Now that the holidays are over, many children are feeling a little cooped up at home without a special occasion to look forward to.
These activities are a great way to entertain and educate your children. Learning doesn’t have to be limited to school hours.
Infants
For infants, the world is full of new things to touch and figure out. This activity from TheBump.com is a great way to introduce your child to new items in a non-threatening way.
You will need a single ziplock bag and different textured product for each bag.
1) Fill one bag with ¼ cup of salt, squeeze shampoo into another bag, put M&Ms or marbles in another bag, and place cotton in a different bag.
2) Seal the bags and tape them shut.
3) Give the bags to your child one at a time to
discover.
Your infant will likely squeeze and push on the bag to figure out the contents. This is part of the exploration phase and helps introduce your child to objects that may otherwise be too tough around the edges for your little one. As with most infant activities, it’s important to keep close watch on your infant as he or she does this activity.
Age 3 to 5
Crafts that utilize household items are a good way to spark your child’s imagination. Children age 3 to 5 are more comfortable showing off their creativity but sometimes need a spark of inspiration like this colorful jelly fish craft from Good House Keeping.
You will need a paper plate, a selection of markers, white yarn and scissors (parents should be in charge of all steps with scissors).
1) Cut about seven or eight pieces of yarn, each about 2 feet long.
2) Instruct your child to color the string and to color the bottom side of the plate.
3) Once the plate and yarn are full of color, push the scissors through the center of the plate to create a small hole.
4) Help your child tie the yarn together with a knot about 3 inches into the strand.
5) Show your child how to thread the top pieces of the knotted yard through the hole, leaving the long pieces to dangle from the side of the plate that holds food.
6) Tie a knot in the yarn on the other side of the plate so that the plate is secured in between two knots.
7) Now your child can wiggle the jelly fish around by holding the small bunch of yarn and swaying it side to side.
Age 6 to 9
This fun activity for children ages 6 to 9 allows your child to practice spelling while having a ball, literally.
You will need a ball of some kind, whether that’s a small bouncy ball, a paper ball, or a balled up sock. Sticky notes and a pen are also needed for this activity.
1) Instruct your child to write one letter of the alphabet on its own sticky note until all 26 letters are represented.
2) Randomly stick the post it notes on a closed door in no particular order.
3) Based on your child’s current vocabulary, give them a word to spell like “animal’ or “truck.”
4) Direct your child to spell the word by hitting each letter on the door using the ball, one letter at a time.
This activity is a great way to inspire your kids to learn and expand their vocabulary. You can change things up by doing the activity in reverse, asking your child to spell a word that you solve by noting the letters he or she chooses to hit with the ball.
