Resources and Ideas of Activities for Families to Do at Home
Infants/toddlers:
- Water play inside or out with items that sink or float/ pouring etc…/wash their baby dolls / paint with water and big brushes on the wall.
- Tupperware - let them take off the lids and try to put things back together - give them items to put into the tupperware.
- Sensory play: flour or corn starch/ canned pumpkin or whipped cream on a cookie sheet or in a pot.
- Get empty plastic jugs and fill with coins/beads/pasta/beans for noise makers.
- Get empty baby wipe containers and stuff them with scarves for the children to pull out and stuff back in.
Twos & Older:
Gross Motor Activities:
- Galloping/skipping/balancing on one foot/hopping on one foot/scooting across the kitchen floor/running/climbing etc…/crab walk/bear walk/obstacle courses.
- Outside games including Mother May I, Red LIght, Green Light and Hide and Go Seek
Sensory play:
- flour or corn starch or sand on a cookie sheet to draw on
- Water play of all kinds/sink & float/ pouring/ mixing with sand/mud etc..
- Play Doh (recipe below) and Slime (recipes online)
No Bake Playdough Recipe (Thanks, Mr. Ian)
- 2 cups of flour
- 1 cup of salt
- 1 cup of water
- 1 tablespoon of oil
Optional add-ins: food coloring, glitter, cinnamon, cocoa powder, etc.
Mix with your hands until it feels right and have fun!
Fine Motor:
- sorting buttons and odds and ends
- making a collage out of odds and ends and glue
- painting, drawing, coloring - draw and write inspirational messages to your neighbors on the sidewalk or street with sidewalk chalk
Literacy:
- Reading books, listening to stories on tape or you tube, writing and drawing in a journal while outside observing nature
- Give your child 3 minutes to find 3-5 things in the house that are a certain color or start with a certain letter/sound
- Write a thank you note to send to first responsders/health care workers/grocery store clerks who are doing such important work right now. Write a note or draw a picture for an elderly neighbor. Mail it or walk and put it in their mailbox.
Music & Movement:
- Sing and dance with your child.
- Do Head,Shoulders, Knees and Toes/The Hokey Pokey/ Shake Your Sillies Out/ Disney Dance Party
Numeracy:
- Cook with your child - let them choose a “Snack Menu” for the week and help you make it. Have them measure out ingredients or count out 6 crackers and 2 slices of cheese for each family member.
- Use a muffin tin to put one item in each spot or two or three etc…
- Talk about the numbers on a clock (both digital and analog)
- Have them set the table - one place setting for each person etc…
Imaginative Play:
- Building with blocks/sticks/rocks whatever you have available in your house/yard
- Dress Up - let your child try on some of your clothes and shoes - put out aprons/cooking items/pots & pans etc…
- Play house with stuffed animals or baby dolls
Great Websites for children
Children’s book authors also often have fun websites with activities and extensions. Here are some good ones . . .
Resources from the New Mexico Early Childhood Education and Care Department
Parentivity provides web-based information, games and activities for all families of children from pregnancy to age five.
Free Parentivity accounts can be obtained at https://www.parentivity.org (click “Welcome New Mexico”).
- How You and Your Kids Can De-Stress During Coronavirus (PBS)
- Greater Good Science Center’s Guide to Well-Being During Coronavirus
- Three Ways to Boost Your Resilience as a Parent
- Why Parents Need a Little Self-Compassion
- How to Survive Your Toddler’s Epic Tantrum
- How to Decipher the Emotions Behind Your Child’s Behaviors
