Books provide an early opportunity to introduce new vocabulary and concepts to young children. Newborns won’t show much interest in books but will be happy to listen to the tone and intonations of your voice as you read aloud to them. During this early period, I would suggest reading what makes you happy. This may…
Ya sea debido al clima, al espacio exterior limitado o a obligaciones en interiores, a menudo es necesario que los niños pasen parte de su tiempo de movimiento en interiores en lugar de al aire libre. Para los niños en edad preescolar, mover el cuerpo no se trata solo de liberar su energía, sino también del desarrollo de la motricidad gruesa, la motricidad fina, la conciencia espacial,…
Wondering what you should do with your backyard, porch, or balcony so your young child can play outside and be engaged in their play? Here are some suggestions to make small or large spaces enticing for your child. Whether you have a standard backyard, 40 acres, a patio, a balcony, a front yard, a side…
Join us for a 6 week summer preschool program to engage little minds and inspire the imagination with weekly circle times, arts and crafts, nature crafts and games.
Development doesn’t stop with summer and doesn’t have to be boring. Summer is a great time for learning, both indoors and outdoors. Using stories, songs, rhymes, verses, movement, art and games, children can have a beautiful summer of fun and learning. I will post engaging activities, and it will allow families to have fun together. Weekly blog posts will be posted every weekend starting July 4th weekend, so that you can follow along with us. Everything will be all planned out with minimal prep time. This preschool session is ideal for ages three to younger fours, but can be adapted for other children or siblings to join in.
As part of this summer preschool program, we will be using a curriculum from Oak Meadow called Preschool Play: Seasons of Wonder Coursebook. This curriculum is available at: Preschool Play: Seasons of Wonder Coursebook | Oak Meadow. We will be using this curriculum throughout preschool, prekindergarten, kindergarten and the first third of first grade. It is a flexible curriculum packed with seasonal verses, rhymes, songs and activities. The activities range from art projects to nature crafts, from games to play to recipes to cook. It is developmentally appropriate and provides examples of how to adapt it for different ages. It is organized seasonally and we will be using the summer section. Although there are supplemental materials that go along with this coursebook, I do not suggest buying them. This curriculum is Waldorf inspired and will be necessary to follow along with our summer preschool program.
From an academic standpoint, we will be working on memory, pre-reading, fine motor, nature science, vocabulary, early math and gross motor skills. Most three-year-olds are not ready to start learning all of their letters because they are still learning how to visually categorize their world and how to connect a sound to a visual cue. Letters are a very abstract concept where this wiggly shape on a page, different from this other wiggly shape, represents a name and a variety of disconnected sounds. A child then needs to remember the exact shape, the name and the sound that goes with 26 unique letters.
Although 2- & 3-year-olds may learn a few letters, usually the first letter of their name, their ability to remember more is usually limited and sporadic. To avoid frustration for learners and parents, I suggest exposing three-year-olds to letters but holding off on trying to actively teach them until their Prekindergarten year. There are many other pre-reading skills that can be learned in preschool. This summer we will be working on memory skills, as well as reading comprehension.
The preschool year is a wonderful year for learning math orally and through manipulatives. Numbers are wonderful for three-year-olds to learn because they can touch and count things with numbers. You can request three baby carrots or hold four rocks. We will be undertaking a full math curriculum this upcoming preschool year and will touch on a few early math concepts over the summer.
Most children are ready to learn handwriting around four years of age and, to facilitate this, we will be using art and song motions to increase fine motor skills. Learning the motions for verses, rhymes and songs is a wonderful way to increase memory skills, practice following multi-step directions and work on fine motor skills. Singing songs together also develops memory skills as well as familiarizing children with rhyming. My planned curriculums will include songs and music into 3rd grade with circle times into 1st grade.
My summer preschool program will be focusing on learning about seasons, animals and plants. Children will be encouraged to act out stories through play about a variety of animals. These early lessons in science are the building blocks for life sciences later on in school. Art projects will be looking at colors and seeing what colors make new colors, as well as engaging the child in sensory and fine motor development.
