Learning Activities For Children

Research shows that positive sensory experiences coupled with social interaction contributes to a baby’s cognitive abilities. Lightly blow, touch or kiss a baby’s body part and in a singsong voice tell baby what that body part is. Ex. These are baby’s hands.

You can use the poem below for this activity:

 

Hello: With your face close to baby’s face say this poem:

Hello, hello, I love you very much.

Hello, hello my fingers they can touch.

Hello, hello, I’ll touch your little nose (touch baby’s nose)

Hello, hello, I’ll kiss your little nose (kiss baby’s nose)

Repeat this poem using other body parts, ears, cheek, toes etc…

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Filed under: *Baby, Science | No Comments »

This is my two year olds favourite fingerplay of the moment. Here is how it goes:

5 little monkeys swinging in a tree (hold up 5 fingers - kids will love it if you have monkey finger puppets!)
Teasing Mister Alligator, you can’t catch me, you  can’t catch me (some people wag a finger during this verse while others like to put their hands to their heads like moose antlers and wiggle their fingers)
Along came Mister Alligator, quiet as can be (speak quietly and with palms together, sway your hands back and forth like a fish moving)
And snapped that monkey right out that tree! (raise your voice and open palms then loudly clap your hands together)

4 little monkeys swinging in a tree (hold up 4 fingers - kids will love it if you have monkey finger puppets!)
Teasing Mister Alligator, you can’t catch me, you  can’t catch me (some people wag a finger during this verse while others like to put their hands to their heads like moose antlers and wiggle their fingers)
Along came Mister Alligator, quiet as can be (speak quietly and with palms together, sway your hands back and forth like a fish moving)
And snapped that monkey right out that tree! (raise your voice and open palms then loudly clap your hands together)

3 little monkeys swinging in a tree (hold up 3 fingers - kids will love it if you have monkey finger puppets!)
Teasing Mister Alligator, you can’t catch me, you  can’t catch me (some people wag a finger during this verse while others like to put their hands to their heads like moose antlers and wiggle their fingers)
Along came Mister Alligator, quiet as can be (speak quietly and with palms together, sway your hands back and forth like a fish moving)
And snapped that monkey right out that tree! (raise your voice and open palms then loudly clap your hands together)

2 little monkeys swinging in a tree (hold up 2 fingers - kids will love it if you have monkey finger puppets!)
Teasing Mister Alligator, you can’t catch me, you  can’t catch me (some people wag a finger during this verse while others like to put their hands to their heads like moose antlers and wiggle their fingers)
Along came Mister Alligator, quiet as can be (speak quietly and with palms together, sway your hands back and forth like a fish moving)
And snapped that monkey right out that tree! (raise your voice and open palms then loudly clap your hands together)

1 little monkey swinging in a tree (hold up 1 finger - kids will love it if you have monkey finger puppets!)
Teasing Mister Alligator, you can’t catch me, you  can’t catch me (some people wag a finger during this verse while others like to put their hands to their heads like moose antlers and wiggle their fingers)
Along came Mister Alligator, quiet as can be (speak quietly and with palms together, sway your hands back and forth like a fish moving)
And snapped that monkey right out that tree! (raise your voice and open palms then loudly clap your hands together)

No more monkeys swinging in the tree!!!!

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Filed under: *Baby | 5 Comments »

I am amazed at how many educational websites will give parents and teachers ideas about teaching preschool children to safely cross the road by themselves!!!! Most children are simply not mature enough to cross the road by themselves before the age of 10, I would say 8 at the very youngest.

I believe that the most important traffic safety we can teach our young children is to hold their parent’s or caregivers hands while crossing the street. I have a two year old who often refuses to hold my hand while crossing the street so I know this can be a hard concept to teach! Children at this age crave independence and often act on impulse. And they simply do not understand the consequence of being hit by a car.

One activity that is likely to be helpful in teaching your child this concept is to gather up toys such as cars, little people and traffic lights and signs. If you do not have these types of toys draw or print off clip arts of these objects.

Choose a time when your child is relaxed and playful and set up your traffic scene together. Talk about the cars driving on the road, the cars stopping at a stop sign or light and then have your ‘people’ walk across the ’street’ holding hands. Be sure to emphasize that you and your child walk across the street it is important that he holds your hand.

Play this game often to help your children remember to hold a grownups hand while crossing the street.

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Filed under: *Early Elementary, *Preschool, *Toddler, Social Development | 1 Comment »

My two year old daughter loves to count to 10 but sometimes along the way she gets all the numbers mixed up. So we make up some fun ways to count to 10 together such as clap our hands 10 times, spin around in circles 10 times, hop 10 times etc…

I would love to hear about other fun ways to count. Leave a comment!

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Filed under: *Preschool, *Toddler, Math and Matching | No Comments »