Will you play with me?

Won't you play with me?

Somebody come and play

Somebody come and play today

Somebody come and be my friend

And watch the sun ‘till it rains again

Somebody come and play today

~ Sesame Street, “Somebody Come and Play”

Toddlers and babies (and kids of all ages) love to play. Although not always at the most appropriate time, parents and caregivers should provide plenty of play opportunities for those in their care. It needn’t be as exhausting as basketball or football.  Whatever the activity, include play that include literacy – letters and numbers – as well as music and colors. A brisk walk while your child rides his bike can be a great place to count the number of cars parked in driveways, guess the next house number, read the names on mailboxes, identify small woodland animals and read traffic signs. Your play may be as simple as a quick game of hide and seek during bath time, or getting on their level and rolling around the floor. 

During feeding time, count the number of Cheerios or cookies, the number of carrots and potatoes in their soup (you can teach colors as well), or the number of fruit in their salad or sections of an orange.

Likewise, when retrieving the mail or taking a quick trot to the car, take your toddler or baby along. You can identify things that start with a particular letter (e.g. “T” for tree or tire), you can see who can identify the most letters from a postcard or junk mail, or use the same mail to introduce two and three letter words such as and, to, but, or, etc. Playing is also a good form of exercise, and who says you can’t exercise and learn?  If you are able to record shows and save them, record your child’s favorite song from Sesame Street, Peg + Cat, or Word Girl, and then play it during your exercise time.

Whether we grew up with a front porch or not, finding time and a place to relax and share precious moments with our babies and children are necessary.  Nature allows for spontaneity and surprise, and provides many chances for learning to occur. Slow down, and enjoy the roses as well as your children and help them learn that life’s simple pleasures provide many lessons.

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Activity

Playing With Your Food

1. Arrange fruit and or vegetables on a table that is in reach of your child.
2. Ask your child a series of questions regarding the food. Here are some suggestions:

a. How many fruit do you see?
b. How many peaches do you see?
c. How many bananas are there?
d. What color is the banana?
e. Point to the fruit that begins with the letter B.
f. What color are the peaches?

3. Depending on the age of your child, you may need to alter the questions. In addition to counting and colors, you can have them arrange the items from smallest to biggest, shortest to tallest, or by weight using estimation. There are many uses for this activity and can just as easily be played in the grocery store or a casual diner.  (P.S, Do you see the smiling face?)

Resources

Click here to read “Leaning, Play, and Your 1-to 2- year-Old” for more ideas and information.









Funbrain Jr. is a collection of unique and vibrant games for preschoolers and kindergarteners that helps jumpstart their journey of learning. Offering five separate fun and engaging games, Funbrain Jr. introduces little learners to several important skills while they play. It is free for iPad and iPhone users and can be found in the iTunes Store.



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