A store can be a great place to build your child’s brain on the go. Give them something like a banana and an apple to hold. “Which is heavier? Which is larger? Which is softer?” You can do this with any items, in any aisle, in any store!
Category: 6 Loving Habits
Word Pattern
Pick three food words such as “banana, apple, pear” to make a word pattern. Repeat with your child three times. Have them pick three food words and make a pattern three times: “fork, spoon, plate.” Talk about what word comes first, second, and third.
The Shape Game
While waiting, draw a shape (like a circle or a wiggly line), using your fingertip on your child’s open palm. Can they name it? Repeat the same shape until they can guess what it is. Take turns back and forth, drawing and guessing shapes.
Clean Up Sort
Encourage your child to sort objects during cleanup. Talk about what you’re doing: “All of the small lids go in the little bowl and the big lids go in the big bowl.” Then mix it up and ask them to put the small objects in the big bowl. You can also sort by shape or… Continue reading Clean Up Sort
“Big Time”
Play “Big Time” to make waiting time fly by. Hold up an object—a magazine, an item from a bag, or a toy. Ask your child, “Can you find something bigger than this?” After they do, then ask, “Can you find something smaller than this?”
Point to Different Things
Being out and about is a great time to be on the lookout for what’s around. As you go, point out what you see. Do you see birds, trees, leaves, people? Ask your child, “How many do you see?” Take turns pointing to different things all over!
Find the Matching Sock
During laundry time, pull out a single sock and see if your child can find a match for it in the laundry basket. Once they get it, let them pull out another sock and you find the match. Talk about the clues you use to find the match.
Open and Close Game
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.
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
