Boxes, boxes, & more boxes

A few of the different shaped boxes that we have received

This post is going to be short and simple.  Tis the season for extra boxes hanging around the house from the holidays.  I have kept every size of box from small to large that we received as gifts or through purchases.  I basically keep them until they are no longer stable enough to take a pounding from my kiddos.  Boxes can open the door of imagination for kids, and also extend on so many developmental milestones.

Smaller boxes: (such as cereal & food boxes)

The different variations of these types of boxes are very simple.  Your child could line them up according to size and learn about seriation, stack them inside one of another and learn about basic math concepts such as volume and sequencing, or treat them like stacking blocks and learn about cause and effect and develop some of their large and fine motor skills.

Medium Boxes: (such as the boxes on the bottom right hand corner in picture)

These boxes are good for kiddos to sit in mostly or sit on top.  If your kiddos are light enough, they could also stand on them and practice climbing up.  I sometimes stuff the boxes with extra paper that was inside the box when shipped or even extra plastic baggies that you receive from grocery stores.

My son climbing...

My daughter sitting on the box and using the other box as a drum

Larger boxes: (Christmas tree box, kitchen set box, longer skinnier boxes)

These types of boxes are just good ole' fashion fun boxes.  These boxes are good for climbing in and out of, playing "peek-a-boo" from inside the box with the flaps, and pretending they are a fort.

Inside the box

Hanging out inside the box

Peek-a-boo

The longer skinnier boxes we received when we ordered curtain rods online.  I like to use the boxes as a balance beam for the kiddos mostly.

  

We also integrated the boxes as a tool for them to practice jumping off of and over.  Today, though, my son decided to use it as a race car track for his cars.  Such a cute little imagination! :-)

Boxes can be used for so much and honestly, kids enjoy these so much more than the toy itself!

Snowball Toss

Its that time of the year and well...BRRRR it's cold outside.  In some areas, some of us have already seen some snow...maybe too much...while others aren't ever going to see any.  I put together a fun activity where my kiddos can play in the "snow", while practicing some of their other skills.

In the snowball toss, children will master:

• Gross motor skills such as running and throwing
• Fine motor skills such as grasping, pinching
• Aim of throwing
• Social skills such as turn taking, patience
• Counting
• Eye-hand coordination
• Imagination and pretending

This activity is so simple and versatile and you can add whatever you want to make it simple, more complicated, or even more fun!  

Here's what you will need:

• Socks, socks, and more socks.  The more socks the better.  I used socks that I had purchased at one time and didn't like.
• Baskets for throwing into.

First, take the socks and roll them up as tight as you can so they make a ball.  Honestly, my kiddos had more fun trying to unroll them at one point.  Once they are in a ball, it's time to throw them and have some fun!  

I placed a white laundry basket out because my kiddos are still younger so target shooting isn't something they are great at yet.  The older the child, though, the smaller the basket to help with those skills of eye-hand coordination.

Action shot - my son throwing a snowball

Another action shot of my daughter running around trying to catch the snowballs

Once we threw all the snowballs into the basket, I attempted to count them.  My kiddos, though, were too excited and wouldn't allow me.  They were picking them out before I could count them!

This was such a fun activity, that we do this almost daily.  Some days, we pretend to throw them at each other.  While some might frown upon that, my kids obviously don't have that much strength to throw something that hard, plus it helps to build their gross motor skills.

Any other variations that you do?  Please share!  

"Coin" Drop

This is a fun game children really enjoy playing over and over again.  It can keep them busy for at least 15 minutes (to me that is awesome), but also requires some supervision to make sure the pieces don't make it in the mouth.  My children love when I get this activity out and just have fun with it.  Very content little creatures ;-)


What children will learn through this activity are:

• Object Permanence - an object stills exists when not in view
• Cause and effect
• Eye-hand coordination
• Problem solving
• Fine motor skills
• Sorting
• Numbers and counting

Depending on what children do with this activity, there are also extensions that you can do and we can discuss that later.

To get started you will need:

• Plastic containers - I had clear containers hanging around, but you can use any older recyclable container such as butter or yogurt containers, but make sure that they have a lid.
• Milk caps in various colors
• Scissors
• Tape

First, you will need to collect milk caps.  I have collected these over the years since being a teacher and now a mother.  You can ask friends to help as well, but if you can only collect 2 or 3 colors of caps that is a good start.

Next, take scissors and cut a slit in the top of the lid of your plastic containers.  The slit should be approximately 1"x 2".  Once the slit is cut, use the tape to tape the edges.  This is to prevent the edges from being too sharp.  I used clear tape, but you can also use colored masking tape.

I have been using this game for a while now and in all honesty,
its starting to bend a little and the tape is coming off,
but that just shows how much my kiddos enjoy this game.

Once the slit has been cut and the tape applied, pop the lid on and give your kiddo the milk caps to start playing.  

As I mentioned, my kiddos love this game and started off playing with it by just putting the caps in the slots.  Now, they have figured out how to pop the lids off and love to fill them up through the slots and then dump them out again.  They haven't grown tired of this activity yet!

Once kiddos have played with this activity for sometime and start to not enjoy it as much though, here are some other ideas on how to extend off this concept:

• Counting - as your kiddo plops the coin through the slot, count them.  When done dump them and count them again!!
• Sort - sort the caps by colors
• Add different objects - find other objects that fit into the slot: straws, popsicle sticks, etc.  Any other objects you've tried?  Let me know how it works out for you.

Have fun!!

"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!