Waiting in line at the store is a great chance to be a brain builder. Point to a picture on a magazine and ask your child, “How do you think that man feels?” You can also look for different letters like, “Look, here’s a B just like in your name. It says ‘baseball’ on the… Continue reading Shopping Line Game
Author: Five Ones
Shopping Game
Shopping? Give your child a copy of your shopping list or a few of the store’s coupons, talking back and forth about what they’re looking at. Point to a word or picture on your list or on a coupon and say, “Look, we need bananas. Let’s go find some together!”
Repeating Patterns
Take turns with your child making sound patterns. For example, say, “Coo, coo, ca, coo.” Ask them to repeat your sounds. Then ask them to come up with a new pattern, and you repeat it. See if you can make the patterns harder by going faster or adding more sounds.
Picture Detective
Encourage your child to be a picture detective. Look at a picture in a book or magazine. It can even be in a newspaper or in an ad on a bus or train. Talk about the picture together. Can you find certain objects? Ask questions like, “Look at that boy’s face. How do you think… Continue reading Picture Detective
Silly Speech
Start by asking your child to choose a word. Then say it together in different ways. Use a high voice or a low voice; a loud voice or a soft voice; speak slowly or speak fast. Have fun and keep it going back and forth! Take it to the next level by having a conversation… Continue reading Silly Speech
Treasure Box Adventure
Give your child a small box and tell them it’s a “Treasure Box,” made to keep very special things. With their help write their name on top of the box. Talk back and forth about things they might keep inside. Store it in a place they can reach so they can use it.
Meal Time Conversations
At mealtime, put a message next to your child’s plate. It may be a picture you tear out of a magazine, a quick note, or a drawing. As you sit down to eat, invite them to share the message. Take turns talking about the colors, letters, and pictures you both see.
Fruit Conversations
Offer your child a whole fruit or vegetable, like an apple. Ask questions about what the apple looks like, feels like, and smells like before cutting it. After you cut it, talk about what you both notice. What does it look like, smell like, and feel like now? Does it always taste the same?
Shopping List Conversation
Writing a shopping list? Talk with your child about what you need. Read outloud what you write down: “Milk, eggs, cereal.” Invite them to write or draw on the list too and to tell you what they’re thinking about when they make those marks on the paper.
Grocery Shopping Conversation
When shopping with your child, point out what you see. Use lots of different words to talk about the taste of different foods. Maybe you could say, “There are some juicy, sweet oranges,” or “I bet those yellow lemons are sour!” Follow their lead and talk about what they point and look at.
