Believe it or not, rhymes help children learn pre-reading skills. Here are some rhymes to start you off.One of the most helpful pre-reading skills to learn is that words are made up of sounds. To sound out c-a-t is cat and d-o-g is dog. This is the basic principle behind phonics – you might have come across phonics before. Lots of experts believe that practicing lots of rhymes from an early age seems to lower the probability that children will have reading problems when they reach school.
Playing games and singing songs that feature rhymes can be of great benefit. Here are a selection of favourites:
Songs that emphasize the little sounds with a rhythm
This is the way the ladies ride Trit- trot trit- trot trit- trot This is the way the gentlemen ride Gallup, gallup,gallup This is the way the old man rides Hobble-dee hobble-dee And down in a ditch.
The actions (trotting, galloping or hobbleddeing on the knee) emphasise the rhythm. The down in the ditch is a surprise that makes her laugh- and the excitement improves listening next time around.
We do not need to restrict ourselves to nursery songs. Any song that fits the words to a clear rhythm or emphasizes the little sounds works well, even pop songs old or new work!
Rhymes that emphasize the little sounds through repetition.
Humpty Dumpty
Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall Humpty Dumpty had a great fall All the kings horses and all the kings men Couldn’t put humpty together again.
Baba Black Sheep
Baba black sheep have you and wool Yes sir, yes sir three bags full One for the master and one for the dame And one for the little boy that lives down the lane.
Rhyme it
I saw a cat and he was wearing a………… hat. I saw a pig and he was wearing a………….wig. I saw a hen holding a …………pen I saw a stoat and he was wearing a ………coat.
You can either take turns to make up the sentences or you can provide the animals and he can provide the rhymes.
Silly
Silly rhymes are great fun, he’ll be having so much fun he won’t think for one minute he’s learning! The sillier the better!
Playtime hints and tips to help develop pre-reading skillsIt can sometimes feel like you’re under pressure to have your child reading before they’ve even started school. But this really isn’t something you need to worry about. There is no need to rush to give them a head start – did you know that some countries don’t even start their children reading until the age of 7 and those children actually do go on to be better readers than those who start earlier!
The most important things you can do to help are to foster a love of books in your child, even if he can’t read yet and always positively encourage his efforts towards reading. If you help him understand that books are good fun, he’ll learn without even realising it!
Below are some easy tips and pointers for preparing your pre-schooler for reading:
1. Reading is fun!
Encourage a positive view of reading by;
* Setting a good example * - let him see that mummy reads too!
* Enjoy books together * – let him get to know the feel of books and enjoy looking through them.
* Bedtime stories * – sharing story books when you’re safe and cuddled up in bed builds positive images of reading that will last for a lifetime
It’s all in the detail!
Reading needs concentration and attention to detail, so practice these skills through play;
* Look for the surprises * - Look for picture books that have a hidden character on each page.
* Search in the shops * - have him look for one of his favourite foods in the supermarket as you do the weekly shop. Watch out for logos and familiar labels.
* Out and About * – When you’re out and about look carefully at things like leaves, flowers and shells. Point out the details.
Familiarity with Letters
Start building early familiarity with letters through simple play ideas;
* Books * - look for individual letters in books. S for snake or F for Freddy.
*Out and About* - look for individual letters on car number plates, street signs etc
* Toys * - look out for toys with letters for added play value- especially those that tell you the sounds when you press a button
* Food * - look for letters on food packets.
* Words * - look for frequent words like the in his story books.
Familiarity with sounds
Words and sentences are quite rhythmic and built up of a collection of sounds, get them used to this idea with some of these tips;
* Poems and rhyme * - read poems, nursery rhymes and books written in rhyme.
* Game play * - play games that use rhymes.
* Names * - clap out the syllables of his name. Can he do it? Can he clap out his whole name? Freddie is two claps Freddie Walker is four. Who do you know with the most claps?
Familiarity with shapes
Words and letters are just shapes, for example A is based on a triangle, recognising shapes is a good building block for reading;
*Books* – look for objects in picture books that are a particular shape
*Out and About* - look for shapes outside, wheels on cars, round-abouts, road signs, paving slabs etc
Playtime hints and tips to help your child discover wonder of science and natureFrom the mument he can get about by himself, you’ll see that your baby loves to investigate and explore everything! Many of the simple activities that he loves actually do help him learn basic scientific principles. For example, playing with bath toys will teach him simple lessons about solids and liquids, and, the best thing is, he is learning all the time without even realising it.
All the things surrounding him provide ample material to develop his ’scientific’ side. From leaves and animals in nature, to toys and furniture – they all have a part in play as he explores his world.
Early on, he’ll want to know “what happens if…” and will often come up with his own answer. Don’t feel like you need to give any kind of a scientific explanation of the principle at play, the most important thing is to let him experience what happens.
Day to day there are lots of ways to help bring out the scientist in him!
How do things move?
* Try pushing balls down a slope with him to watch what happens
* What happens if you send different shapes down, do they move quicker or slower, or do they get stuck half way?
What floats?
Bath time is a brilliant time to investigate water and its effects.
* What floats? Give him household bits and pieces made of different materials to try.
* What sinks? Try different shapes and materials again.
* Which things soak up water? Try paper plates, face flannels, sponges, ducks, plastic cups.
* What happens to bubbles when he puts soap in the bath?
How does your garden grow?
Growing things is a great way to learn about nature, and the best thing is that children love to grow! They also love creepy crawlies so there are lots of great things to explore in the garden.
* Plant sunflower seeds in pots. How tall will they grow? Watch how they turn to face the sun.
* Put some grass seed (or better still cress) on a wet flannel - keep it damp and watch the roots and shoots pop out of the seed.
* Plant some radishes- it only takes 6 weeks from planting to harvest.
* How many legs do spiders have? See if you can catch one and count the legs.
* How many birds come to the bird table?
* What happens when you put a piece of celery in a jar of coloured water over night? It will come out the colour of the water!
* How quickly does a bamboo cane grow? You will need a tape measure!
These are just a few ideas, I’m sure that you can think of lots more to make everyday learning discoveries.
At this age he will really love playing with water in the bath. Not only does he find out 'how'and 'why' but he’ll also be practicing eye-hand co-ordination.
