Preparing for Kindergarten

Next year Pinky will be off to Kindergarten (HOW is this even possible? I swear a minute ago she was that tiny toddler putting stickers on the dog). Here is a list that her school sent home for Kindergarten preparedness:

Practical Life Activities

1. Zipping a jacket
2. Packing a backpack
3. Buttoning shirts
4. Washing hands
5. Use the bathroom alone
6. Blowing nose with a tissue
7. Tie shoes
8. Table setting
9. Fold paper in half
10. Correctly handles scissors, crayons, pencil, and glue

Math

1. Rote counting - Count objects to 100
2. Writing numerals 0-10
3. Math vocabulary of more, less, before, after, between, etc.
4. Do activities that help with recognition of numbers. For example, keep a calendar.
5. Practice estimating
6. Practice naming coins and their value
7. Introduce your child to different uses of measurement
8. Sequencing numbers smallest to largest and largest to smallest
9. Use flash cards
10. Recognize colors and shapes

Language

1. Know first and last name
2. Practice saying home phone number, address, and birth date
3. Read daily to your child. After you read a story have your child retell the story in correct sequence (beginning, middle, end)
4. When you give your child directions for a task have her repeat the directions in the correct sequence (first, second, last)
5. Play word games, rhyming games, and brainstorm lists. For example, names of fruits, friends, vehicles, etc.
6. Practice letter and sound recognition
7. Practice printing letters of the alphabet
8. Write letters in a shallow pan of pudding, shaving cream, salt or sand
9. Print first name correctly (with proper capitalization at the start)

Just for fun Pinky and I are also learning the days of the week (because of her new Tinkerbell calendar) and, now that she is starting to read, we are working on basic sight words. I let her guide the activities and only continue if she is having FUN! We've also started learning to tell time, but I'll post about that another time...

Taming the Toddler, Part 2

For my second part of activities to do with your toddler or preschooler - a list of 101 things to do when you're bored!

