Cognitive Development
Taking Care of Baby
Invite your child to copy your actions as you care for a baby doll. Rock the baby, wrap it in a blanket, feed it a bottle, sing it a song and put it to bed. Talk through these actions with your child. Learning to be gentle with a baby will impact how your child grows up to handle their own children.
Physical Literacy
Marching
Play some marching music and invite your little one to march with you. Beginning walkers will need to hold your hand for balance or they can play a drum or another musical instrument. Just enjoy your child’s effort and have fun. Here is a link to some marching music to get you started.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oxxxZCu4A5s
Social-Emotional Development
Here Are My Ears
Encourage your child to point to their body parts as you say this rhyme.
Here Are My Ears
Here are my ears.
Here is my nose.
Here are my fingers.
Here are my toes.
Here are my eyes.
Both open wide.
Here is my mouth,
With white teeth inside.
Language Development
Action Words Game
Play an action word game with your little one. Name an action (kicking, clapping, turning, jumping, squatting, waving, pointing, blowing a kiss), demonstrate it, and encourage your child to copy your action. If they are ready, they can say the name for the action.
Creative Activity
No Mess Plastic Film Art!
Put some red and yellow paint onto a piece of lightweight cardboard. Cover the cardboard with plastic film and tape securely to the underside. Encourage your little one to pat and move the paint around. When they are done remove the plastic film and let dry. On another day try two different colours.
Additional Resources:
https://www.commonsensemedia.org/ – This website is a source of entertainment and technology recommendations for families on movies, books, apps and games and websites.
https://www.funbrain.com/ – A collection of educational games, books and videos for Pre-K through Grade 8 children.