During meal or snacktime, create a rhyme or a rap about what your child is eating: “No slice, no dice, we eat rice!” or “You’re no rookie, eating your cookie.” They’ll enjoy the sound of the words and if they respond, make rhymes from their words too.
Category: 6 Loving Habits
“Can you find it in the room?”
Draw or use your cell phone to take pictures of things in your room like a chair, a table, or the refrigerator. Ask your child to look at your cell phone picture and say, “Can you find it in the room?” As they get good at this, you can make it a little harder.
“Mail Time!”
Talk to your child about getting mail and what it means. Then write them a note or give them a piece of junk mail or store flyer and say, “Mail Time!” After they look at it, take turns talking about the letters, pictures, colors, and designs.
Pretend these things are part of your song or story
Here’s a fun and easy way to add something new to your child’s favorite song or story. Use a few familiar objects as you tell the story or sing the song. If you are outside, they can be leaves or rocks, or household items like a spoon or toy if you are inside. Pretend these… Continue reading Pretend these things are part of your song or story
Pretend your hand is a plane, bird or car
With your child on their back, fly your hand above their face. Pretend your hand is a plane, a bird, or a car. Talk about what you’re doing. Tell a story, make sounds, or sing. Do they grab your fingers, watch your hands move, or kick? Try different ideas to find what they like best.
Fill in the blanks
Fill in the blanks to make up a story: “We’re going to ___. When we get there we’ll see ___.” As your child gets in the rhythm, take turns going back and forth. Is your story realistic? Make believe? There is no right or wrong, just have fun!
Use many words to describe
Ask your child to touch the clothes you’re both wearing. Talk back and forth about how they feel. You could say, “We’re both wearing shirts. Mine is smooth and yours is wrinkled.” Take turns using as many words as you can to describe how your clothes feel.
Repeat the sound back to them
If your child says “Ba,” repeat the sound back to them. Then add on to it, “Ba, ba, ba.” Do they try to copy your sounds? Add a new sound next, ”Ba, ba, MA.” Do they notice the change? Do they try to repeat it? Go back and forth repeating each other’s sounds and building… Continue reading Repeat the sound back to them
Match pictures to the real objects
Match pictures to the real objects. After looking at a picture of an apple, for example, let your child touch and smell one. Describe what they’re doing. “You’re feeling the smooth red apple. Look, here it is in the picture!” Go back and forth and create a conversation.
Make up a story together
When you’re waiting at a stoplight, bus stop, or train platform, make up a story together about someone across the street or on the opposite platform. Where is the woman in the hat going? What will she do when she gets there? Try to elaborate on your child’s ideas.
