Ms. Patrick’s Ready, Set, Play! Easy At-Home Activities

Activities that support social emotional development Family Game Nights Charades Candy Land Go Fish Take Advantage of free library story time programs Park District events School sponsored Family Fun Nights

Literacy Activities Provide a cookie sheet or tray covered in flour. Have children practice name printing and letter formation Spread shaving cream on kitchen table. Have fun exploring, drawing and printing on table top. Alphabet Catch- Draw letters on beach ball, play ball, balloon, or any catchable inflatable. As your child catches the object tossed, he/she must identify the letter their hand lands on. Label sheets of paper with one letter on each sheet. Lay the letters out on the floor. Use rolled up socks to toss onto letters. Thrower must identify letter the sock ball lands on. Create a hopscotch pattern on floor using masking tape to mark off squares. Label each square with a letter or number. As game is played, each player must identify each letter hopped on. ABC Target Practice- Label a set of balloons with a letter on each balloon. Tape inflated balloons to wall or door. Toss a sock ball or bean bag at the balloons. Thrower must identify letter on balloon hit. Take advantage of Goodwill stores and garage sales to create a children’s book library in your home. Children enjoy hearing favorite stories over and over again.

Important! Read and tell stories to your child daily Encourage your child to act out stories they have heard Make time for your child to dictate ideas, stories, letters. Sing songs and play rhyming games

Math Activities Provide a child friendly tape measure and go on a measuring hunt. Provide vocabulary like, “Let’s find things that are longer/shorter; wider/thinner than 10 inches!” Place an outdoor thermometer in a spot where your child can easily view the temperature outside. Have your child check the temperature on a regular basis. Have them record the number on a dry erase board on your refrigerator. (Great practice reading and writing numbers!) Practice one to one correspondence by having your child set the table each night. (One cup, one plate, one fork and one napkin at each spot) Count to 50 each night as your child brushes his/her teeth. Count the stairs as you climb up and down. Exercise count- Count as you and your child hop, jump, toe touch each day. Play number friendly board/ card games like High-Ho Cherry-Oh, or UNO

Science Create a bird feeder using Cheerios strung on a pipe cleaner. Hang on a tree and observe birds that come and eat from it. Blow bubbles outside. Observe how wind affects the motion of the bubbles. Practice creating new colors by mixing primary colored food coloring (red, blue, yellow) into small amounts of shaving cream. Blend blue tinted shaving cream with yellow to create green. Blend red tinted shaving cream with blue to create purple. Do the same with frosting and make a batch of multi-colored cupcakes! On a cold and snowy day, bring in a bucket of snow. Place on a cookie sheet and have a snow play day inside!

Arts Jello/ pudding painting Ribbon Dancing- have fun with your child waving colorful ribbons in time to music Freeze Dance- Dance in time to music. Periodically stop the music and freeze in your position. Resume playing the music and stop at unexpected times and have everyone freeze again. Create homemade play dough using flour, salt, and water. Have children measure, pour and mix. Use cookie cutters and rolling pins to create 3D works of art