* Give him something to pour water from like a jug, and something to pour in to, like a plastic cup
* Also give him something that floats when empty but sinks when full, like a plastic bottle.
* Give him a selection of sponges that soak up water.
* Give him floating ducks that he can send away, with a wave of water
* Let him explore what he can do with these objects and he’ll have great fun
Making butterfly prints
This is a simple painting activity that works like magic and its one that is a real classic. It teaches children to work towards an end, that creating is fun and of course improves hand-eye coordination too.
* Take some thickened paint in two or more colours
* Take small pieces of paper and fold down the middle
* Show him how to put paint on one side of the paper
* Gently fold the paper over and press to get paint on both sides
* Open up to show him the beautiful butterfly he made!
Tip!
*How to make your own thick paint*
To make your own thick paint put a desert spoon of flour into a saucepan with a little water, whisk, bring to the boil and add a little colouring.
For older children you could add powder paint rather than food colouring.
Sorting the socks
Get some help with the laundry and help him to learn very basic maths principles and matching too!
* Put all the socks in a bag
* Ask him to sort them in to pairs!
Heads and bodies
Another pairing game that helps teach basic maths ideas.
* Take about 5 – 10 small pieces of card and on to each stick pictures of animals cut from magazines
* Cut each card in two, so that the head is on one side and the body on the other
* Ask him to pair them up with the right head and right body
* Ask him to do mismatches – what is the silliest animal he can make and what would he call it?
Picture match
On a variation on the game above, this pairing game encourages him to look for what objects have in common – this encourages early maths and also as he will be looking for the detail, this also helps develop early reading.
* Take 10 – 20 pieces of card and stick objects on them, there should be two of each different kind of object – so for example two cars, two mugs and two sofas. Some pairs should be identical pictures but some can be the same sort of object but different pictures
* Ask him to form the pairs – this will help him understand that things can have something in common even if they are a different size or colour for example.
Find the sticker
This is a simple hide and seek game that helps him look carefully - an important skill for early reading.
* Take some sticky backed shapes or cut them out from sticky backed paper
* Ask him to wait outside the room while you stick these to various objects around the room
* Tell him how many you have hidden and let him have fun looking for them
* If he needs help, give him hints when he is getting 'warm'!
Play Guide - Social and Emotional Development 2 - 3 Years
His social development will come in leaps and bounds when he is old enough to play with other children. Although children like being with other children before they are two it really isn’t until the third year when their lives extend beyond family and carers.
He will start being more considerate of people when they are upset, to learn to read moods a little more. Although this is great, he might also start to worry more too! During this time, he might start to be frightened of things that he wasn’t at all worried about before. During this time things like ghosties and monsters might start to feature in his concerns!
By the second half of this year, he will have become more easy going, more caring and more social. His tantrums should hopefully be on the decline too!
Games
* Finding faces *
This kind of play helps reinforce ideas of other people’s feeling and emotions.
Flick through a magazine together
Count how many smiley faces you can see?
How many sad faces are there?
Play at drawing faces and seeing if he can tell how they feel
Stories
Children love stories they can join in with and reading books together is great for your together time - look for books which have repeated phrases such as “I’ll huff and I’ll puff and I’ll blow your house down “ from the three little pigs. Read these often and get him to join in. The three Billy goats Gruff, Chicken Licken and Red Riding Hood are obvious examples.
Whispers
A good game for a child who always shouts!
* Whisper to your child what he should do next.
* He then does it.
* Then he whispers to you.
Here we go round the mulberry bush for one or two
Imitating is a social skill and games that encourage this are good choices. Here we go round the mulberry bush is a classic...
You can play this by dancing round in a circle but you don’t have to;
“Here we go round the mulberry bush, the mulberry bush the mulberry bush,
Here we go round the mulberry bush on a cold and frosty morning.
(Then he stops and mimes as you sing)
This is the way we brush our hair, brush our hair, brush our hair,
This is the way we brush our hair on a cold and frosty morning
(You can now add any action you like!)
Snap
Cards and board games are good social games but lots are too difficult for the under threes.
A whole pack of cards is probably too much for him now, but you can take a chunk of the pack. Shuffle them and deal them out and play a game of simple Snap!
You could also try a simple game of lotto.
Copy cat
Play a game of copying faces!
* You pull a funny face - he copies.
* He pulls a funny face you copy.
Helping
At this age he doesn’t know the difference between work and play so he will be more than happy helping you with the housework!
He could
* Wash the salad greens
* Dust a coffee table.
* Collect the post or newspaper.
* Post a letter.
At two she runs with flat feet and can’t yet take off from her toes. She can’t change speeds easily. She can just about jump off the ground and can comfortably manage a sit and ride. As the year progresses she’ll be able to walk along a log or wall, stand on one foot and use a slide by herself.
Games
* Toy Box *
Lots of toys are available to help encourage her movement and mobility. Pull alongs, push-alongs are great and many of you will have access to climbing frames or slides in the garden or at a local park.
* Don’t step on the cracks *
When you’re out and about, play a game of avoiding the cracks. She’ll be able to practice taking off as she jumps from safe spot to safe spot.
* Shadow tag *
This is a game of tag with a difference- you catch someone by stepping in their shadow. Chase games are good for her to practice stopping and starting, changing direction and learning to change speed quickly.
* Running in the wind *
Nothing quite excites little ones as much as running in a high wind. You can find an exposed spot and lean into the wind. Pretend it is blowing you both away or just run after flying leaves and bits of tissue paper.
Playing games and having fun with your child will really help him to learn and is also a fantastic way for you to build your relationship with him. You’ll love every minute of his company and will collect memories to last a lifetime. Here’s how:
* Watch him when he’s playing on is own. This way you’ll get hints of what he needs, what he enjoys and what will help him learn new skills.
* Always choose toys appropriate to his age and that match his stage of development. Age limits are set by child development experts for both safety and developmental reasons.
* Follow his cues to be creative and resourceful, without dominating, and let him dictate the pace. If he starts to lose interest he’s probably had enough so stop and resume your play when he seems interested again.