1. Color
2. Blow Bubbles
3. Play Hide-and-Seek
4. Peek-a-Boo
5. Play Chase
6. Do Fingerplays
7. Sing a song
8. Collect rocks in a basket
9. Make an obstacle course out of cushions and/or furniture
10. Make a fort out of cushions and sheets
11. Go for a Walk
12. Make a Car out of a box
13. Read a book
14. Go to the park
15. Fingerpaint
16. Play with Play-Dough
17. Toss Bean bags into a Bucket
18. Play the shell and pea game
19. Dance to music
20. Download games for toddlers from the Internet
21. Practice putting things in and taking things out of boxes and bags
22. Make a temporary slide out of a table leaf and your couch
23. Roll a ball back and forth on the floor
24. Scoop dirt or sand into a child's bucket (or use a serving spoon and bowl)
25. Practice climbing by stacking boxes on top of each other (only with adult supervision)
26. Put on a puppet show
27. Go fishing with a yard stick and yarn
28. Make a Horseshoe game
29. Make a Shape Puzzle
30. Play paper basketball
31. Run through a Sprinkler
32. Play with a bucket of water and a sponge (PLEASE WATCH CHILD AT ALL TIMES!)
33. Make a Drum out of an oatmeal box
34. Play with a kazoo
35. Wash windows together
36. Bang on Pots and Pans with a spoon
37. Brush each other's teeth
38. Play dress-up with stuffed animals and your child's clothes
39. Stack canned or boxed food on top of each other
40. Let child stack mixing bowls inside each other
41. Make a playhouse out of a large box
42. Let child play with a sticker sheet (make sure your child doesn't eat them!)
43. Put stickers on fingers for finger puppets
44. Play a musical instrument together- i.e.recorder, piano, etc.
45. Go on a Smelling Hunt
46. Frost Cookies
47. Plant a flower or vegetable plant together
48. Roll a tennis ball into an empty trash can or bucket
49. Draw on a mirror with dry-erase markers
50. Play hide and seek together- trying to find a stuffed animal or other object
51. Have a splash party together in the bathtub
52. Put a leash on a stuffed animal and walk around the house
53. Record each other on a tape recorder (great for scrapbooks or journals!)
54. Make and try on paper hats
55. Give a piggie back ride
56. Play "Horsie"
57. Talk into an electric fan (it distorts your voice)
58. Play tug-of-war with a blanket
59. Collect flowers (felt, artificial, real...)
60. Make a camera and go on a Safari
61. Play games with frozen juice lids
62. Disconnect your phone and pretend to make phone calls to relatives
63. Leave your phone connected and really make phone calls to relatives- let your child talk too
64. String large beads onto or along a shoelace
65. Squirt each other with squirt bottles
66. Glue shapes onto paper
67. Make sock puppets
68. Make paper puppets
69. Fill an old purse with toys
70. Use a paper towel tube as a megaphone
71. Make binoculars and go "Bird Watching" or "Stuffed Animal Watching"
72. Put snacks in different fun containers (paper sacks, empty canisters, etc.)
73. Act out a story from a book
74. Walk on a balance beam- use a 2x4 placed on the ground
75. Draw with chalk on the sidewalk
76. Sketch an outline of your child on the sidewalk or paper with chalk
77. Paint child's palms with tempura paint and blot on paper. Makes a great card for loved ones!
78. Put lipstick on child and kiss a mirror
79. Make a puddle on cement and splash barefoot in it
80. Let child decorate and eat an open peanut butter sandwich
81. Make a toilet paper barricade for child to go under, over, or through
82. Do the Hokey Pokey
83. Make a super-hero costume out of household items
84. Do Knee-Bouncing Rhymes
85. Play "Red Light, Green Light" saying "Go" and "Stop"
86. Make a shoebox train for stuffed animals
87. Make a pillow pile to jump on (keep it clear from any hard surfaces, including walls!)
88. Make an easy puzzle with felt and velcro
89. Make bracelets or collars for stuffed animals out of pipe cleaners and jingle bells
90. Learn numbers from a deck of cards
91. Play the matching game with a deck of cards
92. Make a domino chain
93. Have a picnic in the park, backyard, or living room!
94. Play dress up in Mommy or Daddy's clothes
95. Make a tin cup telephone and talk to each other in it
96. Make a nature collage
97. Mirror each other
98. Make a "Mummy Mommy" with toilet paper
99. Make a tape recording of short music selections and instructions to move in different ways
100. Make and walk along a toilet paper trail
101. Take a nap

Taming the Toddler, Part 1

While sorting through some old files on my computer, I found two documents loaded with fun ideas to do with your toddler/preschooler. I can't remember where I originally found these, so if you happen to know the origins, please let me know so I can give credit. I thought there were some great ideas here so the next two posts will be dedicated to sharing them with you. Before you get started - a disclaimer that I have not tried all of these activities (yet), so I can not vouch for how well some of these work (particularly the fingerpaints and other recipes).

OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES

• Sandbox (if you don't want to invest in a big one, just get a large rubbermaid container and sand)
• Water Table (same thing for the water table as sandbox)
• Sprinkler
• Bubbles
• Sensory Box (filled with rice, beans, pasta, whatever)
• Bucket of water (soapy or not) with sponges, towels, baster, and paint brushes. Or drop rocks in the bucket for the splash effect.
• Spray bottle of water
• Spaghetti Swimming: Cook 2-3 packages of spaghetti. Put into a large basin or kids swimming pool. Add food coloring and 1/3 cup water. Mix. Let the kids at it! NOTE: This will kill your grass if you leave it there!
• Bean Bag Toss (indoor or outdoor): Fill old socks with beans. Tie ends into a knot. Throw into various containers like buckets or a laundry basket.
• Ice Cube Bags (indoor or outdoor): Freeze colored water (red, yellow, blue) into cubes. Place several ice cubes into a baggie. Kids can watch it melt, move it around etc. If you add 2 colors into one baggie they can watch the color change.
• Balloon Tennis: Blow up a balloon. Glue a paper plate to a paint stick (or any stick). Use paper plate to hit balloon.
• Milk Jug Sprinkler: Poke holes in the bottom of a milk jug. Fill with water and let child water the grass, flowers, plants, weeds...
• Object Slide: If you have a slide, have your child slide things down it -- cars, rocks, sticks, paper tubes, whatever. You can also do this with a flat board (indoors or outdoors).

