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SEPARATION
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WHAT YOU NEED:
- Two or more people
- An object to hide
- Flashlight (optional-as a prop)
HOW TO:
- Child closes his/her eyes. Adult hides an object.
- Child uses a flashlight to make it more exciting and authentic. Tell the child to go look for that object.
- You can give clues where the object might be. “I hid the crayon box. It might be somewhere down low” Or “It is hidden somewhere blue…”
MODIFICATION: The child may hide the object and either an adult or other child looks for it. The child hiding the object must provide the clues. This challenges that person to articulate the location of the object with descriptive words, not actually saying the place.
EDUCATIONAL BENEFITS: The child stretches his/her imagination as s/he wanders around as a detective. The child must use his//her observation skills to look closely everywhere for the hidden object. As well, listening skills are used to listen to the clues and make educated guesses where the object might be based on the clues.
WHAT YOU NEED:
- Three or more people
- Enough space to form a circle of people and to run around the circle
HOW TO:
- The children sit in a circle.
- One person is “It” and starts walking around the circle.
- “It” taps each persons’ head and says “Duck”.
- The “It” stops at one head (his/her choice) and says “Goose”
- The Goose gets up and chases “It”.
- “It” tries to sit in Goose’s seat before the Goose tags him/her.
- If the Goose touches “it” before you “it” sits, “It has to go in the middle of the circle.
- Keep playing. The person in the middle can come out when a new person has been tagged.
EDUCATIONAL BENEFITS: This game is slightly more complicated. The children must know to stay seated unless his/her head is tapped as the person says “goose”. As well, this game requires chasing which increases physical activity! This can be done inside or outside so it is a great way to get them moving on an “inside day”.
WHAT YOU NEED:
- 3 or more people
- Room to run
HOW TO:
- You announce that you are “It”.
- Tell children when you say “Go”, the children run and you try to Tag (touch them).
- When you Tag someone, that person becomes “it”.
- Play until everyone has had a turn being “it”.
WHAT YOU NEED:
- Two or more people
HOW TO:
- One person hides.
- The other person(s) counts to ten (or whatever number makes sense) aloud.
- At the number 10, the seeker (s) start looking for the hider.
- Once the person is found, another person hides.
This game is always a favorite amongst most kids under ten. The children can become very creative in their hiding spots.
EDUCATIONAL BENEFITS: The children must understand that there are different roles in the game (hider and seeker). They must learn that the hider must be quiet because does not want to be found. The seeker must look closely everywhere to find the hider. As well, the children must try to count to ten.
HOW TO:
- One child is the leader.
- The other children must watch closely to see what the leader does and then copy that motion.
- The leader than changes the motion and the others must continue to copy the motion.
- When someone fails to follow the motions, s/he is out.
- Then the leader can pick another leader and game continues.
WHAT YOU NEED:
- Two or more people
MODIFICATION - MORE CHALLENGING
Older children: one person is the leader and then that leader silently picks another leader and the motions change. The other children must catch onto who the leader is.
EDUCATIONAL BENEFITS: This game promotes careful observation. The children must watch the leader to closely to see the exact motion being demonstrated. As well, the children learn consequences. If the motion is not copied, the child is out.
WHAT YOU NEED:
- Two or more people to play
HOW TO:
- Have child (children) listen closely.
- Tell him/her to follow your command only if you say “mommy says”.
- If you don’t start with the words “mommy says..”, and a child follows the command anyway, s/he is out.
EDUCATIONAL BENEFITS: This game promotes listening skills. The children must listen closely to both the beginning of the command and the directions of the command. (Ex: “Mommy says put your finger on your nose”). As well, the children learn consequences. If you don’t listen closely to what is said, you are out (the consequence).
WHAT YOU NEED:
- Blocks or Legos
HOW TO:
- Tell your children you will be taking turns and doing “teamwork” to make a building together.
- Demonstrate how you put one block down. Then another person adds a block.
- The children take turns (in an order you choose) adding a block where s/he wants on the building.
- Encourage the teamwork. “The more work together, the better it will be!
