We love reading. We also take it for granted. We all read but how much time? Bedtime only/sometimes? For a project only or just for fun? Whatever the reason- take today as book marathon day.
I very much enjoyed The Read-Aloud Handbook. Which led us to focus on…reading stories aloud even as they get past 6. We also love audio stories and hope our kids will continue to love listening to stories as we do.
The BG has almost daily reading books from Kindie to read. I wanted him to still enjoy reading even though he’s learning. I didn’t want him put off reading by the struggle of it and missing out on the fun of the words.
The MO seems to have an insatiable appetite for books. We say, “Don’t sit down for long otherwise MO will bring you a book!” and it’s true.
The LO has realised his fingers can be directed and screw up and grab really well so he’s truly getting into books too. So with all this reading going on I need to find fun books to read as well. This compendium has 44 stories. Yes you read right 44- try buying 44 books separately for around $40.
The 1000 picture book blog post has been playing on my mind. My date planner is always nearby so I’m recording our books in there on each day. I’m not aiming for 1000 picture books but recording what books we read seems a fun thing to do. When I went home I was able to show my oldest some of my reading books still on my shelf in my bedroom. I’d love to be able to show the boys the appetite they had for books when they are older. I hope it’s still remains.
This is one of those unplugged activities we all do. Let’s change it a little bit and do something different than usual.
Ideas
Make a fort and read under the sheets or under the table.
Choose a theme of books and read. ( i.e. poetry, rhyme, dinosaurs, princesses, Ancient Rome, minibeasts, Thomas the tank etc)
Read for an amount of time rather than an amount of books ( or the other way around)
Let the youngest choose the most books and the oldest choose the least.
YOU get to choose the books instead of the kiddos
THEY get to choose the books from a selection
Download an audiobook from Audible.com
Listen to a story from Storynory.com
Visit the library and find an audio story/ and written story combination.
and many more……….
Share your ideas
What are your favourite books? How do you keep reading really interesting and fun as the kids get older? What read alouds or picture books are your favourites? Do you have goals like 1000 books in 2009 or 12 chapter books in 12 months; go to the library every week?
NB: I know that ‘marathon’ suggests a race of reading 100s of books. That’s not my idea. More- reading more than you would usually do/doing something different. Instead inspiring and promoting reading as a direct activity rather than a fill in activity ( got 10 minutes) or bolt on activity ( bedtime).
Put your thoughts in a blog post and use that link, not your blog, into Mr Linky. We want to go right to your post
Add a comment here as well if you’d like.
Follow the other Operation Playtimers and comment on their #OPT post.
This is Amber from Because Babies Grow Up. My educational background is in child development. After college I worked with infants performing developmental assessments. From those assessments, I learned a lot of fun mini-activities at every stage that kids love. I now have two girls and have enjoyed watching them discover the joy of play. I’m excited to share one of our favorite play activities with Operation Playtime.
Today we’ll head into the kitchen and mix up a batch of cookies! This is my favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe ever. Whenever I talk about cooking with Sammi (my 2 1/2 year old) I typically hear these responses: It takes so much longer to cook with kids helping; It is so much messier when the kids help; I don’t know how my kids can help.
Here are some ideas to combat those potential setbacks:
Set aside extra time to bake. Think of this as any other play activity. Let it take as long as it takes!
Plan for messes. Keep paper towels, washcloths, or sponges close at hand to quickly wipe up the messes. It’s so much easier to clean up as you go so it’s not so overwhelming when you’re done.
Making cooking a play activity takes a little extra prep, but it’s worth it!
Give your kids wiggle room. Let them practice pouring, scooping, stirring. You’ll never know what they can do until you let them try.
Cooking promotes both cognitive development as well as motor development. Kids are increasing their understanding of ingredients-separate things come together to make something else-and measurements. At the same time, they’re practicing fine and gross motor movements: holding a measuring spoon and pouring it into a bowl, stirring, scooping flour or sugar with a measuring cup.