* Create time for him to enjoy playing. He learns best through play and he will learn best in an environment that allows him time to explore, investigate and discover things.
* Keep an eye on him. He will like to see you nearby just as much as you need to supervise him. Provide him with a safe, hazard-free play space indoor and
outdoors.
* Regularly check his toys are safe to play with as they will receive a lot of use and abuse! Encourage him to play with toys that suit the space where your child will be playing and anticipate potential dangers, such as trying to carry a large toy upstairs.
* Surround him with a variety of toys to hold his attention and encourage his learning in both active and quiet times, and when he is playing alone or with other children.
* Limit the number of toys he plays with at any one time. If he is playing with one toy the others will distract him and it is easier for him to concentrate and pay attention to one activity at a time. If he gets another toy out, tell him to put another one away.
Sand is a wonderful substance for experiments. When it is dry it flows like water, when wet you can mould it - and when very wet it forms a slurry and flows. You can run a stick through it to leave a temporary trail. It can be used to build castles, or roads for his cars. In fact it’s the perfect “I made that happen toy” for a small child.
The beach
The beach offers so many opportunities it is hard to know where to start!
* A hole to sit in. If he is not quite sitting firmly dig him a small hole and wedge his bottom. He will be able to sit- but put towels all around him so he does not eat the sand.
* Make sand castles. Fill buckets and upturn them or simply pile up the sand and mould into walls. A little wet sand dribbled over the walls makes it look a bit creepy. Decorate with sea weed, lollipop sticks and shells.
* Make a sea wall. Best played when the tide is coming in. Dig a hole for him to sit in, make a wall around it, and pile up the sand to stop the sea encroaching.
* Make holes and channels from the waters edge up the beach- when the waves reach the channel the water flows.
* Dig channels from rock pools and watch the water flow.
* Slide down banks of soft sand
In the garden
It is possible to buy sand pits with lids. Do cover it when not in use to ensure no stray bits of rubbish or stones get in. Do not use sharp sand (as the name suggests the grains are sharp). It is possible to buy finer soft sand by the bag.
* Make sand castles – give him bucket and spade or different household containers like Tupperware tubs
* Make rake patterns – have a game of making patterns with a rake or other objects.
* Make roads – use a tool or stick to make roads in the sand for his cars
* Pouring -Scoop it up and pour it in lumps from a jug.
* Mixing - Mix water with sand to make a slurry and pour this from a jug.
In the house.
There are lots of ways for creative play with sand indoors, you can use ordinary fine sand, or buy coloured sands, or even just use similar substances such as sugar.
* Touching – Sand or sugar feels good for him just to run his hands through.
* Pouring – Sand or sugar can be poured through a funnel. This is great fun and is also great for developing his dexterity as he gains control of his wrists.
* Making Pictures – Give him a tray and then fill a bag with sand or sugar. If you seal it with an elastic band and then snip a small corner off, he can play at pouring it out and make sand pictures on the tray.
* Weighing – Weigh sand with scales, is wet sand heavier or lighter than dry?
* Sand in water - A spoonful of sand can be added to water and stirred- the grains swim around and colour the water but some settles at the bottom, if more sand is added he makes a slurry that can be poured and which will flow into interesting shapes..
Whether in the bath or garden, water is great for play. Here are some games to inspire you.
Bath-time
*Bubble bath*
This is a simple science game for children of various ages that teaches them to be observant.
Run a bath and add some bubble bath
Young babies will just enjoy making bubbles by kicking and splashing.
From 12 months he’ll enjoy seeing what happens if he uses soap or adds a little oil to his bubble bath (his bubbles disappear).
From about 2 years let him explore away, or play with a bubble maker.
Do the bubbles burst when they land on other bubbles? Do they burst when they land on the water?
*Little boats*
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This is a simple game for a young child that allows him to discover how to make things move
Have a collection of objects that can double as 'boats'. Lolly sticks, corks or just paper folded will work.
Put the boats in the bath. Show him how to make waves.
What happens if he kicks and splashes?
Play games of boat races.
*Ice science (suitable for 4-5 year olds)*
Make a tray of ice cubes, using a rubber mould with interesting shapes if you can find one - add a little food colouring to the water before pouring it in the mould.
Add small items to the ice cubes - a plastic button, a wooden toggle, a waxy leaf, a metal washer. The idea is that some objects should be heavy enough to pull the ice cube to the bottom of the bath - and others should allow the cube to float.
When the cube melts some of the objects should float (wood, sponge, sequins) while others (thin slices of carrot) should sink.
As he watches the ice cubes will gradually disappear
*Water Fun at the Sink*
Filling and pouring.
This is a simple activity that teaches a child about volume and improves his placing skills and his eye-hand co-ordination.
This is a more demanding pouring game because he needs to aim for the cups.
Show him how to fill a jug by immersing it in the water. Put the cups on the draining board and let him fill them. It doesn’t matter if he is not very accurate at first. Cups are good for this or Tupperware tubs, but you could also try her stacker cup toys, as these are different shapes and colours this will add even more to the game.
Of course you can also try this game in the bath too.
*Washing a doll’s dress*
This is a simple activity that teaches a child to work towards an end – something she will have to do when she starts school.
Partly fill the sink with water (or give her a bowl), add some baby shampoo or bubble bath (better for her skin) and let her wash a dolls dress. Show her how to squeeze the water through the cloth. She can then hang it out to dry.
*Games for the garden hose or tap*
Let him fill his watering can and help with watering the plants
Mud is great fun, let him have fun making mud pies!
Practice carrying and pouring by asking him to fill a bowl on the other side of the garden from the garden tap
Bring out the Van Gogh in your little one with some arty games and activities.
Drawing and painting not only offer a child a way of expressing themselves creatively - they are also excellent activities for improving eye-hand co-ordination and the control of tools, primarily pen or pencil. This is a skill they will also need for school.
This is reason enough to give a child plenty of practice, but there are more benefits to art and painting activities;
* Learning 'I can do it'
* Learning to sit still and concentrate.
* Learning to express themselves (especially if you talk about what they have done).
* Building self confidence (especially if you show how proud you are - and if you put the drawings on display)
* Structured painting activities teach a child to work from beginning to end.
