The end of school, son #1's musical rehearsals (he got cast in a local theater production of "Suessical"--yay!), and son #2's T-ball activities have me on the run, so I have a great guest today...my friend Brenda Nixon. Read on for a couple of great tips, just in time for summer!
Double Duty Kid Activities
by Brenda Nixon
Enjoy special times with your tot by doing projects together. Kids love spending uninterrupted time with Mom or Dad and your activity can serve a duel purpose – supporting growth and development. When learning is like play, kids don’t even realize you’re making the activity “educational.“
Try these fun, easy, and memory-making activities to “teach” your child:
***Countdown Combo Mix***
Why not reinforce numbers and counting while you keep little hands busy, minds active, and mouths watering with this tasty, healthy individual snack?
Help your child count out:
10 small round pretzels
9 raisins
8 Cheese-It crackers
7 pumpkin seeds
6 chocolate chips
5 Rice Chex
4 peanuts
3 miniature marshmallows
2 cashews
1 M&M
Then, place all items in a snack size baggie, close, shake to mix, and enjoy.
***Hand-sized Squeeze Balls***
Balls are a sure play-promoter for preschoolers. But they also strengthen small muscles in the hand and serve as sensory calming. Stretch a balloon by blowing it up a few times and letting it deflate. Then assist your child with packing it with a cup of sand, rice, flour, sugar, or salt. You may want to use a funnel. Place the one filled balloon inside a second stretched balloon as this makes your squeeze ball more durable. Tie off both balloons and you’re ready to play. Toss squeeze ball in the air, play catch, aim for a bucket, or just squeeze as hard as you can. Your child will think you’re great for showing her how to make a small, personal ball but, you can feel smug knowing she’s learning during the fun.
Bringing up kids is a complex task. But your rewards come when you have fun together and, at the same time, feel competent as their most important teacher. Free parenting articles and discipline tips are available at http://www.BrendaNixon.com. You can follow Brenda’s life & work in 140 characters or less on twitter, http://twitter.com/BrendaNixon.
