"Straw" Sort and Drop

I'm going to admit that this next activity is really more of a "keep the kiddo busy" kind of deal, but in all reality, these activities are also very educational as well.  Again, this activity doesn't call for much and it can be a fun, yet time consuming activity for the kiddos.  I hope everyone enjoys!

While playing, you kiddo can learn:

• Patience
• Eye-hand coordination
• Fine motor skills
• Sorting - based on colors, sizes
• Visual discrimination - distinguishing differences between objects
• Math
• Size differentiation

You will need:

• A clean grated cheese container; or small pop bottle; or cups of different sizes
• Straws, pipe cleaners (chenille stems), chop sticks, unsharpened pencils, old markers - anything long and rather thin

This activity actually doesn't involve any handy work on your behalf.  All you have to do really is collect the items that you need.  I used a grated cheese container and straws because those were the items I had handy around the house.  Be creative and look around and see what you can find!

Here's how it works.  Have your kiddo take the long, thin item of your choice and stick it into the small holes.  That's it!  The fun actually is letting your kiddo see how many "objects" they can fit into the holes.  For instance, observe and ask these questions (based on using the straws and grated cheese container):

• How many straws fit into the smaller holes compared to the bigger hole?
• Can you put all of the red straws into the big hole?
• How many straws do you have all together?

Honestly, this activity is all yours to play around with!  Have fun and let me know what other objects you've used that have worked for you!

Homemade Puzzles

Today I am going to show you a fun yet quick activity that you can make with food boxes that might be just sitting around in your food pantry or cupboard.  It seems that puzzles can be costly sometimes and children out grow them making them an expensive investment.  Little do some know though, you can make your own at home that are very affordable and you can change them out without worrying about costs!


After making your own puzzles, your child can learn all kinds of things:

• Fine motor
• Cognitive skills - Letters, Shapes, Numbers, Colors
• Problem solving skills
• Eye-hand coordination

The only two things you will need are:

• Empty food boxes
• Scissors

Basically the steps are so simple.  First, you need to take the empty food boxes and cut the front panel out from the rest of the box.

The front of the boxes

The next step and the last one :) is to cut the boxes into the shapes and pieces you want.  You can go completely simple and cut them into 2-3 pieces or more complex with additional pieces.

These are cut into random shapes; 1st box into 3 pcs. & 2nd box into 4 pcs.

In my past experience with homemade puzzles, I have learned the more letters/numbers on the package the harder and it can be to put the puzzles back together.  Therefore, keep this in mind when you are cutting the boxes into your desired pieces.  I also use random cuts when cutting them, but you can always have a plan and cut out precise shapes or edges.  

*I used the boxes that I HAD in my pantry.  I don't have grown kiddos yet so I don't have any kid friendly boxes.  Choose boxes that your child enjoys looking at or recognizes to make the activity more exciting!

Enjoy and feel free to share any ideas that you have!

"I Spy" Binocular Game

Children are always very curious about their world and its surroundings.  This is something that some parents might not be aware of, but you can easily teach your child great vocabulary and language skills using resources that are readily available to you in this busy world.  Basically, today's activity is something that you can do using very few materials, but can also open up a world of knowledge for both parent and child.  It is also a small twist on a popular game that I've played with my preschoolers and that some may already know!

Through "I Spy", we will learn:

• How to follow directions
• How to take turns
• New vocabulary - colors, shapes, , numbers, letters, animals, objects, etc.
• New language skills - repetition, sentence structure

Items that you need include:

• Toilet paper tube 
  
• Stickers, Collage Items
• Glue if needed
• Books, Magazines, Newspaper Ads

First, take the toilet paper tube and decorate it as you wish.  I used stickers because they are just so easy to use.  I placed them where I wanted and this step is actually up to you.  If you don't want to decorate, you can skip this step.  

Next, find a book your child likes, popular newspaper ads, or magazines that have nice, vivid pictures, letters, or numbers that your child is able to identify easily.  Pictured below are books, grocery ads, and a magazine I received in the mail.

After finding the objects you are going to use, you will take the toilet paper tube and pretend that it is a one-scope binocular or magnifying glass.  You will inform your child that you are going to go on a "I Spy" treasure hunt.  When you are ready, this is how this activity will play out.  

