Problem: Schmeese needs to learn his colors, has a lot of energy and I need to nurse the new baby.
Answer: Construction paper, scissors, masking tape, marker, walls
Instructions: Get out a piece of paper for each color you want your child to learn. I chose three to start but I will add more soon.
Cut a large square from the paper and label with the word name of the color. Cut the rest of the paper into 3x3 (or so) squares.
Place large squares on different walls or in different areas of your house. I kept them in the same room this first time, but I will make it a little more exhausting next time around.
Put all small squares in a bowl. Roll up masking tape loop and put it on back of square. Hand it to your child and say the name of the color. Schmeese caught onto this so fast that I didn't even have to show him what to do. You may have to demonstrate a couple times for your child however. Have your child return to you every time to get a new color. You don't need to tape loop them all before you start. Just do it as you go. 
After about 5 or so of each color make things a bit more difficult. I stuck the colors all over Schmeese's shirt (see first picture). He had a grand time going to each color and checking out his shirt to find all corresponding colors and placing them on the wall.
If you want to use the same squares and start over again, stick all masking taped squares on separate pieces of wax paper for later use.
Cost: Pretty much Free
Variations: More colors. High and low: "Put the blue square HIGH on the wall" "Put the yellow square LOW on the wall". You could do the same activity with shapes, letters, words (for much bigger kids - I am imagining first and second graders categorizing words they read and placing them: foods, animals, household objects, plants.) You could definitely do this outside it the weather permitted. "Run to the red square! Walk backward to the yellow square!"
PS - forgive the cruddy muddy pics. Remember I was nursing?
3 comments:
We did a similar thing with numbers! Granted, El Guille was almost 3.5 years, but he loved running through the house and looking for the right number. I made index cards, you could use post-its, numbered to 20.
I left one of the drawers in the new kitchen empty and got out the plastic IKEA kid cups that come in a wide variety of colors. I put them all in the drawer and Vivian loves to get her "cup drawer" and play with them. That way, she will keep out of my pots and pans cupboard and when she has a stray cup on the floor, I can tell her to "Go and get the green cup!" I'm sure some of it will sink in. :)
great ideas. I didn't think of numbers, but that tells you the importance of numbers at my home compared to yours azucar.
My mother in law has the kid Ikea dishes too. Max always gets into that cupboard to play with them!
Post a Comment