ACTIVITIES

Teaching tips:

To help a child learn how to put on boots, let him practice with a pair that is one or or two sizes too big.
Tape the corners of paper for drawing or painting to the table.  No slippage.
Allow your child to practice buttoning and unbuttoning on one of your sweater, kid buttons are often frustrating.
Teach shapes by making batches of sugar cookies that you cut into triangles, circles, etc.  Ask you child what shape you will have for dessert and so on.

Bag of tricks:

Mix dry lemon and cherry gelatin together in a bowl--discuss the colors.  Add water. Presto!
Set a clear glass bowl, filled with water in a shaft of sunlight.  Place a small mirror into the water, leaning against the side of the bowl.  Look for the rainbow.
Split a fresh stalk of celery up the middle, almost to the leaves.  Separate the lower halves and insert into two glasses set side by side.  Add red food coloring to one glass; blue to the other.  Give the water / coloring solution a bit of a stir.  Within hours, the leaves will begin to turn colors.

Crafty witch:

Stuff a paper or plastic grocery bag with crumpled newspaper, tie or tape securely shut.  Viola, an indoor kick bag.
Help you child string round oat cereal onto a length of yarn.  (A plastic yarn needle helps with this and other stringing projects.)  Hand the garland outside where the birds will find it and the child can observe.
OUTDOORS  fill a bucket with water.  Practice tossing balls (tennis balls are good but hard plastic of the same size would be better,) into the bucket.  The splash rewards accurate throws.
OUTDOORS play catch with soaking wet sponges.

Practical Pointers:

When traveling (even to the park) dampen a clean washcloth and enclose in a plastic zip bag.  This is softer than most diaper wipes and can be used as a clean-up assistant or a compress if you have access to hot and cold water.

E-Mail Liz Crowe with any suggestions  that you would like to see inclued on this page.

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