"I Spy with my little eye..."

A pink pig

Your child will then use his or her "binocular" or "magnifying glass" to find the pink pig.

Other examples...

I Spy with my little eye a purple dress...

I Spy with my little eye Cap'n Crunch...

I Spy with my little eye the letter "S"

Honestly, this game isn't always about pictures.  It can also be about letters, numbers, colors, or shape recognition.  This game is yours to dictate.  You decide what you feel you want your child to learn and have fun with it!

Extension activity:

Take it on the road ~ Summer is coming to a close, but I know there have to be a few more road trips left :-)  Have your child take his or her binoculars with him or her and play "I Spy" on the road.  Look for familiar objects such as restaurants, road signs, and vehicles.  Trust me, this game can be a lifesaver in the car!

Since this game is so diverse, how else do you play "I Spy"?  Share your thoughts!

Cardboard Slot Builders

This activity is basically something that doesn't take a lot of materials, but it can take a few extra minutes to prepare.  There is so much you can do with cardboard, especially your empty food boxes.  So today, I am sharing with you a simple building activity that your child can do.







To create this activity, you will need: 

• Empty food boxes 
• Scissors
• Tape (optional)

See!  So Simple!

Your child will learn:

• Eye-hand coordination
• Fine motor skills
• Patience
• How to use their imagination

Here's how it works.  First take the cardboard or food boxes and cut them apart.  I used the front and back of the boxes.  Once you have the fronts and backs removed, cut them into small squares~smaller boxes cut 4 squares and larger boxes 6 squares.

Next, you need to cut small slots on each of the sides.  The ones I pictured seem like small slots, but actually I could have gone even smaller.  Just test it out depending on the thickness of your box. :-)

           

Once the slots are cut, your child is ready to build by placing each slot together.

Now add all the pieces together, and waa-lah, you have your very own slot builders!

~~~You can tape the edges if you like for extra safety!  This will help prevent any sharp edges!~~~

These can be fragile and difficult to work with at times, so this activity is mostly for older children who have developed some patience already.  Also, try out different types of materials and see which ones work best for you!  Different materials also will help build finer motor skills!

Good luck!

Paper Plate Lacing

In my basement, I have basically had a bunch of curling ribbon just sitting around.  Actually it was kind of a mess and I wasn't sure it was even worth using on gifts anymore.  Well with that thought, I was for sure thinking I might just have to toss it out, but I actually came up with a really simple activity that you can do with the ribbon and a basic paper plate.

While completing this activity, your child will learn:

• Fine motor skills
• Patience
• Tactile stimulation
• How to follow directions and/or a pattern
• Eye-hand coordination 

Now as I mentioned before, this activity is very simple and you don't need a lot of materials.  You will need:

• Paper plate
• Ribbon - I used curling ribbon, but you can also use fabric ribbon 
• Paper puncher
• Tape

First, take the paper plate and punch holes in it along the edge.  You can do as many or as little as you want.  Preferably punch less holes wider apart for younger children and more holes closer together for older children.  In the picture below, I punched the holes closer together.

  

Next, take a piece of ribbon and cut it according to the length needed to completely go around the whole plate.  On the edge of the ribbon, place a piece of tape around the end to make it lace easier through each of the holes.  Trust me, this will make it much easier!

Once the tape is secure, your ribbon is ready to lace through the holes.  This activity is so versatile and yet very easy.  Again, it can take some patience but don't worry, your kiddo will get the hang of it sooner or later!  

Happy lacing!

I'm back...

Hello Everyone!

Sorry that it has been awhile.  I have been very busy with a lot of things going on outside the blog.  For the most part, I have become a mommy to two, yes two, wonderful babies, Taran and Ananya.  During my pregnancy, I kept busy getting ready for their arrival.  Now that they have arrived, I have been busy keeping up with them and their needs.  They were premature, so they had a 1 month stay in the NICU which was stressful and tiring.  After coming home, we had a lot of adjustments to make because we weren't ready for them to be home quite yet.  Since then 3 months have passed, and I think that I might be ready again to start sharing my ideas with you through my blog.  With your support, I hope that I can keep this ball rolling!

Thanks!