Use these activities to learn with your child every day!
15m
Language & Literacy
Our Family Names
Ask your child to choose types of drawing and coloring materials for this activity; some examples include crayons, markers, color pencils, or paint.
Ask your child to create a portrait of each person in your immediate family; depending on family size, this part of the activity can be completed in stages.
Under each family member’s portrait, use a pencil to write the family member’s name in uppercase letters. Say the names and sounds of each letter together.
Have your child practice writing each family member’s name.
10m
Math
Toy Patterns
With your child, gather two different types of small toys (like blocks and toy cars, or balls and stuffed animals). Sort them into 2 piles based on their types.
Place them in an alternating pattern, repeating three times if possible (example: block, car / block, car / block, car)
Say the pattern out loud, pointing to each object as you say it. Ask your child: "What comes next?" Add that object to the pattern, and check your child's answer.
Repeat with different objects.
10m
Math
Clean Up Countdown
Pick something in your house that needs to be put away (like clothes into a drawer, crayons into a box, dishes into the dishwasher). Try to choose something with 10 objects or fewer.
Ask your child to count how many things you're starting with (5 plates, 10 socks, 8 crayons, etc.).
Put the items away one by one. Count backwards along with your child as you put each item away.
When the last item has been put away, say "Zero! There's nothing left to put away."
Use these activities to learn with your child every day!
30m
Language & Literacy
Main Character Journal
Staple a few sheets of paper together to create a journal about book characters.
Read a book that your child is familiar with. Explain what a main character is, and ask your child to identify the main character in this book. As you read, point out the important actions of the main character.
When you finish reading, ask your child to make a drawing of the main character in the journal. Ask them to tell you a few words that describe the character, and write them down on the drawing (or, invite your child to write the words if they'd like).
Keep the journal near your reading space. Add to the journal over time.
15m
Math
Snack Subtraction
Put 5 small pieces of food (like cereal) on a plate and count them for your child (point as you count).
Ask your child to remove 1 piece. Count how many are left on the plate now. (optional: they can eat the snacks they take away!)
Repeat, until you have 0 snacks.
15m
Science
Let’s Make Popsicles!
With your child's help, pour juice or milk into small paper or plastic cups. Ask your child to observe the juice/milk. Is it liquid? Solid? In between?
Cover the top of each cup with aluminum foil, then poke a popsicle stick or spoon through the foil (you might need to cut a hole with scissors first). Put the popsicles in the freezer, maybe putting on a plate or tray first to keep them from tipping.
Set a timer for one hour. At the end of an hour, take them out and observe one with your child. Is it liquid? Solid? Something in between?
Repeat once an hour, and ask your child to observe how the liquid changes over time (it should take about 4 hours for a 3 ounce cup to freeze. When fully frozen, remove the popsicle from the cup and eat!
Use these activities to learn with your child every day!
20m
Language & Literacy
My Voice Playlist
Ask your child to think of a song, nursery rhyme, or story they know really well. Tell them you're going to record their voice with your phone as they try telling it in different ways.
Think of two very different contexts and encourage your child to tell the same story or sing the same song two different ways. (For example, ask them to tell the story first to a baby who is about to fall asleep, and then to retell the same story as if they're yelling out a window to someone down on the street.) Record both versions of the story on your phone.
Play the recordings back for your child. Ask them how they used their voice differently in both of the versions.
(Optional) If they're having fun with it, see if there are other silly ways they could try telling the same story! (Examples: as if they're really sad, if they're whispering into someone's ear, as if they're telling it in front of their class at school, with a grown-up voice, etc.)
15m
Math
Subtracting Snacks
Put 10 small pieces of food (like cereal) on a plate and ask your child to count them.
Ask: "If we take away 3 pieces, how many will be left?" After your child answers, ask them to take away 3 snacks (optional: they can eat the snacks they take away!)
Ask your child to check their answer by counting the snacks left on the plate.
Repeat (start with an amount 1-10 and taking away different amounts).
10m
Language & Literacy
Clue Hunt
Have your child call out a word that describes objects around you e.g. color, size, or shape.
Then, go on a hunt together to find all the objects that fit that description!
For example, if your child says to look for “big” things, look around for big objects like the table or couch.
Use these activities to learn with your child every day!
30m
Language & Literacy
Draw a Story
BRING BACK
Read a picture book that your child is very familiar with. As you read, point out story elements likecharacters, settings, beginning, middle, and ending.
When you're done, ask your child to remember the characters and settings. Ask them what the beginning, middle, and end of the story was.
Fold two pieces of blank paper to make a book; staple the pages along the side or in the corner. Have your child re-create a simple version of the book by drawing one picture for the beginning, one (or more) for the middle, and one for the end. Encourage them to add details about the character and the setting.
'Read' your child's version of the book, and write down the words your child uses to explain each picture.
10m
Math
Kitchen Patterns
Gather a bunch of kitchen utensils (fork, spoon, butter knife). Ask your child to sort them.
Place them in a simple pattern of 3 objects, repeating the pattern twice (fork, spoon, knife / fork, spoon, knife)
Say the pattern out loud, pointing to each object as you go. Ask your child "What comes next?" and have them add the object to the pattern.
Ask your child to keep making the pattern longer. (Optional) Repeat with a different order of utensils, or different objects.
10m
Language & Literacy
Funny Family Stories
This is an activity for the whole family to join in! Tell your children and family members to gather around in a circle for a funny family story!
Begin the story by saying a funny sentence that is real or imagined, like “Today I ate an apple and made friends with the worm living inside!”
Ask the next person in the circle to tell the next part of the story. Each person keeps adding to the story until the story is complete.
(Optional). Ask someone in the group to write down everyone’s sentences and read the whole story at the end.
