Tuesday, December 27, 2011

Activities to do for your toddler and your Preschooler

If you are a parent of two, three or even 10 children (bless you); we know it can be difficult to find at home activities that are enriching for ALL of your children.  For instance, you may find yourself wondering what in the world can I do with both my 1 year old and four year old today that will provide them each with great learning experiences. 
You may be worn out from the all the holiday hustle and bustle, the local indoor play areas, and then there is only so much Disney channel you can take. So what do you do? Especially, during such a long holiday break.
Well, we have some ideas and hope this will help you beat the boredom blues. Scavenger hunts are a fav at our house. You can hide objects around the house, leave clues everywhere and see if they can find the secret treasure together. You can make it as easy or as difficult you want, depending on your children’s age. This activity is a great bonding time for your children and it also develops critical thinking skills.  
Other activities:
·      Tea parties. Have your kids invite all their stuffed animal friends and babies and put a blanket on the floor as it is easy for your littlest one to interact there. With this activity, you are using your imagination, all the while developing social and language skills.
·      Building with blocks. Use all those boxes from Christmas or old shoes boxes if you don't have Legos or buiding blocks. This is a great way to develop fine motor skills, while encouraging your toddler to stack blocks. It is also an opportunity to help your children learn how to take turns. A hard lesson to learn we know!
·      Reading. Have your oldest read your youngest a short picture book while you are preparing dinner or right before nap time. It is a wonderful way to help your oldest with their reading skills and another opportunity to expose your youngest to books, while helping build their vocabulary.   
·      Outdoor fun in your own backyard! Blowing bubbles, sidewalk chalk, rolling the ball back and forth between child to child, chasing each other or pushing each other in the swing. Get out and enjoy the fresh air!
We know that it can be difficult for your kids to find that common bond or want to share with their little brother, sister, cousin or friend, so we hope that these activities can encourage you to try something new with ALL your children.

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