* Learning that learning and doing things is fun
Before you start
Accept there will be mess and prepare for it. No child can enjoy painting if they are afraid of making a mess!
* Find a place - if you can’t put a table or easel in an easily cleaned area, put down a plastic sheet or table cloth. If you cover this with newspaper too, you cut down the possibility of slipping.
* Expect children to take care - but don’t be critical of reasonable mess, it’s all part of the fun.
* Dress for the occasion - you can buy painting aprons or one of your old shirts, T-shirts or blouses can be cut down to make a painting overall.
* Cleaning brushes is a source of frustration to children because they tend to get their paintings too wet. You could either show them how to wipe the brush on kitchen paper or have a different brush for each colour.
Tools - Brushes, pens and crayons
Have a variety of different sized brushes to hand, these produce different kinds of pictures. Crayons are also good. Felt tips are okay for older children but not recommended for under threes. Chalk is a great choice as this can even be used on the garden path for fun outdoor art, and then washed down with the hose.
Paper and paint
Art shops offer a range of paper which you can buy in rolls - but for everyday painting you can use make use of lots of your rubbish! The back of cereal boxes, washable wall paper, old letters and circulars, computer print-outs, they are all fine for painting. Do check the absorbency though –too shiny and paint slides off - too absorbent and the paper will rip when it is wet.
Structured and free
First and foremost painting and drawing must be fun - and that means children should paint and draw exactly what they want.
Structured
* Colouring in a drawing
* Drawing to order
* Tracing or drawing around objects
* Printing
Free
* Having a pot of paint a brush and a piece of paper and doing what he feels like.
* Hand and foot prints
* Finger and sponge painting, blow painting
After they finish
Clearing up should be part of the activity
* Encourage him to wash out brushes and put them away.
* Wash down surfaces with a cloth.
* Put paints away
And remember drawing does not have to be messy - A soft pencil and a bit of paper can be used anywhere and everywhere and you carry these around in your handbag for impromptu play. Alternatively you could try a mess-free creative product like Doodle Pro, that lets them explore their creative side without the mess.
Construction is great for developing hand-eye co-ordination and also for building confidence and a sense of achievement. There are lots of construction toys available in a variety of formats but you can also use boxes and items from around the home.
Over the counter play sets
These come in a wide variety and in all sizes.
* Sets which do not need to be put together in very precise ways are best for the very youngest children.
* Sets that require more precise positioning but come in big pieces are best for the middle age range – Pop Onz are suitable for children from 18 months.
* Sets with small parts that require precise positioning can be used to make more realistic models and are best for older children.
* Some sets are based on bricks - others on rods. A child who loves constructing will enjoy any kind of building play.
Collecting bits and bobs
Instead of throwing out all your packaging collect it in a bag that he can rummage in for inspiration for today’s construction. Useful items include;
* Bits of stiff card to make a firm base.
* Boxes of various sizes.
* The inner tubes from toilet rolls.
* Bits of wool and string.
* Sticky backed paper.
* Paper plates.
* Card cut into circles for wheels (or foil milk bottle tops if you can find any).
* Cotton wool balls
Prepared items (to make things easier)
* Tubes – these are always difficult because very little of the tube is in contact with a flat surface. Cut the base of the tube in four or five places and fold these out. Staple these to a card. Prepare both ends of some tubes so he can use them as pillars.
* Wheels - make a small hole in the centre of the plate and pass a split pin into it. She can use this to attach the wheels to a large box.
Find what you need to fix things
* PVA Glue is best for most things but flour paste can be used to stick paper.
* Paper clips and rubber bands hold things together until the glue dries.
* Split pins for fixing wheels (she may need help with these)
* Staples help the stability - but do this for her.
Tip!
How to make flour paste
* Take a handful of plain flour, a pinch of salt and add water slowly.
* Stir continuously.
* It is ready to use once it becomes gooey.
* You can add food colouring to this if you wish. (it makes it easier to see where he has spread it)
As you watch your child putting a cube into his shape sorter over and over again, you know that through his play he’s developing skills and committing the action to memory. Did you know that this is the same when he drops his dinner from his highchair? It might surprise you to hear that he may just be practicing his spatial skills
As his eye-hand coordination develops he may be able to line up a jigsaw piece so it fits into the puzzle and it is his spatial skills that tell him which piece to select and that it will fit. By playing with his shape sorter, or running his toy car around chair legs, he is learning how to maneuver his body through spaces and how to interact with, and avoid colliding with, other things. He is developing the skills that we use every day to get dressed, to draw, to make sure our jumper is on the right way round and so on.
On a greater scale his spatial orientation skills are the ones he develops to, for example, get his toy truck from the kitchen into the lounge and, as adults, we use these skills to understand directions, to draw maps and know where we are in relation to landmarks and so on.
Children need to learn both orientation and spatial manipulation and you can encourage his development with the many tools and activities designed to help him.
Games To Develop Your Child’s Orientation Skills:
Coconuts!
Set up a coconut, or something else he can throw balls at! Encourage him to throw balls or beanbags at the coconut with the aim of knocking it off. For a summer party, daddy could sit in a chair while the children throw wet sponges at him!
One Step, Two Step.
Ask him to count how many steps it takes to cross the room? From the bedroom to the bathroom? Get him to measure how many standard steps it takes him to walk up the garden path.
Gotcha.
Scrunch up an old newspaper into soft balls. You and your child each has a chair to defend and the aim is to try and hit the other person’s chair with your ’ammunition’!
Moving House.
Ask him to move a pile of things, such as leaves, from one side of the garden to the other using his wheelbarrow.
Relievio.
This game is a variation on the childhood favourite, ’tag’. More than two people can play the game where, once you’ve been caught, you must go to the box until you are relieved, or rescued, by someone who hasn’t been tagged.
Toy Box Tips - Orientation Skills
* Bikes, tricycles and, ’sit and rides’. Try the Stride to Ride. * Skates * Trucks, toy pushchairs, toy wheelbarrows * Climbing frames * Balls
Games To Develop Your Child’s Spatial Skills.
Let’s Pour.
Let him practice pouring during bath time, using jugs and beakers and so on. Once he has mastered the skill, you could let him use a tea set to pour drinks for his teddies.
