BELOW ARE SUGGESTED MONTHLY ACTIVITIES THAT YOU CAN DO AT HOME WITH YOUR CHILD:
September
October
November
Materials: empty plastic containers or cereal boxes, rice/beans, small items such as buttons, paper clips
December
January
February
March
April
May
September
- Place child’s printed name on drawers, coat hooks, mirrors, refrigerator door, etc. and have child locate their printed name.
- Point out letters in the environment that are in your child’s name.
- Talk about shapes at meal times such as rectangle or triangle sandwiches, circle cookies, bowls, square crackers, cereals, etc.
October
- Gather leaves. Place leaves flat under paper. Use side of crayon to make a rubbing.
- Sort leaves by size or color: large/small; green, yellow, brown
November
Materials: empty plastic containers or cereal boxes, rice/beans, small items such as buttons, paper clips
- Build towers and knock down
- Nest open containers from largest to smallest
- Hide small items in rice or beans and have child find them. Sort the items by color or shape.
December
- Read simple picture books and have child point to named pictures, colors, shapes.
- Place child’s name in a variety of places throughout your home and help your child locate and point to their name.
- Help your child imitate motor actions through simple songs and finger-plays.
- Use streamers and other objects to play imitation games.
January
- Roll snow into balls and toss them.
- Make a snowman as big as your student. Compare the size to you using taller/shorter and /or bigger/smaller.
- If it is too cold, bring snow inside in a bucket or bin. Make a miniature snowman.
- Paint with water colors. Sprinkle salt on picture and watch it change.
- Make sugar cookies and frost. Sprinkle with sugar or candy sprinkles.
- Spread pudding on graham crackers for a tasty treat.
February
- Make a ramp using a cookie sheet, box lid, cutting board, etc. propped up on stack of books or a small box. Roll cars, balls, etc. down the ramp. Roll items up the ramp also. Emphasize UP and DOWN.
- Color or paint paper. Make paper airplanes and fly them. Emphasize FAR and NEAR.
- Sort a variety of household items: silverware in the kitchen, cars and blocks, big and little socks, etc.
- Have child tear lettuce using thumbs and index fingers to make a salad.
- Point out different vehicles when driving in the car.
March
- Sort a variety of household items by big & little; large & small
- Continue to have child tear lettuce using thumbs and index fingers to make a salad.
- While out and about or reading books, point to and name animals and imitate their sounds.
April
- Scribble on paper with water-based markers. Take picture outside in the rain. Watch the colors run and mix together. If it is not raining, use a spray bottle with water. Or drip food coloring on a coffee filter. Spray with water to see the colors mix.
- Time to enjoy the outdoors. Go for a walk. Point out colors you see. Listen for different sounds. Identify the sound and the source. Point out different shapes you see.
- Play in the sand, dirt, or pebbles in the yard or park.
May
- Play with a variety of toys and containers in the bath tub. Talk about what floats and what sinks.
- Play with a variety of containers in the bath tub and practice pouring water from one to another. Count how many times you empty a smaller container to fill a larger one.
- Make homemade bubbles. Make a wand from a variety of household items: twist ties, canning rings, a comb. Practice blowing and popping bubbles.
- Bubbles: 1 cup water, 2 tbs. liquid dish soap, 3-4 drops of oil. Gently stir together and have fun!