The Everything Toddler Activities Book (16 page)

Take advantage of all of those pesky leaves that have fallen on your front lawn.

Before you rake up all of the fallen leaves in the autumn, clear thin paths through the leaves using a rake or a shovel. You can create a maze or a simple path to follow. If you are energetic, you can also do this with snow.

This game can be played indoors or outdoors and will help your child become more observant.
You may wish to provide the participants with an old sheet and some fabric paints and let
them decorate their own picnic blanket.

1. Spread out the picnic blanket and arrange the picnic prop items in the center.
   
2. Have all the children close their eyes. Play the part of the pesky ant: Remove one item and hide it behind your back. (You may also choose one of the children to serve as the ant.)
   
3. Ask the children to open their eyes and guess which item was removed.
   

What a great way to cool off on a hot summer day!
Like all water activities, adult supervision is needed at all times.

1. Take and keep control of the hose. Be sure not to spray any child who does not want to get wet, and try to avoid squirting anyone above the shoulders. Never allow anyone to squirt any child in the face or on the head, regardless of the child’s age.
   
2. Try a game of water limbo. Hold the hose so that the water sprays straight across, and challenge the children to duck under the spray without getting wet. Lower the water stream after everyone has had a turn.
   
3. Hold the hose so water sprays in a long stream across the ground, and encourage players to jump over. To increase the challenge, wiggle the hose.
   

People have been making creative crafts for thousands of years, long before glitter and crepe paper were available. They did without those items, and you can, too. There is no end to the amazing things that your toddler can create using natural materials. The best are those materials that your toddler has found on her own. Let the activities below inspire you to see things such as bark, seeds, and flowers in a whole new way.

Not only will your toddler enjoy making this project, but the finished bird feeder
will attract birds for your toddler to watch and enjoy!

1. Attach the yarn to the pinecone. Make a loop at the loose end for hanging the bird feeder.
   
2. Help your toddler spread the peanut butter on the pinecone.
   
3. Pour the birdseed into the bowl. Show your child how to roll the coated pinecone in the seeds to coat it.
   
4. Take your bird feeder outside, and hang it where your child will be able to watch the visiting birds.
   

Here is a fun and easy way for your toddler to preserve all of the treasures
she picks up when she is exploring outside.

1. Help your child find and collect safe outdoor treasures. Good items include leaves, bark, twigs, and flowers. Watch out for small items that may pose a choking hazard if your toddler still puts things in her mouth.
   
2. Have your toddler arrange her treasures on the construction paper.
   
3. Cover the paper with clear contact paper. You will not have to glue anything and it will last a long time. (Alternatively, you can use a larger sheet of the contact paper. Have your child arrange her treasures on one half, and then fold the contact paper over and seal.)
   

This activity seems to work like magic. This is a fun way to explore the sun’s
power as well as shadows and shapes.

1. Ask your child to help you find objects to use to make silhouettes. Flat objects work best. Some good examples include keys, erasers, forks, and shoelaces.
   
2. Go outside on a sunny day. Have your toddler arrange the chosen objects on the dark construction paper.
   
3. Leave the paper out in full sunlight for a few hours. The sun will fade the exposed paper to a lighter shade than the paper protected by the selected objects.
   
4. Remove the objects to reveal the silhouette designs.
   

You can make this decorative craft project with your child at different times of the year to
showcase the variety of natural materials and reflect the change in seasons.

1. Fold the paper plate in half. Cut out a semicircle, leaving a 3 border. Cut spikes and square shapes to a depth of 1.
   
2. Open the plate. The spikes and squares become the spires of the crown.
   
3. Give your child a variety of natural materials to glue on the crown for decoration.
   
4. Let the glue dry before helping your child don the crown.
   

Nighttime can mean more than bedtime for your child. Just because it is dark, it does not mean that there are not plenty of interesting activities and things to do and learn. Take your child out on a clear night and introduce him to the wonder and mystery of the night sky. Your child will enjoy watching the phases of the moon and if you’re lucky, maybe you will spot a shooting star!