Snake!
Draw a long snake and divide it into a few sections, then ask him to colour each section in neatly.
Where Is He?
Books with faces hidden in the crowd or drawings with familiar objects hidden in the picture are great to amuse children. You can make your own by hiding simple shapes, such as triangles or circles, in drawings.
Tangrams.
Take a large square piece of card and divide it into a number of different shapes, like squares, oblongs and L shapes, of different sizes. Ask him to make new shapes with the individual pieces, or try to assemble them into the original square shape.
Mosaic.
Draw a simple shape or picture and cut gummed or sticky coloured paper into little squares. Let him have fun by sticking the pieces into the picture to make a mosaic.
Toy Box Tips - Spatial Skills:
* Puzzles * Shape sorters. Try the Peek A Blocks Shape Sorter * Stacking cups * Linking toys, such as linking rings. Try any Link-a-Doos toy or teether * Play sets, such as garages. Try the Little People Ramps Around Garage * Construction kits. Try anything in the Pop Onz collection * Dolls
Tips and Games to keep them entertained while you're on the go!Travelling with children can be difficult at the best of times, but there are plenty of games and activities that you can do to keep them occupied.
Travel By Car
* Before leaving let them have a good run around to let off steam
* Make sure you stop at regular intervals to let off more!
* Take a good supply of story or sing-along tapes
* A story or two that you know to tell
* Take small toys for baby to hold, watch and feel – Link-a-doos will attach to her travel seat.
* A teddy or doll for an older child to cuddle and talk to
* Small or travel sized toys – think about a Travel Doodle Pro or other drawing toy. You could ask them to draw things they have seen on the journey. * Play games like eye-spy that encourage them to look at their surroundings and spot objects.
Travel by Plane
* Before leaving let them have a good run around to let off steam
* During the flight, get out of your seat and have a good walk round
* Take along story tapes and a personal stereo
* Take a selection of books to read.
* A couple of their favourite toys and a teddy cuddle will also come in handy. * Take paper along – this has endless possibilities. You can fold it into shapes or draw on it.
* Play noughts and crosses – a simple choice but good fun and easy to play.
Games for Journeys
* Scissors-paper-stone *
This is a great game as you don’t need any equipment! It’s a classic so you probably know how to play ! It needs two players.
Each of you puts your hand behind your back and counts to three
On three, you both bring your hand back at the same time in one of three positions –
Scissors – forefinger and middle finger ready to snip
Paper – hand flat palm down
Stone – hand in a fist
Scissors beats paper because it can cut it.
Paper beats stone because it wraps it.
Stone beats scissors because it blunts it.
Guessing games
* How many fingers have I got up? Player hides his hand (easy in the car) and the others try to guess how many fingers he has up.
* Eye-spy - One player gives the first letter of the object they are thinking about and the others guess what it is.
* What is the next animal we will see? – play similar with other searches – what colour will the next lorry we see be etc.
* Fill in the word *
Tell the story of what is happening leaving blanks for her to fill in.
“One morning a mummy, a Daddy and a little girl called Anna got up early to go on holiday. Anna had……for her breakfast. Daddy put the ….. in the boot of the car and so on and then Mummy sat in the front seat and …….sat in her car seat.
Look out for:
Car snap- Look for a car like ours.
ABC- our initial on a number plate
* Arms and legs (when travelling through towns) *
This is another classic car journey game. As you travel through towns look out for the names of pubs. How many arms and legs are there on the pub signs? Take it in turns, and if there are no arms or legs on a sign you score zero for that turn.
Because small children remember actions much better than they do words, action rhymes are brilliant.
The actions help the child to remember long songs, they also help draw the child’s attention to the little sounds that make up words – an important pre-reading skill. Action rhymes are a good option for those muments when you might be hanging about with no access to toys, waiting in line, for a bus or on a long journey for example.
This kind of rhyme is great for letting off steam, improving memory and stimulating communication.
From 6 months
*Five little ducks*
The five little ducks are the fingers, five swim away, four come back, four swim away and three come back- and so on until there are no little ducks left! Five little ducks went swimming one day
Over the ponds and far away
Mother duck said quack, quack, quack
But only four little ducks came back
From 9 months
One two three four five
One two three four five
Once I caught a fish alive
Why did you let him go
Because he bit my finger so
Which finger did he bite?
This little finger on the right.
Count out the fingers on the one two- make a biting mouth with the thumb and index finger, then display the little finger of the right hand.
*Incy Wincy spider*
Incy Wincy spider climbing up the spout
Down came the rain and washed the spider out
Out came the sunshine dried up all the rain
And incy wincy spider climed the spout again.
Incy climbs by touching opposite thumb and index finger and alternating fingers and thumbs. The other actions just mirror the words.
From 18 months
*Peter’s hammers*
Peter works with one hammer (Hammer with one fist)
With one hammer, with one hammer
Peter works with one hammer
All day long
*Verses*
Peter works with two hammers (hammer with both fists)
Peter works with three hammers (add one stamping foot)
Peter works with four hammers (add the other foot)
Peter works with five hammers (add the head)
*Row, row, row your boat*
Row, row, row your boat
Gently down the stream
Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily
Life is but a dream.
Children sit facing each other on the floor, hold hands and rock back and forth
*I hear Thunder*
I hear thunder I hear thunder (stamp feet)<
Hark don’t you, hark don’t you (put hand behind ear)
Pitter-patter raindrops (mime)
I’m wet through (point to self)
So are you (point to her)
*I’m a Little Teapot*
I’m a little teapot short and stout
Here’s my handle (Put one arm on hip)
Here’s my spout (Put other arm out like spout)
When I hear the tea cups hear me shout
Tip me up and pour me out (bend to the side in a pouring action)
Getting out and about is really good fun, but it also provides lots of opportunity for learning fun.
* Learning – letters, numbers and counting opportunities are everywhere!
* Social skills – opportunities to interact with other people and their world
* Language – shared experiences will give you lots to talk about for many days afterwards
Shopping
Use the opportunity for learning. Play counting games and practice social skills.
* Look for apples. What colour are they?
* How many sorts of cabbage?
* Look for the numbers of the shopping aisles.
