This is our spice bin but we use the spice rack as well!
Take down your spice rack and sit on your kitchen floor. Smell the spices one by one. They may want to help take the caps on and off or hold the spices. This can be messy! They will be amazed and surprised at all the different smells. Discuss your senses and how you smell through your nose and taste with your mouth. You can tell them this is only smelling time or open it up to the sense of taste as well.
This became a favorite activity for my kids. I started saving all my old spice jars and put them in a large plastic bin with a top. I also asked friends to give me their empty spice containers. Then I can take out the bin and let them open and close the containers and smell them on their own. They love the smelling of the spices and the challenge of trying to open and close the containers.
Lastly, I was surprised at how much my daughter like finding which jar went with which container. This was a bonus I hadn't thought of. Then I purposely added different sizes to the bin with tops.
Hope you enjoy this activity!
Leave comments when you try it!
Thursday August 13th / Kitchen Chores
Toddler and Preschooler
Are your kids always wanting to cook with you and "help"?
Have them clean vegetables and shine apples today.
You need:
two large towels
large bowl
veggies or apples
Place a large towel on the floor and put your bowl with water on top of it.
Show you child how to dip the veggie or apple in the water and scrub it clean.
Take the veggie or apple out and dry it with the other towel.
Place it on the towel or another plate.
If you are using apples, show the how to "polish" the apple with the towel.
I was skeptical of this one, they loved it!
Sunday July 19th / Raid the Kitchen / Lazy Susan
You need a lazy susan.
Clear your Lazy Susan of all spices, cans etc.
I do not suggest just handing this object to your child.
Sit down with them and have a few toys with you such as; little people, cars, small toys.
Show them it can be used like a merry go round.
Show them if you spin it slow everything stays on, but if you spin it fast everything flies off! :-)
After you demonstrate what is can do and how you you want them to play with it, let them explore this new toy.
I did not think this one would be as GREAT as it was for the kids. I couldn't get over how long they were entertained by it and they did not want me to put it away!
You need one large plastic bowl and a muffin tin.
Toddler:
Put things to sort in a bowl on the floor and the muffin tin next to it. Shw your toddler how to place objects in the compartments and take them out. Toddlers will do this over and over. They may dump the bowl and be even more excited by the noise and action, just pick the things up and start over. You can also start this game by filling the compartments and putting out an empty bowl. (or switch it next time)
Things to sort in a muffin tin for toddlers: ping pong balls, cheerios, any cereal, any colorful objetcs that they can not swallow...
Preschooler:
This can be more advanced and use smaller objects. Most preschoolers no longer put objectsin their mouth. We have used buttons and small beads. I found a small bag of assorted beads at Michaels craft store. It is very fun to sort because it has many different things like; animals, shapes, colors, different textures etc. I will sit and sort too. Then I explain how I am sorting my and introduce new vocabulary and ways to sort objects. "I am putting all the blue ones in here and all the red ones in this compartment." or "I am putting all the hearts in here and all the squares in here" and/or "How are you sorting yours?" I did have to say that the beads were NOT CANDY because they looked like it.
Things for preschoolers to sort in a muffin tin: buttons, colored pasta, different shaped pasta, beads, anything that will fit into the tin compartments.
Toddler: Bang on pots and pans with spoons. Shake smaller plastic bowls inside larger plastic bowls. Watch as your toddler puts one bowl in and dumps it out repeatedly.
Preschooler: Use plastic bowls with plastic spoons, metal pans with metal utensils, and wooden spoons on a wooden surface (cutting board, small stool). Talk to your preschooler about the different sounds and different materials. See if they can notice anything about the sounds, or if they prefer one material over the others.
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