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:
- Wash and dry the leaves.
- Put all of the leaves into the bin.
- For younger infants, take one leaf and let him hold it in his hand. He can feel the different textures and shapes.
- 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.
- Talk to your infant about the leaves, using new vocabulary to describe each item (e.g., green, pokey, crunchy, wet).
Toddler benefit from nature-based play. Try this seed exploration activity for a fun sensory experience.
What You Need:
- Fruits and vegetables
- Cutting board
- Knife (adult use only)
What To Do:
- Wash the fruits and vegetables. Pat them dry. Observe each item and have the child guess what kind of seed or seeds they have inside them. You can ask, “Which one do you think will have the biggest seed?”
- Cut each item in half to open it up (adults only). Have the child look at the seed or seeds inside and describe what he sees.
- Encourage your child to take the seed out of each fruit and vegetable and describe how they feel.
- After you’re done with the activity, you can take some of the seeds and put them on a plate to dry out in the sun for a few days. Then place the seeds on a wet paper towel. Daily, check on the seeds making sure the paper towel stays wet. After a few days, the seeds may start to grow roots. You can then plant the seeds in some soil.
This fun game can be played indoors on a rainy day to get your keiki to move his body in fun ways.
What You Need:
- Bubble wrap, at least 10 ft. length, 24” wide
- Clear packing tape
What To Do:
- Tape the bubble wrap to the floor, making sure the wrap is securely on the floor.
- Give instructions that include:
- Move in only one direction when jumping the length of the wrap.
- No return trips if more than one child is jumping at the same time.
- Demonstrate how to jump, instructing the child to bend his knees and lift his arms when he jumps, landing on both feet at the same time.
- Encourage the child to jump along the path.
- You can hold the child’s hands for extra balance or you can tape squares along the wrap and have him jump from square to square to make the activity harder.
Adapted from Active Play! Fun Physical Activities for Young Children by Diane Craft
Encourage keiki to move while making a delicious treat
What You Need:
- 2 cups flour (all-purpose, plus extra for kneading)
- 1 cup flour (whole wheat)
- 3 T milk (powdered, nonfat)
- 3 T sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 T yeast (rapid rise)
- 3 T vegetable oil
- 1 cup warm water (120-130 degrees F)
- Flour (as needed, extra for kneading)
What To Do:
- Combine flour, whole wheat flour, yeast, sugar, salt, and powdered milk in a one- gallon re-sealable freezer bag. Squeeze the air out and seal the bag.
- Have your child jump and shake the bag to blend the ingredients.
- Add oil and warm water to the dry ingredients. Reseal the bag. Mix the ingredients together by working the bag with your fingers until the dough is completely mixed and pulls away from the bag.
- On a floured surface, knead the dough for 5 minutes or until it is smooth and elastic, adding flour as needed. Put the dough back into the bag and let it rest for 10 minutes.
- Shape dough on a greased baking sheet or put it into a 4x8 greased loaf pan. Cover with a clean cloth or plastic wrap and let it rise until it doubles in size.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown. Place a toothpick into the middle of the bread and it should come out clean.
- Remove from pan and cool on a wire rack or clean dish towel.
Adapted from myplate.gov