Language Arts
Language Arts Sub Categories
Drawing with Your Toddler…When You Don’t Know How to Draw
Drawing and toddlers go hand-in-hand. It is a great way to work on vocabulary, practice sight words, and teach them appreciation for creative arts. The problem is, we aren’t all Picasso’s.
If you have little or no artistic skill, the key to drawing with your toddler is cheating. Yep. Cheating.
Simply find yourself a children’s book on drawing. I say children’s book because there are generally fewer steps and simpler, cartoon style drawings. We aren’t aiming for still life’s in oil here. The goal is to be able to draw a simple picture that your toddler can recognize.
I love the How to Draw 101… series. The instructions are really easy and the end result is actually pretty good. I use “How to Draw 101 Animals” about every other day with my toddler. (I, regrettably, paid full price on an impulse buy at a retail store. I recommend clicking here to buy it at a discount through Amazon.com.)
Sometimes, he chooses a picture. I draw it and write the name under it. When he wants to watch a movie, I write three titles on the chalkboard with a little picture of an animal from the movie next to it so he can choose. Sometimes, we choose a letter of the alphabet and draw a bunch of animals that start with that letter. I am not joking. I use these books all the time!
Not only does my son think I can draw, but I am actually learning how to as I practice.
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Alpha-Ball Alphabet Activity
Edison and I discovered this alphabet activity together. We were going through our grown-up games trying to think of ways that a child could play with them when we came upon our Scattergories game.
Obviously, he is too young to play the real game, but it happens to come with a 20 sided die with alphabet letters on it.
My son rolls the die across the floor, tells me the letter, and we try to think of something that starts with that letter. He gets to burn some energy, practice his alphabet and phonics, while I make dinner or pick up. A good time for all.
Check out the video below to see my little man in action.
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Stop, Go, and More! (Free Activity Download)
Free Download for Stop, Go, and More signs
Get your toddler moving and teach valuable pre-reading skills with this fun activity.
It takes a little time to prepare, but once you are ready to go, you and your toddler can have fun over and over again!
What you need for this activity…
* Popsicle sticks
* A color print-out of the free Stop, Go, and More download printed on thick paper
* An extra piece of thick paper for the backs of the signs
Preparing this activity…
1. Hold the Stop, Go, and More print-out and the extra piece of paper together and cut out each circle. (This will give you a colored “sign” circle and a blank circle for the back.)
2. Glue each sign circle to a popsicle stick. Then, glue on a back so that the popsicle stick is sandwiched between a sign and a blank back.
3. Allow to dry. (You may want to put the signs under heavy books to keep them flat.
Get your Toddler Moving…
Different toddlers will want to play with the signs in different ways. Some like to lead. Some like to follow. Whether you or your toddler chooses the signs and directs the activity, the keys are:
- Read the sign out-loud and repeat it as you do what the sign says to do. (This will help your toddler associate the words with the actions.)
- Hold the sign up as you do what it says so your toddler repeatedly sees the word(s).
- Switch signs frequently to keep your toddler moving and excited.
- After you have gone through the signs a couple of times, encourage your toddler to guess what the sign says.
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Magazine Scavenger Hunt
Grab those magazines from the recycling bin and get ready to go on an alphabet hunt.
What you Need for this Toddler Activity…
* Old Magazines
* Index Cards
How you Do It…
Write each letter of the alphabet on an index card. (You can also use a cup of alphabet magnets, etc.) Have the child select a letter. Then let them find the letter or things that start with that letter in the magazine.
Taking it a Step Further…
Narrow the activity down to one letter and help them make a collage of their scavenger hunt finds.
Tips…
* If you are focusing on upper-case letters, try fashion magazines. Often, they have a lot of big, bold, headlines that are all upper-case.
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Toddler iPad Apps We Love: Fish School HD
Fish School HD absolutely rocks! My spirited toddler will happily navigate from game to game in this fantastic toddler app. Happy little fish help him practice his alphabet letters, numbers, shapes, colors, and matching. All the while, he improves his fine motor skills. If your toddler is anything like mine, you have to get Fish School HD. They will have a blast practicing all of their preschool skills!
From the Toddler App Developer
Welcome to Fish School HD – with letters, numbers, shapes, colors, matching, and more! Brought to you by the creators of Wheels on the Bus, an award-winning, educational iPhone app – featured in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, San Francisco Chronicle, Gizmodo, Discovery Channel, MSNBC.com, Wired.com, and Daily Candy.
