The Mom I Want to Be

Indoor Pond

 

Large sensory bucket

play sand

large plastic tub

small plastic frogs, snakes, insects, etc. 

 

Place the play sand in a large sensory bucket (the kind you use for water play). In the middle of the bucket, dig a hole large enough for your plastic tub to fit in and fill it with water.  Place the animals around the sand and in the water and let the children explore your indoor pond!

 

Baby Powder RaceMaterials Needed-Baby powder/ or talcum powder and liquid soap

 

Fill large baking pan with inch or so of water. Have child sprinkle entire top of water with powder. Next have child squeeze a drop of soap into center of tray and watch powder race to the sides of the pan.

 

Chair Bridge

Using your kitchen chairs (if they aren’t on wheels) and stools of varying sizes, make a bridge that connects to your couch. I try and have the non-couch end of the bridge rise up gradually from the floor. If you don’t have several stools to use in this way, try making a pile of cushions on the non-couch end of the bridge.

  

Paper Basketball

 

Wad up pieces of paper and toss into a wastepaper basket. For younger toddlers, walking over and putting the paper in the basket will work better. Older children can stand further away, and can keep score as well.

 

Smelling Hunt

 

Go on an exploration of your house together and find out how different things smell. Try lotion, cologne, deodorant, vinegar, flowers, fruit, onion, cloves, etc. Great resources include the bathroom and spice cabinet.

 

Draw on a Mirror with Dry-Erase markers

 

Besides designs and scribbles, try drawing silly faces with strange hats, mustaches and beards, etc. Line your faces up with the ones you drew to see how silly you look!

 

Collect Flowers

 

Flowers can be real, artificial, construction paper, felt, etc. Strew flowers on the floor. Give your child a basket to put flowers in. Then pretend to go on a field trip to pick them.

For younger toddlers, you may need to hold the basket.

For older toddlers, have flowers of different colors and tell your child to collect only the blue flowers, green, large, small, etc.

For still older toddlers, try scattering the flowers throughout the house and see how many they can find.

If your child (particlularly if he’s a boy) does not want to collect flowers, try making worms out of construction paper, felt, etc.

 

Make a Camera and go on a Safari

 

Make a camera out of a small animal cracker box by wrapping in plain paper and decorating. (I like to use the inside of a paper grocery bag) For a lens, glue a lid from a milk gallon. For a button to push, glue a piece of sponge or a button. For an eyepiece, bend the opening tab upwards and cut a whole in it to look through.

When the camera is complete, set stuffed animals or pictures of real animals around the house. Then go traveling from room to room “taking pictures” of your Safari trip.

 

Go Fishing

 

Tape a long piece of yarn on the end of a yard stick. On the end of the yarn, attach a small magnet. For fish, cut fish shapes out of construction paper, and put a paper clip on each fish. Put the fish on the floor and dangle the magnet over the paper clips. Watch out! These fish bite!  When children get older, you can put slips of paper under the paperclips that say different words, or have different shapes, colors, numbers, or letters of the alphabet. Then let your child identify each fish.

 

 

Play SheepdogFind the lost sheep! (a.k.a. cotton balls) Let your little pup find cotton balls or pom pons that have been spread about the room. All these sheep need to be gathered into their pen.
If you have a hula hoop handy, that will work well. If not, the sheep pen can simply be a large dish or small box. Toddlers will love to crawl around on hands and knees and make the appropriate sheepdog noises as they perform their task.

 

 

Surprise Bags

Before winter starts, assemble a few grab bags to open in emergencies (sick days, snow days, terrible moods). Fill a paper bag with a few ingredients for fast fun and set aside until needed. Here are some suggestions:

• A bunch of googly eyes, pom-poms and glue for making creatures
• A recipe for play clay and all the ingredients to make it, plus a few sculpting tools
• A set of paper dolls, plus scissors and gift wrap for making a wardrobe
• A yo-yo and a book of yo-yo tricks
• A pair of plain sneakers and some fabric markers
• A magnifying glass, a “spy notebook” and a secret code to break

 

 

Apple Bobbing Without Water

 

Cut several apple shapes out of construction paper and place a loop of masking tape on each one. Place the apples in a large tupperware dish or clothes basket. To bob for the apples, you and your child must get an apple by touching your nose to the masking tape!