* How many different sorts of tinned tomatoes?
* How many checkouts?
* How many times do you see F for Frankie?
* Let him buy a carton of milk from the corner shop (warn the shop keeper or make sure the shop is empty).
On the way home
* Count the buses.
* Post a letter
* How many animals can you see? Cats, dogs, squirrels, birds, bees, butterflies.
* Spell his name – look for the letters on road signs and cars.
Crossing the Road
Use the opportunity to learn a vital safety skill.
* Stop, look, listen, cross.
* Remember you set the example.
* Always use the crossings on major roads.
In the Park
* Discover colours *
Try to find flowers in all of the colours of the rainbow
* Under the bridge *
Shout under the bridge and listen for the echo. Even better with a tunnel.
Let him put his ear to the wall, and then whisper at the wall. Can he hear you?
Look for bird pooh. Is this where birds sleep at night?
* Make a bark rubbing *
Take some small pieces of paper and a crayon, put the paper against the bark of the tree and scotble over it with a crayon. You will get the pattern of the bark. This will not work with really rough bark.
* Make a bark impression *
Take some play dough or plastecine to make an impression of some bark
If you can’t name the tree, why not take a leaf home and look it up together in a nature book
You could create a nature shelf for him – store his different bark impressions and leaves here, to help him build up a collection.
When your child is still an infant, once he is able to hold his head up, he will love to enjoy a song with you on your lap.
Singing along with songs like this help develop him develop socially and emotionally as he’ll love the comfort of spending this time with you. He’ll also learn about the rhythm in language. Songs that have a jump or action at the end also help him to learn to expect – to know that something is going to happen.
When he is very young, sit him on your knee facing you and hold him around his waist. When he’s a little older you can hold him by the hands.
Jogging on the Knee
For these songs, jog and jiggle him on your knee as you repeat the words.
*Ride A Cock Horse*
Ride a cock horse to Bambury Cross
To see a fine lady get on a white horse
With rings on her fingers
And bells on her toes
She shall have music
Wherever she goes.
*To Market to Market*
To market to market to buy a fat pig
Home again home again jiggity jig
To market to market to buy a fat hog
Home again home again
Jiggity jog.
Rides with a Jog and Surprise!
These songs feature a surprise fall at the end to make him giggle.
*This is the way the ladies ride*
This is the way the ladies ride trip trot, trit trot trip trot
This is the way the gentlemen ride gallup gallup gallup
This is the way the old man rides. Hobble-dee hobble-dee
And down in a ditch
Trot on the knee at varying speeds- then open your knees to let her fall through a little.
*Father mother and uncle John*
Father, Mother and Uncle John
Road to the doctors one by one,
Father fell off Mother fell off
But Uncle John road on and on
Ride on the knee, hold him tightly and let him jog to one side and then the other.
Rides with an Up and a Down
*Leg over leg over*
Leg over leg over
The dog went to dover
When he came to a style
Up he went over
Cross your legs and sit him on the crook of your foot. Hold her hands and jog her up and down – but every time you say 'over' move your foot up and down. She’ll feel like she’s flying!
Sometimes the old ones are the best, a selection of traditional games.
Traditional games have been played and perfected by generations of children for hundreds of years. Some of them are very different from their original form, but many have remained almost the same throughout history. These traditional games help teach children vital skills – the reason they didn’t die out years ago!
*Traditional games help to develop many skills*:
* Social skills – learning to play with other people, taking turns, making friends and also putting yourself in someone else’s shoes.
* Predictive skills – what will he do next? Is he going to drop something?
* Physical skills – turning, dodging and getting lots of exercise * Letting off steam
* Learning ’I can do it’.
Traffic lights
One person says the word of their choice from the list, the others do the appropriate actions - the last one to do it is out (but you can leave this bit out of the game if you want to)
Red means stop
Green means go
Crash means lie flat
Bridge means make an arch on the ground.
Farmer Farmer may we cross?
Farmer farmer may we cross your golden river?
Yes if you are wearing red (or what every colour the farmer decides)
Those in red walk across the rest have to run and avoid the farmer catching them
Red lion
Red lion sits in his den, the rest of the players have a second den which they leave to taunt the lion
Red Lion red lion come out of your den
Whoever you catch can be one of your men
When the chant finishes the red lion chases everyone home, if he touches anyone they must go to his den. Next go they become lions too. The game ends when everyone is a lion.
The Farmers in his Den
One child stands in the middle of the ring while the others walk around singing
The farmers in his den
The farmers in his den E-I-N-G-O
The farmers in his den.
The farmer must then choose someone to join him as the children sing
The farmer wants a wife The farmer wants a wife
E-I-N-G-O
The farmers wants a wife.
Then other children join the central group as the circle sings
The wife wants a child, etc
The child wants a dog etc
The dog wants a bone. Etc
In the last verse everyone pats the bone
We all pat the bone We all pat the bone
E-I-N-G-O We all pat the bone.
Kick the can
This is one of the many variations of tag. The person who is ’it’ has a can or object which he must guard, but must also leave to catch other children. If anyone kicks the can he must return and put it back before he can chase again.
Hiding games
* Hide and seek “It” hides his face and counts to twenty while everyone else hides. Then after shouting “coming ready or not she goes in search of the other players. * Bug in a rug. In this game you race “It” for home if you get there first you are safe.
* Cuckoo – a reversal of normal hide and seek in which one player hides the others seek * Toad in the hole- if you are found, you join the seekers. The game ends when everyone is looking and there is no-one left to find.
Grandmother’s footsteps
This game is for a group of children. One of them is picked to be ’grandmother’. She stands with her back to the rest of the children who line up a few metres behind her.
The group must try to creep up behind grandmother without her seeing them. Every so often, grandmother turns around to look at the group and they must stand perfectly still. IF she sees them move, they must go back to the start.
The first person to touch grandmother’s back without being seen wins and becomes grandmother next time.
Oranges and Lemons
Oranges and lemons say the bells of St Clements
When will you pay me say the bells of Old Bailey When I grow rich Say the bells of Shoreditch
When will that be say the bells of Stepney
I’m sure I don’t know says the great bell of Bow.
