Working in the kitchen? Give your child some safe plastic containers to open and close. Say “open” and “close” as they play. Show them how to take things, like spoons, in and out of the containers. Say “in” and “out.” Make sure to talk to them about what they’re doing.
Category: 6 Loving Habits
Teeth Time
When you’re brushing your child’s teeth, look in the mirror together. Talk about how your teeth are the same and different from theirs. For example, you have more teeth, and bigger teeth, but you both can make funny faces. Follow their lead and talk about what they notice.
Guess That Place
Describe a place in your home to your child. You can say something like: “I am in a room with a table, a stove, and a refrigerator. Where am I? That’s right, the kitchen!” Provide as many or as few clues as they need. Then give them a turn to give you clues so you… Continue reading Guess That Place
Pick a Number
Think of a number and see if your child can guess it based on your clues. Say something like, “My number is bigger than four and smaller than six.” Or “It is the number of fingers on my hand.” Make it harder by adding or taking away numbers. “My number is two more than the… Continue reading Pick a Number
Kitchen Organizing
Ask your child to help you in the kitchen. Let them organize a shelf and find their own way to group things. If they need help, its OK to suggest things like “boxes here and cans there.” Or they could put crunchy food like cereal and crackers together. You can even give them a towel… Continue reading Kitchen Organizing
One-Arm Dinner
Try to prepare dinner in a new way. Ask your child, “What if we only used one arm to make dinner tonight?” See what you can do easily and what’s really hard. Share ideas back and forth about how you manage with only one arm. Then try, “What if you use your right arm and… Continue reading One-Arm Dinner
Guessing Game
When shopping, call out something you’re looking for on a shelf and have your child help you find it. Give them a clue: “It’s in a red box.” Can you do five in a row before you reach the end of the aisle?
Negative-Positive Talk
Practice saying things in new ways with your child. Take turns saying something negative, then try to talk about the same thing positively. For example, “I don’t like loud noises” can become “I like quiet sounds.”
Silly Handshake
Invent a super silly handshake for you and your child. Take turns adding a step (like shaking twice). Repeat it until you both have it down. Now change one of the steps. How do they respond? Go back and forth between the new and old way.
The Color Game
When you’re out with your child, team up with them to find colors. Have them point to something and name the color. Then you name all of the things you can think of that are the same color. Take turns playing this game.
