subject: Child Care Activities: Simple and Fun Playtime Activities for Child Development [print this page] Child Care Activities: Simple and Fun Playtime Activities for Child Development
INFANT ACTIVITY - Set the Scene. Your baby can learn by watching other children play. Provide opportunities for mixed age play experiences in a safe space where your child can move around freely and where there are a minimal amount of toys so your child can stay focused. For example a set of nesting blocks can be used by infants and toddlers to fill and dump and by older children as car garages, towers and for sorting.
TODDLER ACTIVITY - Household Objects. Your toddler will play creatively when you provide small pots and pans, wooden spoons, cardboard boxes, paper towel rolls, plastic measuring cups and spoons and plastic tubs with lids. A laundry basket can be fun to climb in and out of as well as for pushing and pulling other objects in. Most of these items can be available in the same room with you and your child while you are cooking or doing laundry. Be sure to stop and interact with your child and enjoy those teachable moments.
PRESCHOOL ACTIVITY - Messy Play. Don't be hesitant to offer sand and water play to your child. As long as you place a drop cloth or large towel underneath the plastic tub it won't be as "messy" as you might expect and the good news is that it offers your child opportunities for imaginative play as well as motor development. Add small toys such as vehicles and plastic animals, containers and spoons. Many children find this type of sensory play to be relaxing and stress reducing. Go ahead and dig in, you will benefit tool.
SCHOOL-AGE ACTIVITY - Cooking Together. Cooking with your child not only gives you a chance to spend quality time together it can be a science lesson as he learns where ingredients come from, how they change form during preparation, and how they contribute to nutrition. Your child will also use math skills in measuring and will learn to following directions to create something that is edible. Find a fairly simple cookbook to start out with and let your child choose a recipe that sounds good to him. Bon Appetite!
Source:
Creme: The Scoop, Fall 2010, Volume 8 Number 4
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