A comprehensive plan for the week will be posted every weekend for the following week starting July 4th weekend. There will be two circle times, a game day and multiple activity suggestions for each week. Each circle time is designed to last about 30 minutes, as is the game day. Each of the activities with set up and clean up time, should take 45-60 minutes depending on your child’s engagement. If you don’t choose to purchase the Oak Meadow coursebook, you will still be able to follow along with roughly half of the curriculum, which I invite you to do.
Please join us!
Books provide an early opportunity to introduce new vocabulary and concepts to young children. Newborns won’t show much interest in books but will be happy to listen to the tone and intonations of your voice as you read aloud to them. During this early period, I would suggest reading what makes you happy. This may be romance novels or parenting books, and in fact this is a great time to read some wonderful parenting books. Infants up to about 4 months of age may also enjoy staring at black and white books or pictures as their eyesight develops, but after these early months most babies are attracted to bright primary colors. So if you wish to buy black and white baby books, just know that your baby will most likely outgrow them rapidly.
Una vez que tu bebé tenga entre 4 y 6 meses de edad, comenzará a mostrar interés en los libros. Intentarán agarrarlos y metérselos en la boca. Este es un buen momento para comprarles un juego de libros seguros para bebés. Sugiero solo unos pocos porque disfrutarán principalmente metiéndose los libros en la boca o agitándolos. No les interesarán las imágenes o las palabras de inmediato, solo las texturas, los sonidos y la sensación de los libros. Puedes intentar leerles los libros, pero prepárate para que agarren el libro e intenten metérselo en la boca. Estos son los libros que recomendaría para que los bebés jueguen de unos 4 meses hasta aproximadamente los 18 meses de edad:
The next set of books are for babies that are 8 to 18 months old. This is when littles become mobile and start exploring. They will still be putting everything in their mouth, but now they will enjoy banging things on the floor, spilling toys all over the floor, pushing toys across the floor and tearing things apart. They will start showing interest in books’ pictures and words, but usually only for one to two pages at a time. You might find yourself reading the same two pages a dozen times in a day. I suggest books from the brand The Original Indestructibles. They are truly indestructible and nontoxic. I would recommend several of these books for your baby to explore and try to destroy, though you may pick other books from this brand based on personal preference, these are the ones I recommend:
Along with these books in the baby’s play area, I recommend for parents to have a collection of books to read to their baby that the baby does not have access to. This is a good way to teach early boundaries with some books being for baby and other books being just for parents. Pick one time during the day when your baby is relatively calm to read two books to them. This could be before their bath as part of their bedtime routine or first thing in the morning. Having this be part of the daily routine at an early age teaches the importance of books. If you want a child who loves reading and books, having books be a part of their daily life from a young age will help establish this love. Here are books to read to your 6 to18 month old baby. Young children love routine and repetition, so rereading the same books over and over is good for them.
The Tale of Peter Rabbit, The Tale of Mr. Jeremy Fisher, The Tale of Tom Kitten, The Tale of Jemima Puddle-Duck
Reading books to your baby will help them develop a love for books and reading. It will teach them new vocabulary words and help them develop an understanding of how books work. Books can teach babies gently through repetition animal sounds, colors and other concepts in an age-appropriate manner that also encourages bonding between caregiver and child. Early exposure to books helps children develop language skills, pre-reading skills, vocabulary, fine motor skills and a desire to learn how to read. Once they are about 15 months or so, they will delight in turning the flaps inside some of these books. The simple language, primary colors and beautiful artwork will appeal to young children and be some of their favorite books. Reading to your baby, toddler, and child will be a favorite time for everyone.
Happy Reading!