Her comes a candle to light you to bed
Here comes a chopper to chop of your head.
Chip Chop chip chop.
Two people make an arch and the rest dance through it in turn singing the song. On the last “chop” the arch catches someone- by dropping there arms down to surround them. They then ask “Orange or Lemon”. Oranges go behind one of the arch makers, lemons go behind the other. When everyone has been caught they have a tug of war.
Like scientists small children investigate and experiment. Many of the activities children love - from rolling balls, scooting around on bikes or playing with bath toys - teach them basic scientific principles (about solids and liquids, forces and acceleration for example) although it will be quite a few years before they can put what they learn into words or understand scientific theories.
Growing
There are lots of things you can grow together from big things to small. Growing things helps him to work towards a goal, builds a sense of achievement and helps him develop his caring and nurturing side.
Cress cross
* Tear off about a dozen pieces of kitchen towel and put them on a plate. Soak the paper by pouring or spooning water onto it.
* Lay a pastry cutter on the paper. Sew the cress seed inside the cutter. Carefully spread the seed out with the back of a spoon making sure it goes right to the edge.
* Lift the cutters. Use a spoon to water the seeds each day.
* Watch the cress grow and when its ready – eat it!
* You can adapt this game to build in letter play – use letter cutters or a steady hand to sew seeds to spell out his name or initials.
Real instant garden
Help him to make his own instant mini garden.
* Take one large plant pot
* Fill with compost or earth
* Give him a selection of things (or help him to find his own) that can be used to construct an instant garden. Use moss for a lawn, mirror for a pond, mini plants that can look like trees and bushes.
Using the scraps
* When preparing vegetables, like carrots, parsnips or beetroot, save the tops.
* Put these in a plate and some water and leave on the windowsill
* Within a couple of days these tops should have shoots.
Big
Children love growing big plants. Especially if they have a measuring stick to see how they are growing. Plant sunflower seeds in pots. Water and care for them and when they are about 4 inches high plant them out into the garden. Measuer them each week. You can try the same with bamboo.
My herb garden
* Buy small herbs pots from the supermarket and grow these together. He can explore his senses with these. He can taste them and smell them.
Nature Play
There is lots to explore when you’re out and about in the countryside or garden. Looking out for tiny details really helps him to learn to pay attention and to look for the detail in things – an important pre-reading skill.
* Footprints. Can you tell which are birds and which are animals?
* Whose had lunch? Look for leaves that have been eaten by small creatures. Can you find the creature near by?
* Look who lives under small logs and stones.
* Look who lives under leaves.
* Look who visits flowers.
* Snail trails.
Help your child learn to anticipate and solve problems—before real problems come along! Make it fun for her to figure out solutions.
Materials:
•
Picture book with a good story
•
Cognitive/thinking skills
•
Creativity and imagination
•
Language and vocabulary development
•
Problem solving
•
Sequencing
What to do: 1.
Select a picture book in which events happen that your child can anticipate. 2.
Sit together in a comfortable chair and begin reading the story. 3.
As you proceed, ask your child what she thinks is going to happen next and let her guess before you turn the page. 4.
Turn the page, read the next part of the story, and see if she was right! 5.
Continue until you reach the end of the book.
Safety:
Be sure to select books that don't cause your child anxiety about what's going to happen such as a story about death.
Sand and water are two properties that offer your toddler a wide range of open-ended activities. All she needs are a box of sand and pail of water to pretend she's at the beach, as she pours, presses, molds, and sifts.
Materials:
•
Large wooden or cardboard box
•
Fine sand
•
Bucket of water
•
Sand toys, plastic animals and figures
•
Sifters, cups, scoops, spoons, and other kitchen items
•
Cause and effect
•
Fine motor development
•
Imagination and dramatic play
•
Sensory exploration
What to do: 1.
Set a large wooden or cardboard box in the yard and fill it at least one-foot deep with fine sand. 2.
Set out a bucket of water, sand toys, and kitchen items for discovery play. 3.
Let your toddler enjoy exploring the sand and using her imagination as she sifts, pours, buries, and plays.
Safety:
Watch your toddler around the sand, in case she gets it in her face.
Just when your toddler thinks she's got the world figured out, tell her a Silly Story and make her think again! This fun game requires the use of your toddler's favourite storybooks.
Materials:
•
Favourite picture book
•
Cognitive/thinking skills
•
Language and vocabulary development
•
Social interaction
What to do: 1.
Select one of your toddler's favourite picture books—one that you read to her frequently. 2.
Sit with your toddler on your lap in a comfortable place. 3.
Begin to read the book to your toddler, as you always have. 4.
After a few pages, instead of reading what is written, change the story into something silly. For example, if you're reading the "Three Little Pigs," instead of having a wolf come to the door, make it a gorilla! 5.
Pause for a mument after you say the silly part, to see your toddler's reaction. When she says, "No! That's not right!" read it correctly for a few more pages. 6.
Then surprise her again with another silly change. 7.
Continue making up silly parts for the rest of the story.
Safety:
If your toddler gets upset at the changes, play the game another time.
In this form of Hide-and-Go-Seek, your toddler searches for stickers instead of people. Use your imagination to hide the stickers in fun places!
Materials:
•
Variety of paper stickers
•
Playroom
•
Gross and fine motor development
•
Problem solving
•
Visual tracking and acuity
What to do: 1.
Buy some interesting, self-adhesive paper stickers. 2.
Place the stickers on various items in the playroom, such as furniture, lamps, toys, the floor or walls, shoes, even the dog! Keep all the stickers in plain view. 3.
Bring your toddler into the room and tell him to look for the stickers you have hidden. 4.
Give him hints if he needs help, using "hot" or "cold" as he gets closer or farther from an item. 5.
Have your child stick the stickers to his shirt as he finds them.
Safety:
Don't place stickers where your child will have to reach, push, pull, crawl, or make any other dangerous effort to reach them. Make sure all stickers are clearly visible, to minimize your toddler's frustration.
As your toddler begins to recognize the similarities and differences between the three-dimensional world and two-dimensional representations, such as pictures, play a game of Picture Pairs and see if he can match up 3-D and 2-D!
