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Activities

Young children learn through play. When young children are actively involved in their own learning and having fun at it, they learn better. You can support their learning by engaging them playfully in everyday activities. The activities on our site are based on everyday experiences, use materials commonly found in the home, and most importantly designed to encourage children’s healthy development in all areas (physical, social emotional, language and literacy, and cognitive).

Leaf Sensory Bin PDF FACEBOOK SHARE ICON.

This nature-based activity encourages infants to use his senses to crinkle and crunch dry leaves or stomp with his feet.

What You Need:


  • Large plastic bin

  • Variety of leaves (shapes, sizes, colors)

  • *Make sure they are child-friendly and non-poisonous. You can check with Hawai?i Department of Agriculture https://hdoa.hawaii.gov/pi/pest/

  • Watering cans and water (optional)

What To Do:


  1. Wash and dry the leaves.

  2. Put all of the leaves into the bin.

  3. For younger infants, take one leaf and let him hold it in his hand. He can feel the different textures and shapes.

  4. For older infants, let him try crumpling the leaf and pulling the leaves off the stems. You can add watering cans and water to see if he wants to wash the leaves.

  5. Talk to your infant about the leaves, using new vocabulary to describe each item (e.g., green, pokey, crunchy, wet).