 

 

Butterfly Balancer

 

A piece of paper

Thin cardboard (like from a cereal box)

Scissors

Pencil

Markers, crayons, or paint

Tape

2 pennies for each butterfly

Optional: a small lump of clay and a small stick  

 

To make a perfectly symmetrical butterfly (which is necessary for this craft), trace half a butterfly on a folded piece of paper, then cut it out. Trace the butterfly shape onto the cardboard. Cut out the butterfly and decorate it using crayons, markers or paint. Tape two pennies to the back of the butterfly. Now you can balance the butterfly’s head on a pencil eraser (or you can make a stand for your butterfly by putting a stick in a ball of clay). You may have to adjust the position of the coins to make the butterfly balance on the head area.  The center of balance of the butterfly is close to the spot directly between the coins. (Before the coins were added, the center of balance was near the center of the butterfly.)

 

What’s Wrong?

 

• Picture book

• Sock and shoe

• Toothbrush and toothpaste

• Bowl and water

• Cracker and peanut butter

 

1. Collect the items above, or other items that can be turned around, upside down, or made to look different than usual in any other way.

2. Hold your toddler in your lap. Hold a picture book upside down and begin to read. See if your toddler can figure out that the book is wrong and fix it.

3. Put a shoe on your toddler’s foot, then put on the sock. See if your toddler notices what’s wrong and tries to fix it.

4. Put toothpaste on the back of the toothbrush instead of on the bristles. See if your toddler can figure out what’s wrong and what to do about it.

5. Pour some water into a bowl and tell your toddler you brought her a drink. See if she notices the silly container and asks for a glass.

6. Spread peanut butter on a cracker and set it upside down on a plate. See if your toddler turns it right-side up!

 

Abracadabra

 

1. Find a bright toy that will fit into your hand.

2. Lay your baby on his back and let him see the toy.

3. Let your baby hold the toy for a few minutes to explore it.

4. Gently take the toy from his hands and place it in your palm.

5. Close both hands and show your baby your closed fists.

6. Ask your baby, “Where did it go?”

7. When your baby looks puzzled, open your hand and show him the toy, saying, “Here it is!”

8. Repeat the game, alternating hands and toys

 

At the Zoo – Noise Making

 

1. Collect a variety of stuffed animals or large pictures of animals.

2. Seat your baby in her infant seat or on the floor and sit facing her.

3. Hold up an animal or picture next to your face, so your baby can see your mouth, then make the animal’s sound.

4. Give your baby a chance to imitate the sound, then repeat the sound.

5. Hold up the next animal or picture and make the appropriate sound.

6. Repeat for all the animals or pictures.

7. Hold up the animals or pictures again, this time pausing a moment before making the animal sounds, so your baby can anticipate them.

 

 

Who Is That in the Mirror? (all ages)

 

1. Put your child on your lap.

2. Hold a mirror in front of the child.

3. Talk to him about the child in the mirror. Say, “Look, there’s Jason.” or, “I see you!”

4. To change the game for walkers and runners: Point to different parts of the body in the mirror. Name the body parts.

 

Echo (babies and crawlers)

 

1. Listen to your child. Listen for any sound, like a coo or a gurgle.

2. After she makes the sound, stroke her stomach, move your head close to her and smile, then repeat the sound she made.

3. Your child may coo again. If she does, keep going.

 

Peek-a-Boo (babies and crawlers)

 

1. Cover your face with your hands in front of your baby.

2. Quickly take your hands away and say “Peek-a-Boo.”

3. Change the game by hiding your baby’s face.

4. Another way to change this game is by hiding your whole body.

5. Then have the child find you. (Hide in an easy place at first.)

6. This game can become a hide and-seek game as the crawler gets older.

 

Shapes

 

Use cookie-cutters to trace shapes and patterns on colorful paper. Cut them out and attach the shapes to full sheets of contrasting colored paper and show them to your baby. Make circles, squares, triangles and rectangles, too. Describe the colors, patterns and shapes to your baby.