ARTS AND CRAFTS

• Play Dough
• Paints of all kinds
• Various household objects to use for stamping/printing or as paint brushes (potato masher, cookie cutters, cotton balls, etc.)
• Shaving Cream
• Gluesticks
• Scrap paper of all kinds (construction, tissue, wrapping, tin foil)
• Stickers
• Crayons, Markers, etc.
• Spaghetti Art: Cook some spaghetti in colored water. Drain. When it cools, place in designs on a paper plate. (Use as few strands at a time or it will get too heavy to stay on the plate.) Spaghetti will dry hard and stick to plate.
• Colored Pasta: Place dried pasta in a baggie with a few drops of food coloring and about a tablespoon of rubbing alcohol. Mix around until everything is colored. Lay out to dry on a paper towel. Use in sensory box, gluing on cardboard, or for making necklaces.
• Necklaces: Use dried, colored tube pasta or cereal and round pretzels for an edible necklace.
• Squishy Bags: Fill baggies with hair gel, ketchup/mustard, shaving cream, thick paint, pudding toothpaste, or lotion. Squeeze out air and seal. Let kids sqoosh them around and "draw" on them.
• Popsicle Painting (indoors or outdoors): Freeze water colored with paint. Be sure to add a stick. Take out of freezer and let sit for 10 minutes. Use to paint on paper. Be sure to watch so kids don't eat this!!
• Contact Paper Collage: Cut out to pieces of clear contact paper. Unpeel one and stick anything you want to it: tissue paper, pictures from magazines, wrapping paper, etc. Cover with second piece of contact paper.
• Fly Painting: Dip a clean fly swatter into paint and plop on paper.

MUSIC, MOVEMENT, AND MAKE-BELIEVE

• Music CD's. Laurie Berkner and Brady Rymer are great. Bare Naked Ladies and They Might Be Giants are also good, but anything will do!
• Scarves (for dancing and dress-up -- capes, hats, sashes, etc. -- toss and catch)
• Balls
• Ropes
• Carpet Squares
• Hula Hoops
• Musical Instruments: Coffee can drum, water/soda bottle shaker, paper plate maraca (color/paint bottom of a paper plate. Fold in half and tape or staple all but a few inches. Fill with beans or rice. Finish taping/stapling. Add ribbons.)
• Dress Up (scarves, hats, gloves, bags, vests or make your own out of paper bags)
• Build forts with pillows and sheets.
• Tape Road: Run wide masking tape along floor. Use to walk on, balance on, or to drive toy cars on. Use it to make an obstacle course. Use your imagination. NOTE: Test to make sure the tape will come off with out damaging anything!
• Toddler Train: Have your child decorate 3 shoe boxes. Tie each one together with string. Add a string for a handle. Let him/her fill the boxes and pull it around.
• Pipe Play: Cut 1-inch PCP pipes into various lengths. Add joints. Construct away!
• Dance Ribbon: Cut the middle out of a plastic lid. Tie on long lengths of ribbon. Dance away!
• Fishing: Cut out fish shapes from paper. Add a paper clip to each on. Tie a magnet to a string and the string to a pole. Use pole to get the paper fish.
• Flying Fish: Cut out strips of paper. Cut a slit half way up on one end. Cut another slit on the other end but on the opposite side. Bend the strip and connect using the slits. Throw the fish in the air and catch.
• Mailbox: Decorate a shoe box. Cut a slit in the lid. let child "mail" pieces of junk mail, old envelopes, etc.

