Use these activities to learn with your child every day!
10m
Language & Literacy
I Know That Story
Choose one of your child's favorite books, ideally one with repeating phrases.
Prompt your child to join you when you read the repetitive phrases on each page.
Leave words out of the sentences as you read, and invite your child to fill in the missing words.
Continue reading the same book every night this week. As they become more familiar, let them "read" more of the words themselves.
5m
Physical
How Do We Move When We ___?
Tell your child that you will play a game where you will pretend to move like you are doing different actions.
“We’ll move our bodies and act it out to show what we would look like.”
Suggest different scenarios (including funny ones) such as riding a dinosaur, flying in a helicopter, floating in space and walking on hot sand.
Take turns with your child to lead the game by demonstrating while suggesting different scenarios.
15m
Health & Wellness
Move Like an Animal
Gather everyone in the family who wants to play. Ask a child to choose an animal whose movement you could copy. Everyone has to move a certain distance (down a hallway, a lap around the swingset, etc.) doing that animal's move. Examples:
Slow sloth moving
Swing your elephant trunk
Demonstrate how to move like that animal, and see if your child can copy you (or let an older child be the demonstrator!).
Let someone else in the family choose the next animal for everyone to copy.
Keep going until you're tired! Have fun, and don't forget to make silly animal noises too.
Use these activities to learn with your child every day!
30m
Creativity
Dramatic Play
Invite your child(ren) to play pretend with you. Decide what you'd like to play together. Some ideas:
Use your kitchen table to play "restaurant." Have someone be the customer and someone be the server.
Play "house" with baby dolls.
Use household items to play pretend. If you'd like, you can make a "pretend box" and fill it with old clothes, shoes, and kitchen objects to use in play.
Encourage your child to take the lead in the dramatic play.
5m
Physical
Walk the Tightrope
Place a thick, long line of tape on the ground for your child to walk on.
Tell your child that you are going to practice walking carefully on the tightrope or balance beam, just like an acrobat or gymnast might.
Demonstrate how to walk on the tightrope line.
As your child gains more confidence, they can try moving in more challenging ways. For example, they can hop on one foot along the line or walk backwards.
15m
Creativity
Caring for My Make Believe Pet
Ask your child to pick an animal they'd like to pretend to be. They'll pretend to be the pet and you'll be the owner.
Ask your child what kinds of things they think their animal needs to stay happy and healthy.
Play "pets." Model taking care of your new "pet." Switch roles, so you can be the animal and they can help take care of you.
Tell your child what a great job they did taking care of their "pet."
Use these activities to learn with your child every day!
30m
Social Studies
Caring For My Family's Pet
Ask your child what kinds of things your pet needs to stay happy and healthy.
With your child, brainstorm a list of ways they could help care for your pet. Some ideas (you know your child and pet best, but here are some tasks to consider):
Learn how to pet your animal safely
Help shop for pet food
The next time you engage in pet care, invite your child to join you.
Thank your child for being such a big help for your family!
10m
Math
Reaching High and Low to 20
Invite your child to reach high and low while counting to 20.
Show your child how to reach high and low, first put both arms straight up in the air and reach up high and then bend down and reach for the floor, repeat that movement a few times.
Start with your arms at your side, count when your arms are up high and count when your arms are down low.
Example, arms up “one,” arms reaching to the floor “two,” arms up high “three,” arms reaching to the floor “four,” and repeat the movement again until you reach the number twenty.
Invite your child to lead the counting and have them count faster, slower or with a different voice.
30m
Creativity
Sock Puppet Play
Give your child an old sock and color markers to create a sock puppet.
Show your child how the sock will turn into a puppet. Show them where the eyes should go, and where the mouth is (the part of the sock that touches their palm is the inside of the mouth). (Optional: you can glue yarn or ribbons for hair, buttons or pom poms for eyes, etc.).
While your child is working, create your own sock puppet alongside them.
Put the sock puppets on your hands and perform a funny play together.
Use these activities to learn with your child every day!
15m
Science
3Rs (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle)
Explain that the "3Rs" are "reduce, reuse, and recycle," and explain what those words mean.
Together with your child, brainstorm items in the home that can be reduced, reused, and recycled.
Ask your child why they think reducing, reusing, and recycling can help people, plants, and animals.
Draw simple pictures of items you can recycle on a piece of paper. Display the poster near your recycling bin as a reminder.
30m
Health & Wellness
Becoming a Little Helper
Let me "help" you with simple chores that are fun.
Some age-appropriate chore ideas for me:
Dusting with a cloth or sweeping with a toy broom
Pulling weeds, raking, or picking up sticks
If I show an interest, try to let me "help" even if it will take longer for us to complete the chore together.
5m
Science
Recycling Helper
When it's time to clean up trash and recycling, ask your child for help.
Show your child the item, and ask whether it's trash or recycling. Talk about what materials can be recycled in your community, and what happens when you recycle something.
If the item isn't sharp or breakable, ask your child to place the item in the trash or recycling bin. Remind them not to touch the other things in the bin.