 

Stacking

 

Collect various sizes of old margarine tubs – so small ones fit inside larger ones. Encourage your baby to put the tubs together, from small to large. Talk about the different sizes of the tubs. Stacking toys such as the different sized, colorful plastic rings are also good for baby to learn concepts of size and sequencing. As a baby begins to play with stacking toys, it takes awhile for him to do it successfully.

 

Tape / Video Recording

 

For posterity’s sake, it’s a good idea to tape-record your baby’s sounds–and your conversations with him–once every couple of months or so. But don’t wait until the child is older to play it back. Replay it right after you’ve recorded it; Ellison says some babies respond to hearing their own voice by “talking” up a storm, while others become still with wonder. Don’t forget to say the date and set the stage as you begin each recording; in later years you can add to the tape on special occasions like the child’s birthday, asking the same question each time. “What do you want to be when you grow up?” or “What was the best thing that happened to you this year?” are sure to elicit responses that will be a treasure to listen to decades later.

 

Treasure Basket

 

Parents can build a “Treasure Basket”.  It is a box filled with common objects found in the home, The activity is especially stimulating for infants old enough to sit up on their own.

 

The objects are ones used by people everyday and the child may be interested in exploring them, such as pens, paper, large buttons, bells, toilet paper rolls, apple, cheese, cloth, CD, tapes, water bottles, books, toothpaste, flowers, etc. They will give child full sensorial experiences during a time when a child is not yet fully mobile but with an Absorbent Mind eager to learn new things. The objects stimulate the senses by allowing the child to see, touch, hear, smell and taste. Some objects have specific use, others just look or feel a certain way. They will lead the child to ask their questions of ‘what is this ?’ and ‘what can I do with it ?’, thus laying the foundation of understanding the world they live in.

 

Sticker Search

 

• Variety of paper stickers

• Playroom

 

1. Buy some interesting, self-adhesive paper stickers.

2. Place the stickers on various items in the playroom, such as furniture, lamps, toys, the floor or walls, shoes, even the dog! Keep all the stickers in plain view.

3. Bring your toddler into the room and tell him to look for the stickers you have hidden.

4. Give him hints if he needs help, using “hot” or “cold” as he gets closer or farther from an item.

5. Have your child stick the stickers to his shirt as he finds them.

 

Picture Pairs

 

• Pictures from magazines that represent things found around the house, such as toothpaste, toddler food, hat, toy, shoes, watch, and so on.

• Real items to match to pictures

 

1. Find pictures that represent items found in your home, as suggested above.

2. Collect real items to match the pictures.

3. Set out the real items in a row on the floor or at the table.

4. Seat your toddler next to you, facing the items.

5. Hold up a picture of one of the items and ask your toddler to find the matching real item.

6. Repeat until your toddler matches all the items.

 

Copycat

 

1. Bring your toddler into the play area and set him on the floor.

2. Sit down next to him, imitating his exact body position.

3. Every time your toddler moves or does something, do exactly what he does.

4. See if you can tell when he catches on to what you’re doing!

 

Shell Game

 

• Table

• 3 small bowls in different colors

• Bite-sized soft candies, cookies, or crackers

 

1. Seat your toddler at the table.

2. Place three colored bowls on the table, facedown.

3. Set a bite-sized candy, cookie, or cracker in front of one of the bowls.

4. Cover the treat with a bowl.

5. Move the bowls around, keeping your toddler’s attention on the hidden treat.

6. Ask you toddler, “Where’s the treat?”

7. Let your toddler pick up the bowl to check for the treat.

8. If he guesses correctly, let him eat the treat.

9. Play again!

 

Hide the Music

 

• Musical wind-up toy or a battery-operated cassette player

• Playroom

 

1. Wind-up or turn on a musical toy and hide it somewhere in the playroom.

2. Have your toddler come into the room and try to find the toy, just by listening.

3. When your toddler finds the toy, praise him, have him step out of the room, then hide the toy again.

 

Box Car

 

• Large box about half the size of your child

• Scissors or X-acto knife

• Duct tape

• Washable markers, crayons, paint, stickers, decals, fringe, and other decorative materials

• Book about cars and trucks

 

1. Read a book about cars and trucks together and study the pictures.

2. Cut the top and bottom off a large box, leaving the sides intact.

3. Use duct tape to cover any rough edges and to reinforce corners, if needed.

4. Help your child decorate the outside of the box to look like a car or truck using felt-tip pens, paint, stickers, and so on.