TOYS, SMALL MOTOR GAMES, MISCELLANEOUS

• Toy scale with various small toys, objects to "measure"
• Magnets (just be sure they are too large to swallow)
• Magnifying glasses
• Kitchen tongs with objects to pick up (pompoms, ping pong balls)
• Tee Off: Get a block of florist foam and stick golf tees into it.
• Bottles and Caps: Collect bottles with screw on caps. Children can match the caps to the bottles and try to open and close them.
• Clothes Pin Drop: Drop clothespins into a milk jug.
• Rock Collection: Collect rocks (or buy from a craft store). Use them to wash or stack. Add various containers to put them in for sorting, etc.
• Pompoms and Cups: Have child put large pompoms into cups.
• Cereal Fun: Get two or three different kinds of cereal (the cheap, store brand kinds). Let your child scoop the different cereals into bowls and containers. When they are done -- store in a different container and eat for breakfast!
• Kleenex Box: Let your child have a full box of Kleenex. Or...fill an empty boxes with old scarves or handkerchiefs.

IN THE KITCHEN

• Letter Sandwiches: Spread bread with peanut butter, jelly, or honey. Use alphabet cereal to spell out your child's name or to add a message.
• Homemade Butter: Put heavy cream into a small jar (small batches work best) and shake, shake, shake! Spread butter on toast, muffins, or crackers.
• Apple Smiles: Spread PB on apple wedges. Put two wedges together to look like lips. Add marshmallows for teeth.
• Banana "Cookies": Crush 3 graham crackers in a baggie. Slice a banana or other fruit into small pieces. Add a few pieces of fruit at a time to bags. Shake.
• Bananasicles: Cut banana in half. Add a popsicle stick. Spread half a banana with yogurt. Roll in granola or wheat germ.
• Painted Toast: Color a couple tablespooons of milk with food coloring. Use a small, clean paintbrush to paint it onto a piece of bread (sugar cookie dough works too). Toast bread.
• Apple Shake Ups: Peel and cut apples into small pieces. Mix small amount of cinnamon and sugar in a baggie. Add apple pieces and shake.
• Fruit Kabobs: Add fruit chunks to coffee stirrers. You could proabably use small pretzel sticks too.
• Rice Cake Faces: Spread rice cake with PB and add fruit, nuts, candy to make a face.
• Ants on a log: Spread PB on celery. Add raisins. Be careful with this one -- the stringy celery makes me worry!
• Banana Balls: Mash a ripe banana in a bowl. Add finely chopped nuts and a pinch of cinnamon. Form into balls. Cover and refrigerate. Eat alone as a snack or add to cereal.

BAKING

• Pretzels
• Bread (yeast and quick)
• Muffins
• Cakes
• Cookies
• Pizza (get a premade crust and let you child add the toppings! or make a homemade crust)
• Rice Crispy Treats (not really baking, but good for measuring the cereal)

Boxed mixes are okay! It's easy for small children to dump a cake mix in a bowl!

RECIPES

Easy Pretzels
1 package dry yeast
3/4 cup warm water
1 tbsp sugar
pinch of kosher salt
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup unbleached white flour
1 egg, beaten

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Mix the yeast and water together. Let stand for 5 minutes. Mix together flour with fingers. Add salt and sugar. Mix again. Add water/yeast. Mix until a ball is formed. Generously sprinkle extra flour onto table or counter. Roll dough out on flour with a pin for about 5 minutes (or just knead it). Roll out dough into coils and form into pretzels or other shapes. Brush dough with beaten egg. Sprinkle with kosher salt. Bake for 12-15 minutes, until golden brown.

Apple Bread Pudding
4 beaten eggs
2 cups milk
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp vanilla
3 cups dry bread cubes (have kids tear these up!)
1/2 cup raisins (optional)
1 apple, chopped

Beat together eggs, milk, sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla. Place bread in a small baking dish. Sprinkle with raisins and apples. Pour egg mixture over bread and fruit. Bake at 325 degrees for 45 minutes or until center is set.