Materials:
•
Pictures from magazines that represent things found around the house, such as toothpaste, toddler food, hat, toy, shoes, watch, and so on.
•
Real items to match to pictures
•
Classification and matching
•
Real vs. representation
•
Visual discrimination
What to do: 1.
Find pictures that represent items found in your home, as suggested above. 2.
Collect real items to match the pictures. 3.
Set out the real items in a row on the floor or at the table. 4.
Seat your toddler next to you, facing the items. 5.
Hold up a picture of one of the items and ask your toddler to find the matching real item. 6.
Repeat until your toddler matches all the items.
Safety:
Be sure all items are safe for your toddler to handle, and give him lots of praise, encouragement, and help so he doesn’t become frustrated.
If you toddler has a favourite book, turn the make-believe story into a real-live play, with masks, props, and costumes. Watch your toddler’s delight as familiar characters leap from the page and onto the stage!
Materials:
•
Blanket
•
Favourite storybook
•
Costume props for whatever characters you choose
•
Creativity and imagination
•
Dramatic play
•
Language and vocabulary development
What to do: 1.
Spread out a blanket in the middle of a room to make a stage. 2.
Choose one of your toddler’s favourite storybooks, such as Winnie-the-Pooh or Curious George. 3.
Create costume props for the book’s characters. 4.
Read the story to your toddler. 5.
Then get out the costume props and dress yourself and your toddler as the characters. 6.
Act out the story together, using the blanket stage.
Safety:
If your toddler gets scared during the dramatic play, remind her it’s just make believe. To make the play more fun for her, have her choose the character she wants to act.
Your toddler is a great imitator—which is one of the ways he learns. Turn the tables on him and play a game of Copycat, where you do the imitating!
Materials:
•
Your bodies
•
Cause and effect
•
Gross and fine motor development
•
Social interaction
What to do: 1.
Bring your toddler into the playroom and set him on the floor. 2.
Sit down next to him, imitating his exact body position. 3.
Every time your toddler moves or does something, do exactly what he does. 4.
See if you can tell when he catches on to what you’re doing!
Safety:
Stop the game if your toddler gets into anything dangerous and deal with the problem before you continue. Don’t tease your toddler or upset him with your imitating.
Your toddler loves to listen—to music, to voices, to animals. Enhance his listening skills with a variety of familiar sounds he can guess. All you need is a portable cassette recorder.
Materials:
•
Portable cassette recorder and tape
•
Interesting sounds
•
Cause and effect
•
Classification skills
•
Listening skills
What to do: 1.
Use a tape recorder to record a variety of interesting sounds, such as a dog barking, a familiar children's song, musical toy, Daddy’s voice, telephone ringing, keys jangling, and so on. Allow some time between each noise. 2.
Play the tape for your toddler and see if he can guess each sound. If you have not left enough time between noises, stop the tape after each noise and allow your child to guess. 3.
Play the tape again; this time, demonstrate the source of each noise as it plays.
Safety:
Be sure the noises are loud enough to be heard, but soft enough to avoid startling your toddler.
As your toddler pieces his world together, play games that enhance his ability to sequence—a skill that must be mastered before he can attempt to learn to read.
Materials:
•
Series of photos, such as holiday, birthday party, holiday event, first day at preschool, and so on
•
Large sheet of white construction paper
•
Felt-tip pen
•
Table
•
Cause and effect
•
Cognitive/thinking skills
•
Sequencing and prereading skills
•
Visual discrimination
What to do: 1.
Search the family photo album for a series of four pictures that focus on a particular event, as mentioned above. Select pictures that have a beginning, middle, and end. For example: Welcoming party guests. Opening gifts. Eating the cake. Saying good-bye. 2.
On a large sheet of construction paper, draw a row of four squares, a little larger than the size of the photographs. 3.
Label the first square #1, then #2, #3, and #4. 4.
Seat your toddler at the table with the construction paper in front of him. 5.
Spread out the four photographs for your toddler to see. 6.
Remind him of the event, then ask, “What happened first?” See if he can pick out the photograph that represents the beginning of the event. If he needs help, give him clues. 7.
Have your toddler set the beginning picture on square #1. 8.
Search for picture #2, and continue until all pictures have been placed in order.
Safety:
If your toddler gets frustrated, use only three pictures, and help him with lots of clues.
Can you fool your toddler? When he was younger you could, but now that he’s growing up, it won’t be so easy. Still, don’t let him bet his future college fund on this Shell Game!
Materials:
•
Table
•
3 small bowls in different colours
•
Bite-sized soft candies, cookies, or crackers
•
Eye/hand coordination
•
Problem solving
•
Visual acuity and tracking
What to do: 1.
Seat your toddler at the table. 2.
Place three coloured bowls on the table, facedown. 3.
Set a bite-sized candy, cookie, or cracker in front of one of the bowls. 4.
Cover the treat with a bowl. 5.
Move the bowls around, keeping your toddler’s attention on the hidden treat. 6.
Ask you toddler, “Where’s the treat?” 7.
Let your toddler pick up the bowl to check for the treat. 8.
If he guesses correctly, let him eat the treat. 9.
Play again!
Safety:
Move the bowls slowly, so your toddler can track the treat. The idea here is to make him successful, not to frustrate him. Be sure to use treats your child won't choke on.
Your toddler walks easily at this age, but you can challenge him with a game of Tightrope Walk. You try it, too! The game won’t be easy, but it will be fun!
Materials:
•
Floor space
•
Masking tape
•
Balance and coordination
•
Eye/foot coordination
•
Gross motor development
What to do: 1.
Clear the room so you have lots of floor space. 2.
Make a line along the floor with masking tape—start with a straight line, then make it twist and bend, and end it with a spiral. 3.
Challenge your toddler to a Tightrope Walk. You try it first, by walking on the tape. Try not to step off the tape! 4.
Then let your toddler have a turn, and see if he can stay on the tape better than you can.
Safety:
Don’t lead your toddler into any dangerous areas using the tape. If he has trouble with balance and gets frustrated, line the tape parallel to the wall, so he can use the wall for balance.
*
Play & Learn activities reprinted from "Preschooler Play & Learn" with permission of its author, Penny Warner, and its publisher, Meadowbrook Press (2000.)
