Fine Motor Activity: Bug Rescue
Supplies: White Yarn, Spider Rings, Plastic Basket With Holes on the Sides and Clothespins or Kid Friendly Fine Motor Tweezers
Directions: String the yarn back and forth through the holes on the basket. Going in different directions to make it look like a spider web has formed. Add the spider rings into the bottom of the basket. Have your child use the tweezers or clothespins to grab the spiders and carefully remove them from the “web.” If the tweezers or clothespins are too difficult, have your child use their hands! Take it one step further by having your child count the spiders as they remove them from the basket.
Skills Learned: Develops fine motor skills by using movement and concentration. Hand-eye coordination and control. Special reasoning and decision making. Math and quantity recognition.
Math & Manipulative Activity: Train Sorting
Supplies: Construction Paper In Various Colors (Save Black for Front and Wheels of the Train), Scissors, Tape, Glue Stick, Printed Picture of a Train Engine and Manipulative Items in Colors That Match the Paper
Directions: Tape sheets of construction paper to the table or floor horizontally to form a train of paper sheets. For train wheels, cut two circles for each train car from the black construction paper. With the printout image of the train engine, trace it onto a sheet of black construction paper then cut it out. Tape the engine to the front of the construction paper train and tape two black wheels to the bottom of each train car. Collect small manipulative items and toys in the same colors as the construction paper used as the train cars. Place the small pile of manipulative items on the table or floor next to your child. Encourage your child to find a certain colored object in their pile. See if they can find the matching train car it belongs in. Ask your child to place the item on the matching color.
Skills Learned: Hand-eye coordination. Decision making ability. Math and quantity recognition. This also builds on their ability to follow one-three step instruction. Develops color recognition skills.
Gross Motor Activity: Walk The Line
Supplies: Painters Tape and A Large Open Space With Hard Floors (Sidewalk or Driveway Are Also Options)
Directions: Place the tape on the floor making simple and fun patterns. The pattern could be as simple as a straight line for younger children and more challenging patterns such as a zigzag or circle for older children. Have your child stand at one end of the line to start. Encourage your child to “walk the line”, balancing as they use their feet to follow the pattern. At first, your child will likely keep one foot on the line while the other one “scoots” besides it. You can encourage your child to try putting one foot in front of the other, like on a balance beam and see if they can walk the line.
Skills Learned: Develops gross motor skills by using coordination and balance.
Creative Expression Activity: Painting With Vegetables
Supplies: A Variety of Vegetables, Different Colors of Paint, Piece of Paper and Paper Plates
Directions: Place each washed vegetable on a separate plate. Discuss the name of the veggie and let them touch and smell each one. Add a small portion of paint on each plate, using a different color on each plate. You can color coordinate your paint color to the color of the vegetable if you would like. Place the piece of paper in front of your child and create! Encourage your child to feely create their own masterpiece by using the vegetables as paintbrushes to paint or stampers to print!
Skills Learned: Builds their creativity and confidence through decision making and sensory exploration. Language development using descriptive words by describing the color, shape, and size of the vegetables. Develops color recognition skills. Language development using descriptive words.
Science & Sensory Activity: Fizzy Rainbow Colors
Supplies: Baking Soda, White Vinegar, Dish Soap, Food Coloring, 3-5 Cups and Measuring Spoons
Directions: Set up 3 cups in a row. Add 3 tablespoons of baking soda to each cup. Add 1 teaspoon of dish soap to each cup. Add 5 drops of food coloring into each cup, one color per cup. Pour vinegar into each cup. Watch your little ones face light up as the colors bubble and fizz up!
Skills Learned: Language development using descriptive words by describing the colors and movement of the bubbles and fizz. Develops color recognition skills. Hand-eye coordination and control. Promotes scientific thinking including predictions, observation, comparison and reasoning.
Note: Parents will need to set up the activity.
Language Learning Activity: Body Parts – The Face
Supplies: Computer Printout of Basic Body Parts You Find on the Face (Eyes, Nose, Mouth, Etc.), A Printout of a Blank Head, Scissors, Glue Stick and Tape
Directions: Print the images of the basic body parts you would find on the face and print the blank head shape. Cut out the body parts. Tape a sheet of paper with the blank head shape on the table. Arrange the body part clippings in a random pile next to the sheet of paper with the blank head. Give your child the glue stick and have them add glue all over the head image. Encourage your child to pick a body part from the pile. See if they can tell you what body part it is. Encourage them to say the word and see if they can find it on their own head/face. Let your child create their own face by placing their body part clippings on the sheet of paper.
Skills Learned: Word development. Identifying body parts and where they are found. Self-expression and confidence. Hand-eye coordination. Small motor control.