Cheese Pastries
1 cup flour
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup (2 oz) shredded cheese
Seasoning (seasoned salt, garlic powder, etc.) to taste
Cold water

Mix flour and butter together. Add remaining ingredients and 1 tablespoon of cold water. Mix with hands. Add more cold water a little at a time unitl dough sticks together but is not soggy. Add flour is dough becomes sticky. Roll out to 1/2-inch thickness. Cut into strips and twist them slightly. Place on a greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes or until browned and crispy.

Mud Balls
1 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup honey
1/2 cup powdered milk
1.2 cup raisins
Crushed graham crackers
Chocolate milk powder

Mix first 4 ingredients together with your hands. Let your child do this too. Form balls with the mixture and roll in graham crackers or chocolate milk powder. Refrigerate any you don't eat right away.

Dump Cake (this is one of Pinky's favorites)
20-ounce can crushed pineapple
16-ounce can cherry pie filling (I prefer blueberry filling)
Yellow cake mix
3/4 cup butter cut into small pieces.

Butter a 9 X 13-inch baking pan. Dump in pineapple (with juice) and spread evenly. Spoon in the pie filling evenly over the pineapple. Sprinkle in the cake mix. Place the pieces of butter over the top of the cake mix. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

Agression Cookies
3 cups quick cooking oats
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 cups butter
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

Dump all ingredients into a bowl. Pound, punch and knead the batter -- the longer and harder the better! Roll dough into balls. Bake on a cookie sheet for 10-12 mintues.

Peanut Butter Cups
1 1/2 cups Rice Krispies
1 cup chocolate chips
1 cup peanut butter

Crush cereal until powdery. Melt chocolate in the microwave a few seconds at a time. Add peanut butter and crushed cereal. Divide evenly among muffin cups. Cool in refrigerator.

Shake & Make Ice Cream
2 tbsp sugar
1 cup mik or half-and-half
1/2 tsp vanilla
6 tbsp rock salt
1 pint-sized plastic zip bag
1 gallon-sized plastic zip bag
Ice

Fill the gallon baggie half full of ice. Add rock salt and seal. Pour remaining ingredients into small baggie. Seal. Place small baggie into larger baggie and seal. Shake the bag for 5-7 minutes or until ice cream is set. Open up and enjoy!

NON-EDIBLE RECIPES

Play Dough Recipe
1 cup water (mixed with food coloring)
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1/2 cup salt
1 tbsp cream of tartar (yes, you need this!)
1 cup flour

Combine colored water, oil, salt, cream of tartar in a saucepan and heat until warm. Remove from heat and stir in flour Once dough is easier to handle, knead unitl it is smooth. Store in an air-tight container. Will last up to 6 months.

Scratch & Sniff Watercolors
1 tbsp unsweetened Kool-Aid
1 tbsp water

Mix both ingredients together in a small bowl. Use as a paint. Allow to dry overnight before scratching and sniffing.

Bathtub Fingerpaint
1/2 cup clear, mild dish detergent (I imagine that clear body wash would work too)
1 tbsp cornstarch
Food coloring

Mix detergent and cornstarch together in a small bowl. Pour mixture in equal parts into a plastic ice cube tray. Add 1-2 drops of food coloring to each section. Stir. Use for painting in the tub.

Sidewalk Paint
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 cup cold water
Food coloring

Mix ingredients together. Use to paint on sidewalk. It will easily wash away with water.

Sidewalk Chalk
1/3 cup plaster of Paris
1 tbsp powdered tempra paint
3 tbsp water
Molds (toilet paper tube -- sealed at one end --, plastic cookie cutters, candy molds, etc.)

