Easy Truck Play

Anything that has to do with trucks will occupy Big C for hours. In the morning, it is so easy to just turn on the TV to keep the kids "busy." By giving Big C a kitchen container, pasta/rice/beans and a dump truck we now have a simple, easy to clean indoor construction site. Best of all it's morning fun while mommy can enjoy her cup of coffee:)

Literacy and Math with Peter Rabbit

There is a book titled, "Peter Rabbit: Rainbow, Shapes and Colours" by Frederick Warne that is great for teaching literacy and math.

I read this book to my nine month old and three year old who both love the colours, shapes and simple words.

I created a simple puzzle by cutting out the shapes with corresponding colours to match the book's pages using felt. You can use whatever you have at home: construction paper, foam etc.

Big C loved turning the pages and finding the matching shape for each colour.

Math: Worm Counting

With fall quickly approaching the apple theme is ever popular with toddlers and young students. I traced five apples out of bristol board and wrote numbers one through five on each apple with a black marker. Next, I cut out the number of circles correspoonding to the number written on the apple.

The concept of this game is to practice counting by having your child place their fingers into the holes of the apples pretending to be worms. Big C loved this game and was counting with this own fingers not even realizing it!

Reading: Five Little Monkeys

I don't know what exactly it is about, "The Five Little Monkeys" story but every child loves it. Reading stories before bedtime is one of my favourite activities to do with my kids and the teacher in me always tries to make the story more memorable. I sewed together these six felt finger puppets to go along with the story and Big C cannot get enough of them, especially when the crocodile goes "snap." He is all giggles and smiles:) Reading to toddlers should be an enjoyable experience for both parent and tot, so whatever you can do to encourage connections and fun in literature make sure to include it.

 

Math: Fruit Loops Counting

Today I decided to focus on counting with Big C. I needed counters so where else do most mommies look, the pantry of course! I decided to switch up the usual cherrios counters and use fruit loops instead.  With snack and learning time combined, we accomplished two things before we headed out to the park:)

Materials:
Markers corresponding with fruit loop colours
Fruit Loops
Glue
Paper

Have your child glue the corresponding colour of fruit loops to the circles you had drawn in the same colour. Focus on having your child use their finger to touch each glued on fruit loop and then point to the corresponding number so they are focused in making the connection. A simple craft and counting activity that kept him busy for 15 min, while I tended to his younger brother Little G:)

Easter Egg Colour Sort

I have seen this Easter Egg Colour Sort all over the internet. It is a very simple concept and makes a great puzzle and learning tool for young children teaching them: colours, sorting and working on those fine motor skills.

Materials:
12 Plastic Eggs
Coordinating Paint Colours
Paint Brush
Egg Carton

Simply paint the spaces in the egg carton to match the colour of the eggs and let the kids play:) My son and I have been working on matching colours, its a great game to start the mornings off leading up to Easter:)

Easter Puppets

With only a week until Easter I have decided to spend my time developing Easter related learning materials. Today I started with Easter Puppets. My husband was at the hardware store today and so I asked him to pick up a few paint swatches in Easter colours.

Materials:
Bunny Template
Paint swatches with three colours per sheet
Googly Eyes
Black Marker
Glue Stick or Glue Gun
Scissors
6 Popsicle Sticks

Using a simple rabbit template, I traced and cut out different coloured bunnies from the multi-colour swatches. I glued on some eyes and a popsicle stick on the back. I also used a black marker to draw a nose and mouth. My little C now has great Easter puppets to play with throughout the week and use to practice learning his colours.

I had a few swatches with six colours each instead of the larger three, so I decided to make mini versions of the larger rabbit to use for a simple colour sorting activity and to use when little C makes Easter cards for our family members. Easter fun has begun:)