Great news — play is good for you. Even more so for your kids. Guess what happens when you facilitate play with some background information, a few props and specific roles? Well, positive development happens. Research says that facilitating “mature play“ increases social, physical and thinking skills! In other words,... [read more ]
Any age can pretend play animal hospital doctor or veterinarian. Use your love for animals and let my 3 p’s of pretend play — props, plan and play — guide your make-believe time into a delightful journey of imagination. Props: - stuffed animals - pillows and blankets - band-aids of all sizes - doctor’s kit - lab coat or... [read more ]
Twas the night after Halloween . . . are you ready for the Halloween Fairy aka Candy Fairy? This Halloween Fairy delivers gifts to children. But . . . you must trade almost all, not all, of your Halloween candy to receive the gift. The Halloween fairy is generous so she’ll let you eat _________ pieces. (To be determined by the Halloween... [read more ]
“NO one in this house is allowed to say that they’re bored any more!!!” Some of you remember the What Should I Do? post and printable. I still point my kids to that picture chart of ideas if they say that there is NOTHING to do. Oh, but there is. Most days, my kids choose to do arts and crafts. And, the best thing? I don’t... [read more ]
(I apologize in advance for the noise.) Before you start making music, get inspired with this short video of a stellar marching band. Discuss: Marching bands march. Bandleaders direct the band. Bands keep the beat. Often, flags and baton twirlers add excitement and pizazz. Introduce these “jobs” to your children to prepare them for... [read more ]
Who loves to get mail? Kids do! MAIL BOX: Make mail boxes for everyone in your family. Take old shoe boxes, decorate, cut a hole in the top, label with the appropriate name. MAIL: Get index cards or cut up pieces of paper and show your child how to write a post card. The left side is for the letter, the right is for the address. Help out little... [read more ]
Do you have any dinosaurs lying around? One of our favorite games involves dinosaurs and digging. We like to call it – Paleontologist. (Mostly because I think it’s such a cool word. And, isn’t it amazing all the dinosaur names our kids already know?) To play, simply bury the dinosaurs in the a sandbox or in the ground. ... [read more ]
In honor of Cirque du Soleil’s Denver presentation of Kooza, I thought why not try the fun of the circus at home? (And, while I can think of a few reasons, it is a rhetorical question, just so you know.) I’m not going to rant (much) about how much I hate the regular circus because of animal cruelty and tacky costumes. I will say, that, Cirque... [read more ]
Our talented ten year old neighbor, Gia, is the best mother’s and babysitter! She brings toys and thinks of new activities to do with my four year old while I’m working or teaching. Last week, after writing class, I wandered over to the dining room table to see what they’d been doing. I found them playing with a homemade paper... [read more ]
Introduce grocery store words like deli, bakery, checker, stocker, and coupons. Save your grocery store ads. Have your child cut out his or her favorite foods, paste them on a paper, and write the word. If your child is young, help them figure out the beginning letter sound of the word. Shop in your pantry for the list. Buy your items from the... [read more ]
Playing restaurant involves complex thinking and vocabulary. Help your child think about going out to eat, the menu, the server, the waiting for food. A great way to start is to write a MENU. Help your child pick out the food and write up a menu. (Grilled Cheese Sandwiches, Apple Slices, Juice, Milk, Cookies, etc.) Young kids can draw or cut... [read more ]
Time to play store! Make it a learning experience by using pennies. What you need: Sticky notes for prices, store area, pretend cash register, something to sell, and pennies. What to sell: art supplies, we like to sell beads toys books little sister’s stuff rocks dad’s ties markers and crayons coloring pages Barbies ANYTHING except... [read more ]
