Sorting the laundry? Encourage your child to help you find all of the socks and make a pile of them. Pick a sock and pretend it is a puppet looking for its matching friend. Celebrate when you find a match. Then let them take a turn as the puppet.
Author: Sarah Childs
Help with Chores
Include your child in common chores. For example, start with, “It’s time to sweep! Can you hold the dustpan for me?” Then, let them dump the dirt into the trash. Don’t be surprised when they ask you to hold the dustpan for them. Go back and forth. Taking turns is how they learn best and… Continue reading Help with Chores
The Fix It Game
Pretend to fix things with your child. With a plastic spoon, pretend to fix a hinge on a kitchen cabinet. “I’m fixing this broken hinge on the cabinet door. Now it’s your turn.” After their turn, hold out your hand saying, “My turn!” Keep taking turns, smiling while you work.
Laundry Sort
While you’re doing laundry, ask your child to help. Invite them to sort clothes into piles of dark and light colors.
Same Game
Tell your child about a favorite food. Ask them to name a food they like that’s in the same category, like fruit, but different. Keep count of how many different things you both like in the same category. Play the same game with something else, like clothes!
Silly Faces
Make a silly face and ask your child to make it too. Then ask them to make a sillier one for you to copy. Then take turns back and forth and see who can be the silliest.
Stomp Dance
Sing, or turn on music, and dance with your child! See if they can copy what you do with your feet. Try stomping one foot three times. What do they do? Copy their moves and build on them by adding a jump or going on tiptoe. Do they do it too? Keep the dance going!
Utensil Play
While washing dishes, give your child a spoon to hold. Say, “You have a spoon!” Then hold your hand open and say, “My turn!” See if they will hand the spoon back to you. If they do, say, “Thank you!” If they don’t, give them another utensil and see if you can trade them back-and-forth.
Bubble Trouble
While cleaning up, give your child a soapy sponge and a large container with a little water so they can help wash safe kitchen items. Scrub up lots of bubbles together. When you’re ready say, “Bye-bye bubbles!” and show them how to rinse the bubbles away. Encourage them to try it.
Create a Goodbye Ritual
Before you leave or drop your child off somewhere, share a favorite, fun or special “See you later” saying. Create a new goodbye ritual. Tell them that after it’s finished, it will be time for you to leave. Reassure them you will see them later.