Mix ingredients together until blended. Quickly spoon mixture into your mold. Let dry for 30-45 minutes. Carefully pop out of mold

Face and Body Paint
2 tbsp solid shortening
1 tbsp cornstarch
Food coloring
Make-up sponges

Mix ingredients until well blended. Apply to skin using make-up sponges. Remove with soap and water.

Cotton Clay
3 cups cotton balls
2 cups water
2/3 cup flour
Food coloring

Tear cotton balls into small pieces. Mix water and cotton together in a medium saucepan. Slow stir in flour. Keep stirring and cook over low heat for 5-7 minutes until mixture begins to stiffen. Remove from heat. Place clay on a thick cloth town until cool. Use to sculpt. Allow sculptures to dry for 24 hours to harden.

Jiggle Fingerpaint

1 3-ounce package sugar-free gelatin
2 tbsp hot water
Freezer paper (use shiny side)

Mix gelatin and water together. Don't overmix. Let cool 5-10 minutes before using on freezer paper. Paints will dry completely in 24 hours.

Fingerpaint
1 cup flour
2 tbsp falt
1 1/2 cups cold water
1 1/4 cups hot water
Food coloring
Freezer paper (use shiny side)

Combine flour, salt, and cold water in a saucepan. Bead with a wire whisk until smooth. Heat the mixture over medium heat. Slowly stir in hot water. Continue stirring until the mixture boils and begins to thicken. Remove from heat. Beat with a whisk until smooth. Divide into several different containers. Add food coloring to each container and stir.

Window Clingers
1/4 cup white glue
Food coloring
Plastic overhead sheet

Mix glue and food coloring together. Paint designs on the overhead sheet. Let set for 24 hours. Peel off designs and stick to any glass surface. Will peel right off when you are done.

Fruity Fingerpaint

2 cups flour
2 envelopes unsweetened Kool-Aid
1/2 cup salt
3 cups hot water
3 tbsp cooking oil
Freezer paper (use shiny side)

Mix flour, Kool-Aid and salt together. Stir in water and oil. Paint on freezer paper.

Baby and Toddler Activities, cont'd

I have not forgotten that I promised to post all of the baby/toddler activities series that I received from our county. These are not my ideas, and, of course, may not be appropriate for all babies. Please use care when trying any new activity with your child, taking into consideration their own abilities and temperaments. All activities should be properly supervised. Follow all safety guidelines.