Ya sea por el clima, el espacio exterior limitado o las obligaciones en interiores, a menudo es necesario que los niños pasen parte de su tiempo de movimiento en interiores en lugar de al aire libre. Para los niños en edad preescolar, mover el cuerpo no se trata solo de liberar su energía, sino también del desarrollo de las habilidades motoras gruesas, las habilidades motoras finas, la conciencia espacial y el desarrollo propioceptivo. Planificar y facilitar el tiempo de movimiento dentro del hogar permite a los padres controlar cómo se ve y cuándo ocurre. El tiempo de movimiento es un momento para que su hijo se divierta moviendo su cuerpo a través del baile, juegos, juego activo o juguetes activos. Este es un momento excelente para conectar con su hijo y divertirse con él uniéndose al baile o a los juegos. Preparar juegos activos o utilizar juguetes activos también puede ser un buen momento para hacer otras cosas mientras su hijo está entretenido y en movimiento. Aquí hay algunas maneras de hacerlo.
La primera forma de promover el movimiento es a través del baile. Pon algo de música y organiza una fiesta de baile. No se necesita equipo especial, solo un teléfono o una radio. Incluso puedes crear tu propia música. Tu hijo puede hacer música y bailar al mismo tiempo si sostiene huevos sonajeros o una pandereta. El baile mueve todo el cuerpo, es excelente para aumentar la frecuencia cardíaca y es fácil de empezar. Organizar una fiesta de baile para toda la familia es una forma divertida de liberar la energía de tu hijo pequeño mientras aprende sobre música, ritmo y mantener el compás. El baile y la música están irreversiblemente ligados y se pueden usar juntos para desarrollar el amor y el disfrute de ambos en un niño. Pon un temporizador de 15 a 20 minutos y diviértanse juntos.
La segunda forma de hacer que tu hijo se mueva es a través de juegos de movimiento como la pilla, puentes de Londres, conducir el camión de bomberos o cualquier juego activo en interiores. Los juegos de movimiento pueden provenir de un libro o de tu imaginación. Pueden verse diferentes para cada familia. No hay una forma correcta, siempre y cuando todos muevan su cuerpo. Para cada juego, establece un temporizador para cuánto tiempo quieres jugar. El tiempo del juego debe establecerse de antemano para crear expectativas y emociones para las transiciones. Estos juegos pueden ser muy divertidos y los niños pueden tener dificultades para dejarlos. Establecer expectativas de antemano puede ayudar a evitar esto. Usar un temporizador visual puede ser útil para aquellos niños que necesitan algo más concreto. Veamos los puentes de Londres. Estás cantando una canción, dando vueltas y vueltas bajo el puente hasta que el puente te atrapa. Si juegas con un adulto y un niño, puedes usar un palo de escoba o una cuerda de saltar para crear un puente, o el adulto puede ser el puente, y el niño da vueltas hasta que es "atrapado". Puedes hacer de esto un juego corriendo, caminando, gateando o deslizándote. Hay muchos juegos activos y divertidos que puedes jugar con tu hijo para que se mueva y sonría en interiores con muy poco dinero.
Si necesitas inspiración, aquí tienes algunos libros divertidos para ayudar a que tus hijos se muevan. Hay cinco temas diferentes en este conjunto de libros para elegir. Elige el que atraiga a tu hijo individualmente. Son geniales para edades de 2 a 10 años. Si deseas un libro que te ayude a encontrar juegos de movimiento más tradicionales para jugar con tu hijo, 101 Movement Games es un libro genial y asequible de Amazon con ideas. Funcionará para un rango de edad más amplio de niños de 2 a 12 años, posiblemente mayores.