Although these “binoculars” do not work, you may find that they encourage your child to be observant and interested in the night sky. Because rubber bands can be a choking hazard, be sure to supervise your child when making this craft or playing with the finished product.

1. Use a rubber band to secure a square of plastic wrap or cellophane over 1 end of each toilet paper tube.
   
2. Attach the 2 rolls together side by side with the remaining rubber bands.
   
3. Give your child crayons and stickers to decorate the binoculars.
   
4. Go outside on a clear night, and use the binoculars to look at the moon and the stars. If you have real binoculars or a telescope, be sure to bring that along, too.
   

You can play this game during the day, but it so much more fun in the dark.

1. All players stand in a circle.
   
2. Select one person to be “It.” That player takes the flashlight and stands in the center.
   
3. The person in the middle turns around while everyone recites the following chant.
   

   Firefly firefly in the night,
   Firefly firefly shining bright.
   Turn to your left,
   And turn to your right,
   Pick a new friend and shine your light.
   

4. The person in the center then shines the flashlight on someone in the outer circle. That person becomes the new firefly.
   

CHAPTER 11

Literacy Activities

Literacy is the ability to interpret and use written forms of communication. There are many skills that your child will need to learn how to read and write—however, the most valuable thing you can teach your child might be an attitude. Children who develop a love of reading at a young age are more successful readers in school. Take the time now to share books and stories with your child.

Before your child is ready to learn letter identification and phonics, there are many other skills that you can focus on. For a child to be ready to learn to read, she needs to develop auditory memory and auditory discrimination as well as visual memory and discrimination. Memory is recalling and recognizing sounds or images. Discrimination is the ability to distinguish the difference in sounds or images. Your child also needs to learn the symbolic nature of written language—in other words, that words are talk written down. Additionally, building your child’s vocabulary will also help her with reading later on.

Help your child develop her visual memory with this game.
Try adding more objects as your child matures.

1. Show your child 3 or 4 common objects or toys. Encourage her to name them.
   
2. Hide the items.
   
3. Challenge your child to recall and tell you what objects are hidden.
   

This is a fantastic way to show your child that words are talk written down.
Your child will be particularly motivated to “read” her own words.

1. Whenever your child draws or paints a picture, ask her to tell you about what she created. Write down her words, and create a caption for the art work. Be sure to read it back to her.
   
2. As an alternative, you can show your child photos or pictures in a book. Invite her to supply a caption by asking her to tell a story about the picture. Again, be sure to write down and review her words.
   

This activity teaches visual discrimination in the same way as the well-known
Sesame Street song, “One of These Things Is Not Like the Other.”
You can make many game pieces in varying degrees of complication.

1. Using the ruler, draw lines to divide each sheet of paper into 4 equal sections.
   
2. Draw or color identical shapes or pictures in 3 of the sections. Choose a different square on each sheet to leave blank.
   
3. Draw an item that is different from the others in the fourth square. For example, you may have 3 squares and 1 triangle, 3 red dots and 1 blue dot, or 3 dogs and 1 cat.
   
4. Ask your child to identify the object that is different.
   

Enhance your child’s listening skills and auditory discrimination with this silly activity.

1. Review a picture book or magazine with your child.
   
2. As you are browsing the pictures, point to different objects and identify them. Ask your child to listen closely.
   
3. On occasion, intentionally misidentify a picture. For example, point to a picture of a car and say “can,” or point to a picture of a boat and say “goat.”
   
4. Have your child stop you when she catches you making a mistake. Ask her to say the word correctly.
   

This fun game will help your child with auditory memory skills. You can also play this game using sounds from common household objects that make distinctive noises, such as an alarm clock or telephone.

1. Glue the pictures to the index cards.
   
2. Play the recording of animal sounds. Ask your child which picture shows the animal that makes that sound.
   

A love for books and reading is a gift that will last your child a lifetime. Remember books are not meant to be decorations to be gazed at from afar. If you are worried that your toddler will rip or chew a book, buy him books that are made to be extra durable. Let your child have the opportunity to look at books and peruse the pictures. These activities are a great way to use books as a springboard for further literacy development.