Explain to your infant that you are going to play a game. Instruct them to do an action (run, clap, shake, scream, dance,) when you say and sign “GO!” Instruct them to stop, or freeze, when you say and sign “STOP”
This activity is a great way to teach children about boundaries, self control and following rules
Sign for Go - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SbKmXJtXu4I
Sign for Stop - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jwjs1LVxnmE
Skills to Practice: Regulatory Control over feelings and behaviours
Internalizing rules, directions, and routine
Extended Learning: Have a Freeze Dance party. When a song is playing, dance to the rhythm of the music. When it stops, the infant stops too! Try to get them to control their bodies and freeze for a couple of seconds
What is Needed: Pots, Pans, Boxes, Drums, Plastic Containers, and Paper towel rolls (2), wooden spoons, Chop sticks, or drumsticks
Babies love banging on pots, pans, and boxes. They experiment with sound and the effects their motor control has on it. Encourage your infant to bang and experiment with intensity, sounds and rhythm. Put on a song and encourage them to play along. Talk about the different sounds and feelings of the movements.
Skill to Practice: Cause and Effect relations through repetitive movement
Extended Learning: Fill four glass cups with different amounts of water. Add food colouring for more learning opportunities. Have your infant gentle tap the glasses with a wooden stick. Point out the different sounds.
Puppet Conversations
Make a Puppet or use one you already have.
A puppet offers a way to engage with children in a one side conversation or to hold their attention. Infants will react, as they love to watch the puppet move and interact with it.
Have your puppet play with, sing to, rhyme with, read to, or casually converse with your child. Allow your child opportunities to warm to, speak to (babble) and touch the puppet. Use a different voice and tones. Make the interactions playful learning opportunities.
Skill to Practice: Responsive Language, Social conversing, and imaginative play
Extended Learning: Finger Play Stories and Songs are a great way to connect with your infant and provide rhythmic and repetitive story telling patterns that builds concepts in math, science, or language. 10 Finger Play Songs
Reference: Frog Street Infants
What is Needed: Small dustpan and brush, small toys, or blocks
Show your infant how to use a hand broom to sweep small toys into the dustpan. Hold the dustpan sturdy with them and encourage them to use their hands to sweep the objects into the pan. (They may need to use both hands to sweep, go at their pace.) Not only with this help strengthen muscle development but encourage independence and teamwork when it comes to contributing to household responsibilities as they grow
Skill to Practice:Tool use, Co-ordination, Family Responsibility
Extended Learning: Make the objects get smaller and more difficult to sweep as time progresses.
After your child has a controlled sweep, give them a mini hockey stick or golf club to practice some more muscle control
Reference: Frog Street Infants
What is Needed: Canvas/Construction Paper, White Glue, Shakers (Spice jars), Coloured Sand
Spread a thin layer of glue around the painting. Immediately after, help your infant add a 3D design with the glue.
Add the sand to the shakers and encourage your infant to shake the sand onto the paper.
Giving this multisensory experience will allow your child to explore colours and textures. Don’t forget to feel it when it dries!
Skills to Practice: Releases energy, motor control, creative stimulation
Extended Learning: Use a baking tray or something similar and fill it with a shallow layer of sound. Get creative and make a pattern with the colours. Show your infant how to draw in it, then shake it lightly to erase the picture. Roll a car through and see the pattern it creates.
Reference: Frog Street Infants
https://www.cosmickids.com/category/watch/?duration=short&changed=duration – Website for kids yoga, and mindfulness. Videos range from 10 minutes to over 15 minutes.
https://www.louvre.fr/en/visites-en-ligne - Visit the museum's exhibition rooms and galleries, contemplate the façades of the Louvre...Come along on a virtual tour and enjoy the view