5. When the car is finished, let your child take a drive around the house or yard.

6. For added fun, set up roads by laying down rope as a guide, and set up stop signs along the route.

 

Big Body Trace

 

The child lays on a big piece of paper.  Another child or the teacher outlines the child. The child paints, colors, or collages in the figure to look like themselves. i like having fabric scraps to do large clothing, yarn for hair, and so on. Pretty heavy!!

 

Animal Parts

 

• Pictures of animals from magazines or inexpensive picture books

• Scissors

• Glue or paste

• Sheets of construction paper

• Floor or table

 

1. Cut out pictures of various animals.

2. Cut the pictures in half, separating the head area from the tail area.

3. Place the head halves on the floor or table in front of your child.

4. Pull out one of the tail halves and let her match it to the appropriate head.

5. Have her glue each completed animal onto a sheet of construction paper.

6. Repeat until all the animals are reconnected.

 

What’s Missing?

 

• Group of 4 to 6 items such as a toy, snack, book, piece of clothing, and so on

• Floor or table

• Blanket or towel

 

1. Set the items on the floor or table in front of your child.

2. After he examines them, identify them out loud, one at a time.

3. Cover the items with a blanket or towel.

4. Review the names of the items.

5. Take away one item without letting your child see.

6. Remove the blanket and name the items still present.

7. Ask your child, “What’s missing?”

8. Repeat steps 4 through 7, removing another item.

9. Gather a new batch of items and play again.

 

Ice Cream on the Beach

 

Preschoolers like to pretend. They learn how to share, and it helps their imaginations grow. Set up a corner of your room like an ice cream store. You will need a table, clean ice cream containers, ice cream scoops, and cones made from paper. To make a pretend beach, you will need bathing suits, towels, sunglasses, a radio, and beach toys. To make a supermarket, gather empty food boxes and containers, play money, and shopping carts. You can also get ideas from the children for pretend playing.

 

Silly Stories

 

• Favorite picture book

 

1. Select one of your toddler’s favorite picture books—one that you read to her frequently.

2. Sit with your toddler on your lap in a comfortable place.

3. Begin to read the book to your toddler, as you always have.

4. After a few pages, instead of reading what is written, change the story into something silly. For example, if you’re reading the “Three Little Pigs,” instead of having a wolf come to the door, make it a gorilla!

5. Pause for a moment after you say the silly part, to see your toddler’s reaction. When she says, “No! That’s not right!” read it correctly for a few more pages.

6. Then surprise her again with another silly change.

7. Continue making up silly parts for the rest of the story.

 

Someone Special

 

Pictures of family members, friends, famous people, and so on.

 

1. Gather pictures of familiar people and set them on a table.

2. Have your child look over the pictures.

3. Tell her you’re thinking of someone special. She must ask yes-or-no questions to find out who it is. Provide sample questions if necessary.

4. Have her ask questions until she guesses the special person.

5. Let her take a turn thinking of someone special, and have you ask yes or no questions.

 

Fake Finger Painting

 

Allow child to finger-paint on a cookie sheet or plastic cloth with pudding, soft jello, whipped cream, yogurt, or cooked cereal such as oatmeal or cream of wheat.

 

Indoor Sandbox

 

Spread 5 cups of cracker crumbs, rice krispies or oatmeal on a large clean cookie sheet with sides.  Your child will enjoy using small cars, spoons, or other itensils to make edible hills, roads and sand cakes.

 

Masking Tape Highways

 

 Treasure Map

 

• Sheet of construction paper

• Felt-tip pens

• Prize or treat

 

1. Draw a map of the inside of your house.

2. Show it to your child and have her walk through the house using the map to see how the rooms are represented on the paper.

