The outdoors! Children should go outdoors every day--for exercise, fresh air, and fun. You and your children will have greater freedom outdoors to jump, hop, swing, look, and listen. Let your children make noise! Remind them about any rules you have for playing outside.
Talk about all the things you and your children see in the sky, near the house or apartment
· Colors
· Bright sun
· Moon
· Neighbors
· Cars
· Shapes
· Dark clouds
· Stars
· Snow
· Houses
Help your children find animals and insects.
· Tell your children the names of the animals and insects they see and hear.
· Ask your children where they think the animals live, how the
insects build their homes, where they get their food.
Help your children dig and plant a garden.
· Talk about each tool you are using and what it does.
· Look at seed packages and vegetables in the grocery store. Then, decide what to plant: Radishes, carrots, and other things that grow fast and that you and your child like are best.
· Remind your children to water the growing plants.
Look up toward the sky at different times of the day with your children.
· Talk about the ways that trees bend and what the clouds look like.
· Look for changes over time--how are the leaves different in
the fall from the spring? Are there more or less birds in the sky now than
there were last month?
Listen for sounds outside.
· Ask your children to talk about the sounds they hear and where they might be coming from.
· Ask them to name sounds that are the same as inside sounds, different from inside sounds.
Encourage your children to describe all the things they feel or experience.
· Rough trees
· Blowing wind
· Slippery mud
· Smooth stones
· Warm air
· Cold rain
There are many fun places to go in your community. Before you take a
trip, talk with your children about what you will see and do. Name the
things and people you will look for, such as flowers, animals, fire fighters,
or bus riders in the place you are visiting. Talk with your children about
your safety rules so that the trip will be pleasant and safe, such as "I
want you to hold my hand."
To a park
· Point out special things in the park: a family having a picnic, the gardens, the pathways.
· While walking around the park, ask your children to walk fast, walk slow, or run safely.
· Play games with your children (that have no "losers").
To the library
· Get your own library card to borrow books.
· Ask your children to select three or four books, records or tapes to check out and take home.
· Remind your children about being quiet at the library.
To the fire station
· Call ahead about coming for a visit.
· Talk about fire safety rules for your home and what your children would do if there was a fire.
· Try on different pieces of the fire fighter's uniform. Ask
your children what they think each article of clothing is for, what they
think the equipment does.
To the train and/or bus station
· Talk about where the bus or train might be going.
· Make up a story about where you would go on the bus or train. What would you do when you got there?
· Ask your children to tell you what they would do while on the
bus or train
.
To the grocery store
· Discuss each food item as you put it in the cart: its size, shape, color, and texture.
· Ask your children to name their favorite foods and then name one of yours.
· To keep your children occupied in line, ask questions that have no right or wrong answers, such as: Let's pretend we are having a supper party and you get to choose the menu. "What would you like to serve?"
To the laundromat
· While waiting for the laundry, keep your children occupied by asking questions that encourage creative thinking.
· Ask them to describe how the clothes get clean when you wash them.
· Ask how you could wash the clothes if you didn't have a washing
machine.
To a festival and other community event
· Check the listings in the newspaper for local events. Or, listen to the radio for announcements.
· Talk about the event before you go.
· Try a special new snack as a treat.
· Ask your children to name the two best parts of the event.
On a scavenger hunt
· Decide with your children what you'll look for on the hunt.
· Use paper bags for collections.
· Talk about what is safe to touch and what is not.
· Make up a story about the items you collected.
Things You Can Do After the Trip
· Talk with your children about what you saw, heard, touched, or smelled.
· Make a booklet about the trip with your children. Have them tell you a story about the trip as you write it down.
· If you take pictures during the trip, put them in a booklet you make or in a photo album.
· Ask your children to add pictures to a "trip book." Let them cut pictures from magazines of things they saw on their trip.
· Make a collage with your children. Use things found during your walk--moss, stones, leaves.
· Get books from the library about where you went.
Were the activities you selected fun for you and your family? As you
do the activities, they will encourage and help children to learn. They
should be fun and offer opportunities for your family to spend meaningful
time together. As you remember these activities and plan for the future
with your children, it might help you to think about the following:
· Did your children enjoy the activity?
· Which activity did your children enjoy the most? The least?
· Which child enjoyed which activity? Why do you think that's so?
· Which activity seemed too hard? How could you make it easier so that your children can succeed?
· Which activity seemed to be too easy? How could you make it harder so that your children have a challenge?
· Which activity was "just right?" When can you do it again?
· How can you stretch your children's imaginations when you do this or a similar activity?
· What did you learn about your children?
· Ask your children to respond to "What.. .If" questions related to the activity, such as "What would you have to eat if you lived on the moon?" Or, "What would you do if you worked in this place?"
· What activity can you plan to give your child time to play quietly by himself or herself? Will it help to develop his or her creativity?
· How did you praise your children for trying a new activity
and for their positive behaviors? What other ways can you use to encourage
them?
· What other ideas do you have? What ideas can your children
suggest?