infant thrive on positive interaction with adults. Here is a way to support your child's development.
What You Need:
None
What To Do:
- Make eye contact with baby (about 10 inches from her face) Say, “Hi Malia, look at mama.”
- Move your face in a variety of direction: slowly up, down, left, then right. Be sure to begin and end each move directly in front of her face.
- If she reaches for your face, move closer and let her touch you.
- Next, cover your face with your hands and pause.
- Then pull your hands slowly away, revealing a different facial expression each time, (e.g., excited, surprised, tired, sad, funny).
- Talk to your baby after making your facial expression, ask “Did you like that face?”
Let your child help you make this recipe in a bag.
What You Need:
- 3 large bananas
- ½ cup applesauce, unsweetened
- ½ cup non-fat vanilla yogurt
What To Do:
1.
Have your child add granola into a large zip-top plastic bag. Together, crush the granola into small pieces using a rolling pin or a canned good.
2.
Together, peel the bananas, break them into small pieces, and add them to the bag of crushed granola.
3.
Have your child mix the applesauce and yogurt together in a small bowl and then pour the mixture into the bag.
4.
Together, squish the bag to blend the ingredients together. Talk about how the mixture has changed and have her predict what it will taste like.
5.
Seal tightly and refrigerate. Serve by cutting a corner off the bottom of the chilled bag and squeezing the mixture into a serving dish or cup.
Adapted from: Cooking Matters
Support your toddlers development with this activity.
What You Need:
- Household objects that can get wet
- Large container of water
What To Do:
- With your child collect items around your home that are safe for your child to play with (and can get wet), such as a metal and plastic spoons, leaves, and a toy car.
- Fill a large container with water.
- Explain to your child what the terms “sinking” and “floating” mean by placing an object on the water and showing her.
- Have your child choose one object at a time. Ask her, “Does it sink or float?” Repeat this for all the objects.
- Make a pile of objects that sink and objects that float.
Here is an activity to support your preschooler’s development.
What You Need:
- Bag or box to hold collected objects
What To Do:
- Walk outdoors with your child and collect natural materials such as small rocks, sticks, twigs, and dried leaves that you find.
- Encourage your child to sort the objects into piles of the same types of items. For example, one pile of rocks, one of leaves, and so on. Talk about how the items in each pile are alike or different.
- Ask questions such as, “Which pile do you think has the most? Which one has the least?”
- Confirm guesses by counting the items with her.
