A little while ago I posted on my routine and also the routine I have for the girls. I received quite a few emails asking for more information, specifically, “What kinds of things do you do with the kids?“ So, I’d like to share a few of my ideas with you. For my new readers: I should tell you that I have one daughter, Chloe, age 2-1/2, but I also care for my two nieces full-time, ages 3-1/2 and 2. So keep these ages in mind as you read along.
The first thing you need to know before reading any of this is that I don’t mess with nap time. They lay down the same time every day, in the same spot, with the same blankets … every day. I also don’t mess with snacks and lunch. Keeping in the routine with these things ensures that kids won’t be cranky for reasons I can help. If their bellies are full and they are well-rested it yields much better behavior. With that in mind, here are some activities that I enjoy doing with them.
Art Projects. This improves their hand-eye coordination and their fine motor skills. The two older ones are already holding their pencils and crayons the right way, which is great. I keep it simple with ideas like:
• Lunch bag puppets • Season-themed coloring pages. Start these as young as 1 year old, even if they only make a stray mark, they’ll be getting used to it. • Grass skirts made from fringed construction paper • Special cards for people • Water color painting • Cutting paper with scissors, yup, just plain cutting. • Hand tracing • Play dough sculpting • I let them use pens and pencils with supervision and they feel very grown up • Stickers • Gluing • I’m thinking of making some pipe-cleaner friends soon … I’ll let you know if it goes well.
Imagination Sparkers. I really like to get the girls thinking creatively and coming up with their own ideas. They are always excited for a new-looking thing to play with or an exciting idea to launch them into imaginary world.
• Forts/tents made from blankets, sheets, whatever I have (flashlights a must) • Barbie/doll houses made from the coffee table and other non-toy items • Car ramps made from any flat, long surface at a slant • Dress-up clothes, they love my old purses and scarves • Everyone pretend you’re a _______ • Empty (safe) recyclable containers, such as empty oatmeal canisters, are theirs for a couple days before they head to the bins
Make ‘em Move. We live where it’s cold, really cold, in the winter so going outside isn’t always an option for us. My house is small though so getting the wigglies out can be tough sometimes. Here are some things I do:
• Turn on music to dance • Clear everything out of the way and let them run straight through three rooms – back and forth, over and over • Do exercises: Everyone jump, everyone make your arms go in circles, everyone run in place, etc.
Learning. This is pretty important to me. I haven’t decided whether I’m sending my daughter to preschool yet and my nieces don’t go either so I take the teaching responsibility pretty seriously. However, they have no idea they are learning because I try to make it really fun for them. Here are some elements of our learning time:
• Shape and color recognition • Counting, aloud and specific objects, to 20 so far • Alphabet and letter-sound associations (C is for Chloe) • Name spelling, just verbally so far, Chloe can say the spelling of her name and also identify the letters as I write it • Singing – teaches rhythm and timing and manipulating voices (think whispering) • I read to them • They have quiet reading to themselves (no they don’t actually read, yet) • Days of week • A little Spanish (only what I gleaned from my Costa Rican friend, thanks Zeanny!) • Following instructions, for example: Everyone touch your nose, everyone stand • Puzzles
Free Play. At this point you might be inclined to think I plan and schedule their entire day. You’d be way off in assuming that. While I incorporate a lot of these elements into our routine, most of their play time is still free play – doing whatever they want. Here are the things they love right now:
• Legos • Cars • Small, plastic farm animals • Dress-up, especially princess items • Play kitchen with food • Baby dolls with stroller/cart/car seat • Stuffed animals (they still LOVE them) • Books • Little electronic piano • Barbies • My coasters, they’re always snatching them off my coffee table
I truly enjoy caring for and teaching my daughter and nieces. Listed above are some things that work for us. What about you? Do you have toddler-preschool age kids? What activities fill your schedule? Please share, I’d love to have more ideas.
Why I do what I do ~ Chloe and I were looking through a book with pictures of all the Disney princesses, many of the pictures showed a prince with the princess. I asked my daughter the name of each princess and prince and every time she would tell me the princess’s name and that she was with her daddy. Can I please just freeze her at this age??????
photo credit: Pink Sherbet Photography
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{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
I don’t have kids of my own but i do babysit and play with your daughter and other little kids. And i love to do Arts and crafts. with the little girls, like Sunday we made princess crowns. all it took was some construction paper, markers, and some tape/stapler! it was so quick and easy and the girls love them.
Livie’s last blog post..When Life gives you Lemons…… haha
These are such GREAT ideas!! Thank you so, so much for sharing them with us! I am going to get Nate some crayons now so that he can start getting the idea of it.
(And the site is looking really great!)
Courtney’s last blog post..Going to the restroom is now a two-man job
My girls do a LOT of independent play. Well, not completely independent, they play with each other. I usually just hang out and become a prop when they need me. It always amazes me the things they come up with and I’d hate to get in that way by having planned crafts or something. We usually do open ended activities and art. We never do crafts that have a desired outcome (unless it is a gift). We also do a lot of singing and dancing and being silly. We turn everything into a song.
We also like to rhyme everything and spell everything. When it comes to counting we count to 110. We do it several times a day. Even my 2 year old can nearly do it now since we do it so often. We also write the numbers and letters so they can recognize them. We read a lot and as far as education goes, I started teaching my oldest to read when she turned 3 and at 3.5 we started a kindergarten curriculum.
We clean, fold clothes, do dishes, make beds… I’m sure there are a million other things.
Andrea’s last blog post..So cute but useless…
Wow Andrea … that’s awesome. Thanks for sharing!