La última forma de hacer que tu hijo se mueva en interiores es organizar juegos de interior con juguetes activos. Esto podría ser quitar los cojines del sofá y saltar sobre ellos o poner un colchón en la sala de estar para saltar o rodar sobre él. Podrían ser juguetes de montar o triciclos, especialmente si tienes un área de tu casa sin alfombra que sea lo suficientemente grande como para dar vueltas y vueltas. Incluso podrías usar patines alrededor de la isla de la cocina si tus hijos son un poco mayores. Podría ser un Triángulo Pikler, un sit n’spin o una tabla basculante. Puedes montar un circuito de obstáculos con almohadas para saltar por el suelo y un túnel de juegos para atravesar. Hay muchas maneras de crear un espacio acogedor dentro de tu hogar para que tu hijo mueva su cuerpo. Aunque puedes crear juegos activos con los materiales de tu hogar, como tener una pelea de almohadas o saltar en una cama, puede ser útil comprar juguetes que faciliten el juego activo en interiores. Aquí tienes algunas sugerencias de juguetes para comprar. Esta no es una lista completa, solo algunas sugerencias, dependiendo del presupuesto, para que empieces. Proporcionaré las edades sugeridas para cada uno, pero compra de acuerdo con el desarrollo individual de tu hijo.
Tu hijo disfrutará de todas estas formas de mover su cuerpo en interiores y te animo a usar una variedad de formas para facilitar el juego de movimiento. Cambiar los juegos y los juguetes activos en tu casa puede mantener a tus hijos interesados por más tiempo y usar diferentes músculos. Tener juegos activos en tu casa es maravilloso para cansar a los niños y ayudarles a dormir mejor, pero también es para desarrollar las habilidades motoras gruesas. Un cuerpo sano y bien desarrollado no solo es bueno para la salud, sino que también es bueno para el cerebro. Hay una progresión natural en las habilidades motoras gruesas que deben ocurrir y completarse antes de que un niño esté listo para la parte académica. Tener la fuerza central para sentarse en una mesa o escritorio durante un período de tiempo es importante si tu hijo va a ir a la escuela para el jardín de infantes, pero también es importante para la vida diaria y la salud.
Wondering what you should do with your backyard, porch, or balcony so your young child can play outside and be engaged in their play? Here are some suggestions to make small or large spaces enticing for your child.
Whether you have a standard backyard, 40 acres, a patio, a balcony, a front yard, a side yard, or a rooftop terrace, if it is at least 4 by 6 feet, you can make an outdoor space for your child to play. Outdoor spaces for young children to play give them, and you, a break from being inside all day and is vital for health and development. In Scandinavian countries, it is typical for young children and infants to nap outside in strollers, even in very cold temperatures. It gives children a respite from the germs, air pollution, and noises of indoor life. Fresh air and sunshine are healthy for our bodies and important for our immune systems to function properly. Playing outside allows children time to decompress and move their bodies. The feel of wind and sunshine on their skin, the smell of grass and trees, and the sound of leaves and lawn mowers engage their senses. Children can explore their outdoor environment and develop their gross motor skills through climbing and running, their fine motor skills through playing with dirt and rocks, their hand-eye coordination by throwing a ball, and their proprioceptive skills through jumping and swinging. Let’s look at what elements to have in your outdoor space to entice your children to enjoy being outside and to stimulate their minds.
The first element to have is water. Water play outside, if it is at least 60°F, provides a lovely sensory experience for young children. Whether this is a large bowl, basin, water table, kiddy pool, a horse trough, natural pond or large pool, young children love to play with water. They love to splash in it, pour water into and out of different containers, wiggle their toes in it, create bubbles and explore the feel of water on their skin. Water is a sensory experience and is great for outdoor play. Children should have funnels, cups and sponges to use in the water to experience all of its diverse qualities. Water play teaches cause and effect, fine motor skills, and hand-eye coordination.
The second element is living plants. These can be two pots with plants growing in them. This could also be a full garden, a forest behind your house, succulents if you live in the desert, or a backyard with grass. There should be dirt, rocks, leaves, something to smell, and something to touch with gentle hands. This is about creating a space to activate your child’s senses through visual green growing plants and their smells, sounds, feels and, possibly, tastes. If you do have a standard yard with grass, see if you can also have trees, bushes, or other plants growing. If you have pots, see about growing herbs that children can smell, or taste, like sage or mint. Green growing things invite young children outside and stimulate their senses in a way that concrete and rocks cannot.
