Sunday June 21th / Dedicated to Daddy!
Today is daddy's day! Here a list of activities to do with and for good old dad. Remember to treat daddy well and take lots of pictures!
Toddler
Let's all shave like daddy!
You need whip cream in a bottle like rediwhip.
Craft Sticks
This is best done outside! or try it at the sink looking in the mirror right next to daddy shaving! Daddy can really shave or pretend too. Toddlers may or maynot like to have the whip cream on their face but try it. Then they mimic daddy with the craft stick and "shave" too. I suggest whip cream and not shaving cream but toddlers will for sure get it in their mouths! This is also a great photo oppurtunity!!
Preschooler
Sit your preschooler down and ask them questions about Daddy. Record their answers or video it.
Where does daddy work?
What does he do there?
What is daddy's favorite thing to do?
When did mommy and daddy meet?
What is your favorite thing to do with daddy?
How old is daddy?
What does daddy like to say?
What makes daddy happy?
What makes daddy sad?
Toddler and Preschooler
Craft:
Cut paper the size of a wallet photo. Have your kids color a picture for daddy that can fit in his wallet and he can have where ever he goes! Draw pictures or even write a poem!
What other ideas did you do to make today special?
ALL SUBMISSIONS WILL BE CREDITED TO AUTHOR!!
Monday June 22nd / Teddy Bear Picnic
If you go out in the woods today
You're sure of a big surprise.
If you go out in the woods today
You'd better go in disguise.
For every bear that ever there was
Will gather there for certain, because
Today's the day the teddy bears have their picnic.
-Teddy Bear Picnic Song(not the whole song)
You need:
One Blanket
Teddy Bears
Tea Party Set
Snacks
Water, Tea, or Juice
I suggest setting up the scene without the little ones and then inviting them out to the party. If that is not possible have them help you set up the party!
Lay out the blanket, set up the bears, and put out snacks. If you happen to own the CD "Teddy Bears Picnic" be sure to play it in the background.
Sit down, pour yourself some tea and chat about the day. Ask you children to help the bears eat. Give each bear a name. Have the bears talk to your kids and ask them all about themselves. Have the bears talk to each other.
Teach them the song "Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear" and do the actions.
Tuesday June 23rd / Toddler Peek-A-Boo
Parental Note: Object Permanence is established between 8-10 months of age. This is when babies start to look for objects that have disappeared or gone out of view. They will continue to test or play with this new idea all through their toddler years.
There are many ways to play peek-a-boo
-Simply hide behind your hands
-Put a blanket over your head
-Hide toys under the blanket
-Even flip books are a peek-a-boo game
-Make your own flips with a post it notes and a book
-Hide under the covers
Tuesday June 23rd / Solid or Liquid AKA Gloop AKA OObleck
Preschooler
You need:
cornstarch
water
plastic bowl
OR cookie sheet
This mix is about 2 parts cornstarch to 1 part water. But that is not exact. Watch the video! The substance is very entertaining to play with, and very messy for little ones. I suggest outside.
Questions to ask:
Can you stir it fast? Can you stir it slow? What happens when you go fast? What happens when you go slow? Try to make it into a ball (go fast). Tap your fingers very hard and fast on top, what happens? Tap your fingersslow and gently on top, what happens?
This substance acts like both a liquid and a solid.
Wednesday June 24th / Don't Throw Out Those Scratched CD's
Do you have a bunch of old CD's laying around? How about a spindle? Try giving them to your toddler.
You need:
CD's
Spindle
Your toddler will enjoy the challenge of trying to get them back on the spindle. It is like stacking to them. My toddler spent a LONG time putting them on, taking them off, putting them on, and repeat over and over!
Wednesday June 24th / Flour Tag
This is for preschoolers. My toddler had no luck with the socks at all.
This started as a game of tag from my memory of a game we played at camp when I was a camp counselor. My three year old had a hard time with the concept of tag and turns. So, we ended up just running around and hitting things with the flour socks. It makes a fantastic powdered effect. He loved it!
You need:
old socks
flour
Take old socks, they will get stretched out, so don't use good socks! Fill them with flour. I used about a cup. If you play tag, the players tag each other using the socks (GENTLY). It leaves a flour mark like a chalk mark.
Thursday June 25th / Ordinary Item / Kleenex Box
Toddler or Preschooler
You need:
Empty Kleenex Box
Small Toys
Toddler:
Give your toddler the box and put toys in. They will take the objects out and put them back in. Show them two objects such as; rubber duck and small car. Tell your toddler which object you want them to get out. See if they can do it without looking!
Preschooler:
Gather a few items that your preschooler plays with and don't show them. Put in one object and have them try to guess just by feeling it (no looking). What it is. Tell your preschooler to put something in the box for you. Close your eyes. When they give you the box back put your hand in and describe the object as you feel it to your child. Use all your descriptive words: smooth, rough, small, has wheels, bumpy, feels like hair, has tiny shoes, etc. Take turns putting objects in the kleenex box and see how long it takes your preschooler to start to describe the objects to you!
Friday June 26th / Odinary Item / Paper
Toddler and Preschooler
Ok, Have you seen the famous YOUTUBE video of baby Ethan ripping paper and falling over laughing? Well, after we played with paper this week I let the kids watch this video. They have asked to see laughing baby Ethan everyday this week.We have 10 ideas for playing with paper...
Challenge:
How many sounds can you make with a piece of paper?
Remember to listen to the sound with each new action.
*roll it up and use it as a megaphone
*rip and tear it
*crumple it
*flick it
*blow under or over it, to get it to flap
*smash it under your feet
*rub it on your head
*fold it
*throw it at something :-)
*smooth it out again
Keep going! How long can you and your child be entertained by a single (or a few) pieces of paper?
Extension: Paper airplanes? Fancy Origami?
Saturday June 27th / Fishing For Letters
This all started with buying those littler nets for the kids. I bought them to take to the cabin so they could catch snails, minnows, and other things in the lake. Then we got home and they wanted to bring them into the tub. Originally I was going to have them fish for our rubber ducks and fish but I decided fishing for letters woud be a better idea.
Toddler and Preschooler
You need:
Foam letters
Small nets (Mine cost 59 cents)
bath tub
Fill the tub, add letters, show your kids how to "fish" for the letters. Now ask them what they caught! Tell them all the letter names. see how many letters they already know. Literacy, water play, learning and fun all rolled into one!
Remember to READ 15 minutes a day to your child!
We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing. -George Bernard Shaw
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