Creative Fun for Little Ones
Quiet Time
Shared Dreams
Embrace the gentle magic of slow mornings, afternoons or evenings through quiet focus activities (and maybe a fuzzy blanket). Cherish these peaceful moments of connection.
Family Photos & videos
It is fun for kids to look at family photos & videos and name everyone. It also helps children remember friends and relatives they don't get to see often. My grandson loves this so much that I actually made him his own book of family members' pictures. When he gets a little older, I'll print out some pictures and we can create a book together as an activity.
Sorting & Counting
When you child just needs a little focus time, sorting activities fit the bill. It is something they can (mostly) do on their own and it is just challenging enough to keep them occupied and not frustrated. Most anything can be sorted by color or size - think blocks, socks, cars, etc. Give them boxes or containers with separators (even a cupcake tin) and add in some tools like scoops or tongs if they like to be 'hands on". One of Mamaw's favorite sorting toys is Counting Bears because it is SO versatile. Younger kids learn colors (bears & matching cups come in 10 different colors), and as they get older you can add counting challenges, motor skill challenges (it comes with tongs) and measurement/weighing activities using a balance scale. Example - how many bears does this car weigh?
Story Time with a Twist
Reading is crucial for language development, but adding a twist can make story time even more engaging.
Creative Story Time Ideas:
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Act It Out: Encourage your toddler to act out parts of the story.
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Use Props: Incorporate toys, stuffed animals or puppets related to the story.
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Pair a book with an activity. For instance, read "The Mitten" book together, then do the matching mitten activities on this free printable.
Fun With Stickers
All kids love stickers and they are great for concentration and working small motor skills. Just grab some cheap ones from the Dollar store, add some paper and your little one will quietly go to work. Dot stickers are especially versatile, and they can be great for learning colors & patterns. They can also help out with letter and number recognition if you combine them with these free printables:
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Beginner Printables
This is a collection of fun printables for beginners that are perfect for your on-the-go bag. Some have holiday themes, so they would be great to have ready for the wiggly people at your dinner table. It is suggested that you laminate them and give your child dry erase markers so mistakes are easy to correct. Work those problem-solving and fine motor skills!
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Quiet Time
Letter & Number Matching
Kiddos love to 'match' things and combining written letters & numbers with physical ones is a great way to improve letter and number recognition. This is a simple activity, but it take concentration, so it is best done in a quiet environment. Get some tangible letters & numbers, like these magnetic or plastic sets. Then give your child one of the free printables below and explain they should match the physical letters/numbers to the written ones. For the younger kids, don't mix letters & numbers, or introduce lower case letters quite yet or they will be overwhelmed, but as your child starts to master things, throw them all in a bag and challenge them to match away!
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Flashlight Reading Time
Snuggle up on a sofa or bed, or even a tent filled with pillows. Then add a few favorite books and a flashlight and you have the coziest story time! Kiddos love to hold the flashlight to follow along with the story.