Activities for Toddlers 16-20 Months Old

• Talk about daily routines - what you are doing now and what you will be doing next. Have time to be quiet.
• Toddlers need lots of time to move around and exercise. Go for a walk to the park, visit the playground, or make a trip to the mall.
• Make happy faces, mad faces, sad faces and silly faces in a mirror.
• Make playhouse furniture out of boxes. For a stove, turn a box upside down and draw "burners." Plastic containers make safe pots, and wooden spoons stir the soup.
• Toddlers love to help with daily tasks. Assign simple "jobs" to do and let him know what a big boy he is. He can wipe off a table, put toys away or sweep up.
• Let your toddler help out during meal times by bringing some things to the table or setting a place.
• Set up playdates with other children. Your toddler does not know how to share yet, so be sure there are plenty of toys and be close by to help to help her learn how to play with others.
• Your toddler will enjoy gentle rough housing and tickling games. Make sure he can let you know when he has had enough. He will also enjoy quiet snuggle up times too.
• Play simple games like Hide and Seek and chase with your toddler.
• Use a blanket or sheet to make a tent or secret spot for your toddler to hide and play in.
• Have a pretend party with stuffed animals or dolls. You can cut out "presents" from a magazine, make a pretend "cake" and sing the birthday song.
• Dance with your toddler. Make a simple instrument from a plastic tub (a drum) or plastic container filled with rice or beans (a shaker).
• Story times, especially before bedtime, are a great way to settle down before sleep. Let your child choose books to read and help turn pages, and help her name what she sees.
• Let your child practice with a spoon and sippy cup during meal times.
• Toddlers love to play in water. Put "squeezing" objects in the bathtub such as sponges or squeeze bottles, along with dump and pour toys (cups and bowls).
• A favorite pull toy is often a small wagon or old purse for collecting things. Your toddler can practice putting objects in and out of it. It also can be used to store favorite items.
• Toddlers will begin putting objects together. Simple puzzles with knobs are great. Putting keys into locks and letters into mailbox slots is fun too!
• Toddlers are excited by bubbles. Let your toddler try to blow bubbles or watch you blow bubbles through a straw. Bubbles are fun to chase and pop too.
• Make a picture book putting common, simple pictures cut from magazines into a photo album. Toddlers will also enjoy pictures of themselves, family members and pets.
• Get two containers that look the same and a small toy. Hide the toy under one container while your toddler watches. Ask him "where did it go?" Eventually you can play the old shell game.
• Sing action songs such as "Ring Around the Rosey," "Itsy Bitsy Spider," and "This is the Way We Wash Our Hands." Do the actions together.
• Toddlers love to play with balls. Use a beach ball to roll, throw and kick.
• Help your toddler sort objects into piles. He can help you sort laundry (put socks in one pile, shirts in another). Play clean up games. Have your toddler put toys on a specified shelf or box.
• Make instant pudding together. Have your toddler help by dumping pudding, pouring milk, and stirring. The results can be eaten or used for finger painting.
• Put favorite toys in a laundry basket slightly out of reach of your toddler or in a clear bin with a tight lid. Wait for your toddler to request the items, giving her a reason to communicate. Respond to her requests.
• Play the "What's That?" game by pointing to clothing, toys, body parts, objects or pictures and asking your toddler to name them. If he doesn't respond, name it for him and encourage imitation of the words.
• Save milk cartons, Jell-O boxes or pudding boxes. Your toddler can stack them to make towers.
• Use boxes or buckets for your toddler to throw balls or bean bags into. Practice overhand release of the ball or bean bag.
• Let your toddler scribble with crayons or markers.
• Fill a plastic tub with cornmeal or oatmeal. Put in kitchen spoons, strainer, measuring cups, or plastic containers. Toddlers can fill, dump, pour and learn about textures and use of objects as tools. Tasting won't be harmful either.
• Lay out your toddlers clothes before dressing him. Ask him to give you a shirt, sock, pants, and shoes. This is an easy way to learn the names of common items.

Baby and Toddler Activities, cont'd

Continuing the baby/toddler activities series that I received from our county. These are not my ideas, and, of course, may not be appropriate for all babies. Please use care when trying any new activity with your child, taking into consideration their own abilities and temperaments. All activities should be properly supervised. Follow all safety guidelines.

Activities for Infants 8-12 Months Old

• Let baby play with plastic measuring cups, cups with handles, strainers, and sponges that float in the bathtub. Bath time is a great learning time.
• Say "Hi" and wave when entering room with baby. Encourage baby to imitate. Help baby wave "Hi" and "Bye" to others.
• Let baby pat and poke at self in mirror. Smile and make faces together in the mirror.
• Let baby put objects in and out of containers. Give baby plastic containers with blocks. Baby may enjoy putting socks in an out of the sock drawer, or small cartons (jello, pudding) on and off shelves.
• Let baby feed her or himself. This gives baby practice picking up small objects (cereal, peas). This also gives experience with textures in hands and mouth.
• Give baby blocks to bang, rattles to shake, or wooden spoons to bang on containers. Show baby how to bang objects together.
• Baby will start making sounds like la-la and da-da. Copy the sounds baby makes. Add a new one and see if baby tries it too.
• Make a simple puzzle. Put blocks or ping-pong balls inside a muffin pan or egg carton.
• Let baby make choices. Offer two toys or foods and see which baby picks. Encourage baby to reach or point to chosen objects. Babies have likes and dislikes!
• Dance to music together.
• Read books or colorful magazines. Point and tell baby about the pictures. Let baby pat pictures in the book.
• Play hide and seek games. Let baby see you hide an object under a blanket, diaper, or pillow. If baby doesn't uncover the object, just cover part of it. Help baby find the object.
• Baby will start using index fingers to poke. Let baby poke at play phone or busy box. Baby may want to poke at face parts as baby touches your face.
• Play pat-a-cake. Clap hands together or take turns. Stop. Wait and see if baby wants you to start the game again. Try the game using blocks or spoons to clap and bang with.
• Put toys on sofa or table. Baby can practice standing while playing with toys.
• Play ball games. Roll ball to baby. Help baby or have another partner help baby roll the ball back to you. Baby may even throw ball. A ball that is soft will work best.
• Play imitation games like "peek-a-boo" and "so big." Show pleasure at baby's imitations of movements and sounds. Babies enjoy playing the same game over and over.
• Cut a round hole in the plastic lid of a coffee can. Give baby wooden clothes pins or ping-pong balls to drop inside.