El tercer elemento que hay que tener es arena, tierra y/o guijarros que su hijo pueda recoger, verter, construir, ensuciar y manipular con las manos. Deberían poder mezclar este elemento con su agua para crear nuevas sensaciones y aprender sobre el barro, la arena mojada o cómo el agua fluye sobre las rocas. Puede usar cualquier cosa, desde un cubo de plástico hasta un arenero enorme, o tal vez su patio trasero sea la playa. Se debe animar a los niños y permitirles hacer pasteles de barro y castillos. Deben tener palas, cubos y moldes para llenar y crear. Esto les enseña causa y efecto, coordinación mano-ojo, habilidades motoras finas, habilidades visoespaciales e incluso habilidades emocionales a medida que navegan por sus creaciones que se caen o no salen como las habían planeado.
Si tiene un espacio exterior muy pequeño, esto es todo lo que necesita para su hijo. Quizás añada una pequeña silla y mesa para usted para completar el espacio. Su hijo todavía puede pasar 45-60 minutos al aire libre todos los días en este espacio. Pueden ayudarle a regar las plantas, pueden merendar fuera y pueden jugar. Puede encontrar parques cerca de usted, u otros espacios al aire libre, para desarrollar habilidades motoras gruesas porque aquí es donde paso a hablar de equipos de juego al aire libre para espacios exteriores más grandes.
La primera herramienta motora gruesa para su espacio exterior sería un columpio. Puede ser un columpio individual o un juego de columpios completo. Funcionan hamacas, columpios para bebés o columpios normales. Los columpios desarrollan la percepción propioceptiva de los niños a través del viento contra sus cuerpos y la sensación de ir y venir repetidamente. A medida que los niños crecen, puede cambiar un columpio para bebés por un columpio más tradicional y su hijo puede aprender a impulsarse boca abajo en el columpio, o sentarse de lado y fingir que está en un caballo hasta que esté listo para aprender a bombear las piernas. Los niños pueden trepar por un columpio, colgarse de él o crear una tienda de campaña colocando una toalla sobre él. Los niños pueden empujar a sus muñecas, animales de peluche o dinosaurios en el columpio, y aprender a no ser golpeados por el columpio que regresa. Los columpios son geniales para el cucú-tras, hacer cosquillas en los dedos de los pies, cantar canciones y ser tontos con los bebés. Son geniales para que los niños pequeños aprendan a subirse, pedir que los empujen o columpiarse boca abajo.
The second most important play equipment is a slide. A plastic toddler slide works great, but larger slides attached to swing sets or tree houses are also great. A slide placed on a hill and properly secured can also be great fun. Part of the slide is the stairs. Learning how to go up the stairs is just as important a skill as learning how to get into position at the top of the slide and control the landing. Slides are all about cause and effect. Children can put balls, dolls, cars and other toys down the slide as well to see how fast they move and how far they travel once off the slide. Slides act as an early science experiment teaching the laws of motion for young children. Slides develop gross motor skills, but also executive functioning skills, as children learn about height and fear, being in control or out of control, and managing the speed they feel comfortable with.
The third category which I would encourage for outdoor spaces is something to climb. This could be a climbing tree, a sturdy log construction, a climbing dome, or a swing set with a climbing wall. Climbing is all about risk assessment for children. With each step up or handhold, a child assesses if they are steady or about to fall. Children learn balance, hand-eye coordination, gross motor skills and fine motor skills through climbing. They also work on their emotional development as they deal with falls, bonks, and disappointments. Grass, sand, or mats made for impact will provide a relatively safe landing area under the climbing equipment. Hard compacted dirt is very unforgiving, as are rocks. There should be risk with climbing, but minimal chance of serious injury. Risky play builds children’s confidence in their abilities and teaches them to manage fears. By taking risks, they are setting patterns for trying new skills, even when difficult.
Outdoor spaces don’t have to be large, and they don’t need all of these elements immediately. Starting one step at a time, or one purchase at a time, works great. An infant is not ready for a slide or something to climb, but even newborns can enjoy water play in their warm bath. Most of all, outdoor spaces should be fun and relaxing for everyone, so include your comfort in your outdoor planning. Happy playing!
