Disclaimer: This was neither my work nor my idea. All credit goes to @moorethanhappy who was playing with the children during morning table time at school and created this with Play-Doh and some tools. I’m including it here because it’s beautiful, festive, and easy to reproduce. 💕 The options and benefits for open-ended play are significant and require little to no prep. In case you haven’t…
I found this idea via @jugandoconmariposas and adapted it a little, creating 2 file folder games that could be easily stored away for future use. I drew geometric shapes and a letter H using the same colors as the jumbo craft sticks, so that the children would get to match them up in order to complete the shape. Smaller crafts sticks would have likely allowed for more shapes per page…
I found a free printable on-line, set up some fall colored paint, and added Q-tips to the mix so B could experiment painting with a novel item. We could even call it pointillism. 😉 She enjoyed the Q-tips so much that I had to print out a 2nd blank tree, and she decided to use her fingertips to make leaves this time. When your kid enjoys an activity…
Although there is a time and a place for paper and pencil activities, I implore you to open yourself up to other options. Kids can practice their writing skills using their fingers in sand, shaving cream, and (as pictured here) hair gel. Thinking outside the box allows your children to view academic activities as fun. More importantly, they simply see an opportunity to play. As both a parent and a…