Sorting offers so many learning opportunities in one activity. In this particular activity, we’re learning about clothes, so the children were asked to sort the buttons by color. You’ll notice that the yellow buttons look like a little house and even shape patterns within the same color family begin to emerge. These are tiny glimpses into your child’s mind, and like most things, when…
Often times parents have a question, and they’re not sure who to ask. Although I can’t guarantee that I will ALWAYS have an answer for you, I can at least help guide you. With my combined experience as both a National Board Certified Teacher and a Speech-Language Pathologist, I am in an ideal position to talk to you about child development. If you’re an adult seeking…
Tangrams are great because they teach kids math concepts, visual-spatial, and critical thinking skills. Structured activities like this also allow them opportunities to follow directions, and who doesn’t want that? But keep in mind that unstructured play has value as well. The concept is simple: There’s a mat with a pattern on it, and the children use the shapes provided in order to “copy” the shape. Sounds…
My husband recently got our daughter into car washing since it’s both a first-world necessity as well as something that keeps her entertained. Initially, it was our actual family car, but today he promised our daughter that after he was done with work, they could wash her toy car. She was excited about this ALL day! In reality, we have things that need to get done in our…
As a little girl growing up, Toys R Us was a magical land that could do no wrong, but as an adult I started to question everything. Ever notice how Toys R Us had sections whose colors were geared to the gender they were trying to appeal to? The Barbie section was one giant wall of pink, and you likely couldn’t have found a pink Tonka truck in the…
Puzzles aren’t just a ton of fun, they’re a great way for your child to develop fine motor and visual-spatial skills. But before you get all excited and run out to buy some, please stop to consider a few things: 1) What kind of puzzle is developmentally appropriate for my child? 2) How am I going to use this WITH my child? To simplify your life, I…