Hi! My name is Tessa and I am so glad that you have found my blog. I love teaching about parenting, childhood, nutrition and homeschooling. I am a lifelong learner who enjoys doing research and I hope to share this knowledge with others.
Me gradué de Scripps College en California con una doble especialización en Inglés e Historia. Sin saber a dónde me llevaría la vida, me convertí en au pair de una familia maravillosa con tres niños menores de 5 años en una hermosa finca en Suiza, donde descubrí mi amor por recoger arándanos frescos directamente del arbusto y que realmente estaba bien que los más pequeños comieran tierra. Después de un poco más de deambular, me convertí primero en asistente de maestra de preescolar y luego en maestra de preescolar calificada y líder de grupo, en un preescolar inspirado en Reggio Emilia y apropiado para el desarrollo en dos acres de terreno. Aprendí aquí que pintar con matamoscas es muy divertido y que es posible tener a los niños al aire libre en casi cualquier clima.
Me encontraba constantemente emparejada con niños con necesidades especiales y, habiendo sido voluntaria en la escuela secundaria con esta población, decidí convertirme en maestra de educación especial. Inicialmente, me convertí en paraprofesional de secundaria trabajando con estudiantes de 7º a 12º grado con necesidades especiales. Con la ayuda de un programa de licencias alternativas, me convertí en maestra de educación especial con licencia K-12 en una escuela rural de montaña. Aquí es donde aprendí que el potencial no está definido por una discapacidad etiquetada y que los niños de todas las edades tienen una asombrosa capacidad para sorprenderte. También me convertí en madre adoptiva con licencia mientras trabajaba como maestra de educación especial y, durante los siguientes 7 años, tuve 12 niños en mi hogar a través del sistema de acogida. Algunos se quedaron por horas, otros por un año. Tenían edades comprendidas entre los 13 meses y los 17 años.
Cuando llegó el COVID, pasé un año enseñando inglés a estudiantes de inglés en China y enseñando habilidades de lectura temprana virtualmente a estudiantes en los EE. UU. Luego acepté un trabajo como maestra de intervención en una escuela concertada Waldorf K-8 donde aprendí que los gnomos se pueden usar para enseñar matemáticas y la alegría de la pintura al agua húmedo sobre húmedo. Aquí enseñé a estudiantes con dificultades matemáticas, lectura y escritura, al tiempo que tuve el privilegio de formar mi propia familia. Actualmente, soy bendecida de ser una madre que trabaja desde casa con mi revoltoso hijo de tres años. La vida me ha enseñado a abrazar los desafíos, por eso estoy comenzando este blog. Deseo compartir el conocimiento que he adquirido al ser maestra, madre adoptiva y madre con otros padres que buscan criar intencionalmente y que están interesados en encontrarse con sus hijos donde se encuentran en su desarrollo, sin importar sus diversas necesidades.
Gracias por visitar mi blog.
What should parents be doing every day with their toddlers? If you have asked this question before, here are some developmentally appropriate suggestions for how to set up your daily play with a two-year-old girl.
Si tienes una niñita en este rango de edad, podrías estar considerando empezar la guardería con ellas. Son curiosas y brillantes con tantas preguntas. Parecen listas para aprender sus letras y números, pero si realmente lo has intentado, probablemente encontrarás que un minuto saben qué es la A y al siguiente no. Si intentas que se queden quietas, terminan debajo de su silla o rodando por el suelo. Aunque es tentador empezar la guardería a esta edad, yo esperaría hasta que sus cerebros y cuerpos estén listos para procesar y retener la información que quieres que aprendan. Entonces, ¿qué deberíamos hacer con estas niñitas que parecen tan ansiosas por aprender?
