come in big pieces are best for the middle age range – Pop Onz are suitable for children from 18 months.
* Sets with small parts that require precise positioning can be used to make more realistic models and are best for older children.
* Some sets are based on bricks - others on rods. A child who loves constructing will enjoy any kind of building play.
Collecting bits and bobs
Instead of throwing out all your packaging collect it in a bag that he can rummage in for inspiration for today’s construction. Useful items include;
* Bits of stiff card to make a firm base.
* Boxes of various sizes.
* The inner tubes from toilet rolls.
* Bits of wool and string.
* Sticky backed paper.
* Paper plates.
* Card cut into circles for wheels (or foil milk bottle tops if you can find any).
* Cotton wool balls
Prepared items (to make things easier)
* Tubes – these are always difficult because very little of the tube is in contact with a flat surface. Cut the base of the tube in four or five places and fold these out. Staple these to a card. Prepare both ends of some tubes so he can use them as pillars.
* Wheels - make a small hole in the centre of the plate and pass a split pin into it. She can use this to attach the wheels to a large box.
Find what you need to fix things
* PVA Glue is best for most things but flour paste can be used to stick paper.
* Paper clips and rubber bands hold things together until the glue dries.
* Split pins for fixing wheels (she may need help with these)
* Staples help the stability - but do this for her.
Tip!
How to make flour paste
* Take a handful of plain flour, a pinch of salt and add water slowly.
* Stir continuously.
* It is ready to use once it becomes gooey.
* You can add food colouring to this if you wish. (it makes it easier to see where he has spread it)
As you watch your child putting a cube into his shape sorter over and over again, you know that through his play he’s developing skills and committing the action to memory. Did you know that this is the same when he drops his dinner from his highchair? It might surprise you to hear that he may just be practicing his spatial skills
As his eye-hand coordination develops he may be able to line up a jigsaw piece so it fits into the puzzle and it is his spatial skills that tell him which piece to select and that it will fit. By playing with his shape sorter, or running his toy car around chair legs, he is learning how to maneuver his body through spaces and how to interact with, and avoid colliding with, other things. He is developing the skills that we use every day to get dressed, to draw, to make sure our jumper is on the right way round and so on.
On a greater scale his spatial orientation skills are the ones he develops to, for example, get his toy truck from the kitchen into the lounge and, as adults, we use these skills to understand directions, to draw maps and know where we are in relation to landmarks and so on.
Children need to learn both orientation and spatial manipulation and you can encourage his development with the many tools and activities designed to help him.
Games To Develop Your Child’s Orientation Skills:
Coconuts!
Set up a coconut, or something else he can throw balls at! Encourage him to throw balls or beanbags at the coconut with the aim of knocking it off. For a summer party, daddy could sit in a chair while the children throw wet sponges at him!
One Step, Two Step.
Ask him to count how many steps it takes to cross the room? From the bedroom to the bathroom? Get him to measure how many standard steps it takes him to walk up the garden path.
Gotcha.
Scrunch up an old newspaper into soft balls. You and your child each has a chair to defend and the aim is to try and hit the other person’s chair with your ’ammunition’!
Moving House.
Ask him to move a pile of things, such as leaves, from one side of the garden to the other using his wheelbarrow.
Relievio.
This game is a variation on the childhood favourite, ’tag’. More than two people can play the game where, once you’ve been caught, you must go to the box until you are relieved, or rescued, by someone who hasn’t been tagged.
Toy Box Tips - Orientation Skills
* Bikes, tricycles and, ’sit and rides’. Try the Stride to Ride. * Skates * Trucks, toy pushchairs, toy wheelbarrows * Climbing frames * Balls
Games To Develop Your Child’s Spatial Skills.
Let’s Pour.
Let him practice pouring during bath time, using jugs and beakers and so on. Once he has mastered the skill, you could let him use a tea set to pour drinks for his teddies.
Snake!
Draw a long snake and divide it into a few sections, then ask him to colour each section in neatly.
Where Is He?
Books with faces hidden in the crowd or drawings with familiar objects hidden in the picture are great to amuse children. You can make your own by hiding simple shapes, such as triangles or circles, in drawings.
Tangrams.
Take a large square piece of card and divide it into a number of different shapes, like squares, oblongs and L shapes, of different sizes. Ask him to make new shapes with the individual pieces, or try to assemble them into the original square shape.
Mosaic.
Draw a simple shape or picture and cut gummed or sticky coloured paper into little squares. Let him have fun by sticking the pieces into the picture to make a mosaic.
Toy Box Tips - Spatial Skills:
* Puzzles * Shape sorters. Try the Peek A Blocks Shape Sorter * Stacking cups * Linking toys, such as linking rings. Try any Link-a-Doos toy or teether * Play sets, such as garages. Try the Little People Ramps Around Garage * Construction kits. Try anything in the Pop Onz collection * Dolls
*
Play & Learn activities reprinted from "Preschooler Play & Learn" with permission of its author, Penny Warner, and its publisher, Meadowbrook Press (2000.)