Baby and Toddler Activities, cont'd

Continuing the series of baby/toddler activities that I received from our county. These are not my ideas, and, of course, may not be appropriate for all babies. Please use care when trying any new activity with your child, taking into consideration their own abilities and temperaments. All activities should be properly supervised. Follow all safety guidelines.

Activities for Infants 4-8 Months Old

• Place baby on your knee facing you. Bounce baby to the rhythm of a nursery rhyme. Help baby bring hands together to clap to the rhythm.
• Fill an empty tissue box with strips of magazine pages. Baby will love pulling them out. (Do not use newsprint; it's toxic. Never use plastic bags or wrap).
• Play voice games. Talk with a high or low voice. Click your tongue. Whisper. Take turns with baby. Repeat baby's sounds. Place baby so you are face to face -- baby will watch you make sounds.
• Play peek-a-boo with hands, cloth, or diaper. You hide first. Then let baby hide. Pull cloth off if baby can't.
• Place baby in chair or carseat to watch everyday activities. Tell baby what you are doing. Let baby see, hear and touch common objects. You can give baby attention while getting things done.
• Place baby facing you. Baby can watch you change facial expressions (big smile, tongue out, wide eyes, raised eyebrows, blowing). Give baby a turn. Do what baby does.
• Place baby on tummy with toys or objects around but just out of reach. Encourage baby to reach for toys.
• Listen to music with baby.
• Let baby see self in mirror. Place a mirror on the side of crib or changing table so baby can see. Look in mirror with baby too.
• With baby lying on back, place toys within sight but out of reach. Move a toy in front of baby's eyes and then to baby's side. Encourage baby to roll to get the toy.
• Gently rub baby with a soft cloth, paper towel, or nylon. Talk about how things feel (soft, rough, slippery). Lotion feels good too.
• Let baby play with toys that make noise (rattles).
• Baby will push or throw toys to the floor. Take time to play this "go and fetch" game. It helps baby learn to let go of objects. Give a box or pan to practice dropping toys into.
• Once baby starts rolling or crawling on tummy, play "come and get me" game. Let baby move, then chase after baby. Tickle or hug when you catch baby.
• Encourage baby to kick legs and wave arms.
• While sitting on the floor, place baby in a sitting position inside your legs. Use your legs and chest to give only as much support as baby needs. This allows you to play with baby while encouraging sitting alone.
• Attach favorite toy to side of the crib, swing, or carrier for baby to reach and grasp. Change toys to give baby new things to see and do.

Baby and Toddler Activity Ideas

I don't post much about the activities I do with Chaos. It's not because I don't find the activities fun and entertaining, it's just hard to write an entire post about blowing bubbles or crumbling up paper and those are the sort of things that I do with him.

Instead, I thought I would post a list of activity ideas that I received from our county's childhood education program. There are quite a few, so I will break them down into separate posts according to age (I have birth through 36 months right now). Once they are finished, I will permalink them along the sidebar so they are all in one place.