If you have both girls and boys, you might already be aware of the vast differences between the species. Little boys in general seem determined to try to jump off the tallest rocks and you spend an astronomical amount of your time keeping them from injuring themselves, but they also seem almost proud of their injuries. Little girls can be just as active and energetic, or not, but seem to actually care about injuring themselves. At 2, both genders seem to delight in making giant messes, running around in circles and creating absolute chaos, but testosterone is already surging through little boys at this age causing them to seek additional adrenaline experiences. This isn’t to say all boys, or all girls, are the same. There are vast differences in temperament, personality and family dynamics, but I will write a separate blog for boys of this age because their needs usually are different than girls.
First, and foremost, children this age need several hours a day of outside time or movement play. Even if they are playing in the sand or drawing with chalk outside, that still counts because the feel of the sun on their face, the sound of birds chirping, and the smell of grass are still engaging their senses in ways that being indoors does not. Ideally, girls should be spending over an hour outside in the morning and in the afternoon. If not able to be outside, the time should be made up of indoor movement play that uses their whole body. If a child does not get these hours a day of either outside or movement time, they will show it at bedtime.
The second most important element of your schedule for this age group of girls is being around other children their own age. Aim for about 5 hours a week around other children from 1 to 5 years of age. This can be at the park, or an indoor play place, and can also count towards your outside or movement time. Even if your child has siblings, it is important for girls this age to still spend time around other children to develop language, social, and emotional skills. Making friendships is also an important developmental step for this age and seeing the same children on a regular basis is the best way to help your child make friends. Friendships allow children to practice their relationship skills and executive functioning skills. These are things like sharing, take turns, cooperative play, conversational skills, and having empathy for another child.
Creación de Espacios Exteriores para Niños Pequeños
Movement Play for Young Children
The third most important element is sensory play. Two- and three-year-olds are still integrating their senses and this needs to happen before their brains will be ready for formalized learning. This should look like two or three 20-minute sessions of play dough, kinetic sand (if 3), dried beans, water play, or even helping you bake and playing with the dough. This would also include playing with instruments, playing with kid-safe flashlights in a tent, or driving toy cars along a toy road. Sensory play should rotate between texture, sound, balance and visual experiences.
The fourth element of a child’s day at this age should be open-ended art time. This should be separate than sensory play or outside/movement play. This would include drawing with large crayons, markers, finger paints, dot markers, shaving cream, large foam stickers, and large butcher paper or construction paper. This should be messy and I recommend a designated spot for this play. This art time should be all about the process and should not be geared towards any end product. This is also about sensory integration, fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, and cause and effect. Art smocks are also helpful.
There are some other elements that you can start to incorporate into your schedule as your child shows that they are ready for them. These are building blocks towards pre-academics. They develop executive function skills like focus, turn taking, and patience. Some girls will be ready for all of these things at 2 ½, while others may not be ready till closer to 3 ½.
The first is structured art projects with an end product. This is where you introduce smaller crayons, smaller markers, paint brushes, colored pencils, watercolors, kid scissors, and glue sticks. The fine motor skills needed to use smaller crayons and markers, paint brushes, and scissors don’t usually develop until closer to age 3. Before that age, children may also struggle with the sequence of steps needed to use these tools. Once your child is ready, you can replace two of your open art sessions a week with structured art sessions. These should be heavily parent led and supervised at first as your child learns new skills, but over time this should evolve into creating art projects together. For context, my oldest daughter was exactly 3 when she was ready for this and I used a child’s craft book for inspiration.
The last category is game time. This is when your child is ready to follow simple rules with game boards or cards. Pick games that you can adapt so there is no clear winner. Games like Duck, Duck, Goose or tag are great around this age. Games that involve taking turns and minor disappointments are also good to introduce. Look for game boards that are recommended for ages 3 or 4. You may have to adapt them though. This is a great time to also introduce real puzzles that you and your child do together. This would replace some of your sensory play sessions. For context, my oldest daughter was 2 and 9 months old when she was ready for this, but we started with just 10 minutes a few times a week.
Here is an example of what a daily schedule might look like for a 2-year-old girl.