3. Hide a snack or treat in one of the rooms and mark the treasure on the map.

4. Give your child the map again and see if she can find the treasure!

 

 Storybook Theater

 

• Favorite picture books

• Towel or sheet

• Floor

• Chair

 

1. Have your child select a few of his favorite picture books that he would like to act out.

2. Spread a large towel or sheet over the floor for the stage.

3. Sit in a chair and begin to read the story slowly.

4. Have your child stand in the middle of the stage and act out each scene as you read it.

 

Mystery Box

 

Several non-breakable items familiar to your child such as his shoe, toy, doll, special cup, favorite book, and so on

Paper bag

Small box such as a shoebox

Tape

 

1. Collect several familiar items and place them in a paper bag so your child can’t see them.

2. Tell your child to close his eyes, then remove one item from the bag and place it in the box.

3. Close the lid, tape the box shut, and give it to your child to hold.

4. Tell him there’s something mysterious inside.

5. Let him feel the weight, shake the box, and think about it for a while.

6. Give him a clue about what’s inside and let him guess what it is.

7. Continue giving clues until he guesses the item correctly.

8. Open the box, reveal the item, and play again!

 

Tummy Talk

 

1. Remove your baby’s clothes (diaper optional) and place him on a blanket, on his back

2. Kneel down beside your baby, chat for a moment, and gently rub his tummy.

3. Now it’s time for Tummy Talk. Press your face and lips onto your baby’s tummy, and talk, sing, recite a nursery rhyme, or just make up funny words. Vary the pitch and loudness of your voice as you speak.

4. Add a few kisses each time you finish your words.

5. Sit up and smile at your baby after each Tummy Talk. Your baby should be giggling while you play and anticipating the next ticklish chat.

 

Whoopsy-Daisy!

 

• Large blocks, store-bought or made from rectangular milk cartons

• Large flat surface

 

1. Buy some large blocks or make your own: collect quart and half-gallon milk cartons, wash and dry them thoroughly, then cut off the ends. Fold in the sides to make squares and rectangles, and tape them closed.

2. Set your baby on the floor with the blocks all around her.

3. Show her how to build a tower by stacking the blocks, one by one. Encourage her to do the same.

4. When the tower is tall enough, let your baby push it down!

5. Build it again and again, until your baby gets tired of the fun.

 

Safety: If you use something other than blocks, be sure the objects aren’t too heavy, so they won’t hurt your baby when they come crashing down.

 

 

Tunnel Trip

 

Cardboard box, a little larger than your baby’s body

Small baby blanket

 

1. Find a box a little larger than your baby’s body, so he can crawl through easily. Cut both ends off the box to make a tunnel.

2. Place your baby on the floor at one end of the tunnel.

3. Position yourself at the other end of the tunnel and call to your baby. Try to get him to come into the box. If your baby needs help, reach in and gently pull him through the box to the other side.

4. Repeat several times.

5. Place a blanket over your end of the box so your baby can’t see you, then reach in and pull your baby through to the other side.

 

Safety: Make sure the box isn’t too small, and don’t leave your baby alone in the box or he might get scared.

 

 

1. Find a room that can be made completely dark.

2. Sit on a chair or on the floor, with your baby in your lap.

3. With the lights off, turn on the flashlight and shine it on the wall, catching your baby’s attention.

4. Say something about the light, such as, “Oh, look at the light!”

5. Move the light beam around slowly, resting it on interesting objects.

6. Say something about the object as it lights up, such as, “There’s baby’s teddy bear!”

7. Continue moving the light around until your baby grows tired of the game.

 

Safety: Don’t shine the light in your baby’s eyes. If your baby becomes afraid in the dark, turn on a night-light, which should not diminish the flashlight’s beam too much.

 

 

 

1. Collect some clean snow from the yard, or make your own by whirling ice cubes in a blender until they are soft and flaky.

2. Seat your baby in the highchair and securely attach the tray.

3. Place a cup of snow onto the tray.

4. Let your baby explore the properties of the snow with his hands and mouth.

5. If your baby is reluctant to touch the snow, demonstrate how to play with this strange, cold substance.

6. As the snow melts on the tray, wipe it off with a towel and add another cup of still-frozen snow.