- Chutes and Ladders
- Candy Land
- Bingo
- ABC Bingo
- Monopoly for kids
- Memory
- Hullabaloo
- Sequence for Kids
WHAT YOU NEED:
- A toy that is interesting to look closely at. (Example: A Rubix cube, a doll, a transformer, an Etch a Sketch board, etc.).
HOW TO:
- Kids sit in a circle and the first child looks at the toy.
- After a few seconds (you tell when time to pass the toy), the child stops and says one thing s/he notices or likes about the toy.
- S/he passes the toy to the next child.
EDUCATIONAL BENEFITS: This activity teaches both turn taking skills as well as patience. Each child must sit patiently while the other children have time with the toy.
WHAT YOU NEED:
- A book that has short text but enough pages they can take turns turning pages **Opening the flap books work well for this. Examples: Daddy and Me by Karen Katz, Dear Zoo by
- 2 or more people
HOW TO:
- Gather the children around you somewhere comfortable where all can see the book. (If 2 children, sit them next to each other with the book in the middle. More than 2 children sit in a semi circle)
- Tell them they are all going to take turns helping you turn the pages.
- Tell the order of turn taking. This is easiest based on how they are sitting. Example:“Start with Sara and go around the circle.”
- Read the first page aloud to children.
- Have the children take turns turning the pages of the book as you read it.
WHAT YOU NEED (one or more of the following):
- Cardboard blocks
- Soft blocks (STEP 2)
- Wooden blocks
- Old cardboard boxes from house (food boxes, large cartons)
- Legos
HOW TO:
- Decide on a transportation vehicle to make (Example: car, train, airplane, boat)
- Talk about what shape it should be (Example: Look at a book or small version of that in your house: toy car, etc)
- Build it using the blocks.
*If you have many blocks, you can make it big enough for your child or both of you to sit inside. (Sit inside and pretend to go places. Pretend to go bumpy/ smooth, fast/slow, stop/ go).
Examples:
EDUCATIONAL BENEFITS: This simple activity stretches a child’s imagination and pushes him/her to use descriptive words for motions. Shape recognition and spatial awareness. is needed to make the blocks into the shape of the transportation vehicle.
- PARKING GARAGE- add toy cars
- picture used to copy
- ZOO
- POOL- big circle out of blocks. Blocks inside circle for the steps out.
- STREET- 2 lines of blocks and run toy cars through
- ROCKET SHIP
- SKYSCRAPER
- MUSEUM
- FIRE HOUSE- add mini fire trucks and people
- PRINCESS CASTLE/SUPERHERO HOUSE- add princess or superhero figures to the structure
WHAT YOU NEED (one or more of the following):
- Cardboard blocks
- Soft blocks (STEP 2)
- Wooden blocks
- Old cardboard boxes from house (food boxes, large cartons)
- Legos
HOW TO:
- Ask your child what an “opposite” is. If s/he has trouble saying an opposite, give an example- short/ tall.
- Tell your child you can make 2 buildings that are opposites.
Pick one opposite to explore. (Example: SHORT/TALL) - Build the 1st structure. (Example: short building)
- Then build the 2nd structure. (Example: tall building)
- Talk about what is the same about the 2 buildings (Example: Both are made of blocks. Both are buildings)
- Talk about what is different about the 2 buildings (Example: One building is tall. One is short).
- You can count how many more blocks are on the tall building than on the short building.
You can compare:
- Tall/short structures
- Wide/narrow structures
- Small/big structures
- Red/blue structures
- Straight/curvy
EDUCATIONAL BENEFITS: Comparing and contrasting skills. Kids are challenged to see and articulate what is like and unlike things.
WHAT YOU NEED (one or more of the following):
- Cardboard blocks
- Soft blocks (by STEP 2)
- Wooden blocks
- Old cardboard boxes from house (food boxes, large cartons)
- Legos
HOW TO:
- Decide what structure to build.
- Talk about what shape the structure will be. “Will it be tall? Wide? Do you need a lot of blocks?”
- Start building.
- As you build, ask questions to bring focus to the details. “Where are the windows in the building? Is this the roof?”
Examples:
EDUCATIONAL BENEFITS: The children talk about the details of the building (doors, windows, if tall/short, colors used. This requires descriptive language and the use of adjectives.
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