A simple homemade doll gives greater meaning to familiar words.  • woman’s ribbed sock • shredded paper or batting (for stuffing) • thick thread • craft items such as yarn, ribbons, sequins, etc. Read a book of nursery rhymes and discuss the characters. Make your own Humpty-Dumpty! Flatten the sock so that the sole of the foot is face […]
Enhance bath-time learning with this homemade rainmaker. • Plastic milk container • Large sewing needle Punch holes in an empty plastic milk container. Using a large sewing needle, create an interesting pattern of holes around the bottom of the container. The more creative the arrangement is, the prettier your water streams will be. Fill the container with water. […]
 Let your child’s fingers do the reading. • fabric pieces and other materials with different textures • cardboard • glue • hole punch • yarn • copies of family pictures Cut out pieces of fabric. Glue each to a separate piece of cardboard. Punch holes in the cardboard and tie the pieces together with yarn to make a book. Encourage your child […]
These sewing cards are tailor-made for your toddler. • washable markers or jumbo crayons • paper plates • shoestring or yarn • scissors (adult) or large circle punchInvite your toddler to use the markers or crayons to decorate the paper plates. She may need you to provide gentle guidance in holding the marker and using it to make marks. Once […]
Celebrate the impending arrival of Spring with this Baby Chick Collage! With just a little prep before you begin, this project is sure to be fun for you and your little one! Â Â Yellow Construction Paper Orange Construction Paper Any color Construction Paper (to mount the chick on) School Glue (or other adhesive) Scissors […]
Shape-ly Sculptures  Learn about numbers and letters with these tasty bread sculptures.  • 1 cup water • 1 tsp sugar • 1 Tbsp quick-acting yeast • 1 tsp salt • 2 cups flour • 1 Tbsp oil • measuring cup • wooden spoon • bowl • plastic knives and forks • wooden board • baking sheet • cookie cutters (optional) Preheat the oven to 400ºF.  With […]
A reflective look at how two halves make a whole.  • construction paper • markers, crayons • scissors • safety mirror Ask your child to draw a few simple pictures of familiar objects. Then cut the pictures in half lengthwise.  Let him place the mirror next to each half-picture. What does he see? Draw half a shape on a […]
Simple sorting games teach your child how to categorize. • small boxes or containers with lids • multiples of the same or very similar toys • animal stickers • sturdy cardboard Put one small toy in a box and five to eight small toys in another box. Encourage your child to explore what is in the boxes. Count the toys […]