I have to credit my husband with this, but since we started cooking with Sammi, she can now crack an egg, open it and dump the egg into a bowl. To top it off, she rarely gets any egg shells in with the egg. I know that the only reason she can do that at 2 1/2 years is because we trusted her enough to let her try. I cleaned a lot of egg up off the floor, but now she has a lot of confidence in her abilities and loves to cook.
If this is your first experience letting your child cook with you, I caution you to not expect it to go perfectly. It may not even go smoothly! But, if you remember that it’s play and the process is the activity, then it can be a lot of fun. Your kids will be so excited to do something they’ve never done before, especially something they see you do all the time.
Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookies (from Crisco)
3/4 C (cup)Butter flavored Crisco shortening
1 1/4 C firmly packed light brown sugar
2 T (tablespoon) milk
1 T vanilla
1 egg
1 3/4 C all purpose flour
1 t (teaspoon) salt
3/4 t baking soda
1 C semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 C coarsely chopped pecans (optional)
Heat oven to 375° F.
Combine shortening, brown sugar, milk and vanilla in bowl. Mix until well blended.
Beat egg into creamed mixture.
Add flour, salt and baking soda. Mix into creamed mixture.
Stir in chocolate chips and pecan pieces.
Drop by the spoonful onto a cookie sheet. Bake 8-10 min. Remove from oven and let cool on cookie sheet 1-2 minutes. Remove cookies from baking sheet and place on cooling rack.
Enjoy with a glass of milk! (I give Sammi the beater to eat while I drop the cookies on the baking sheet. Her attention span for this activity is pretty much up once the chocolate chips come out!)
Ideas
Share your cooking stories. What do you love or hate to do? Have you tried baking but not helping with a main meal? or visa versa.
Put your thoughts in a blog post and use that link, not your blog, into Mr Linky. We want to go right to your post
Add a comment here as well if you’d like.
Follow the other Operation Playtimers and comment on their #OPT post.
Operation Playtime Day 2 of 12: Record a nursery rhyme or action song together.
When was the last time you sang a traditional nursery rhyme or song for children? ( No, Barney doesn’t count.) There are so many great fun ones out there that are useful to have up your sleeve when you’re standing in line longer than expected.
Ideas
Ones with actions & sound effects ( 10 fat sausages); unexpected actions ( sing a song of sixpence); national ones ( London’s burning); family ones. Ask your parents about their childhood rhymes especially if they lived or grew up in a different country/place. It’s fascinating to teach your child a song that your parents sang especially if you can get to record that memory forever. If the traditional rhymes don’t suit you try a modern action song( When all the cows are sleeping etc)
As well as the language, cognitive and concentration/memory benefits; singing songs is just plain fun. Everyone should have a song up their sleeve. Lifts the mood, distracts a child & brings a smile to more than just your face when you hear their version.
Some of nursery rhymes have some interesting meanings from history. Do you know what song you used to sing?
Share your new rhyme or song with your child.
Put your thoughts in a blog post and use that link, not your blog, into Mr Linky. We want to go right to your post
Add a comment here as well if you’d like.
Follow the other Operation Playtimers and comment on their #OPT post.
Hands up- how many of us have blocks at home….somewhere? Maybe you have family wooden blocks that your grandpa made;coloured blocks, wooden blocks or plastic blocks. If you don’t have blocks try cans but be extra careful of little fingers and expect dents.
Whatever you have let’s play!
Dust off your blocks
Find a suitable area so the blocks can stack and fall safely.
Ideas
Try something new. If you usually initiate block play by starting a tower or lining them up. Don’t. Instead assemble and bring your child to the blocks. Sit with him and wait and see what they do with it.For more about this approach read more about block play.
Established block players or older children extend the game into some pretend play scenarios. Give them scarves or other natural materials to encourage pretend play; perhaps read a book to inspire acting out of a scene. You may try acting out a scene with the blocks yourself if this type of play is new.
Kids love when we are silly. The problem here is that they may just copy and never try their own ideas. With time and more opportunities they will try experimenting often building from your scaffolded ideas. Maybe today is their first time of free playing with blocks.
Try asking questions, “Parents can instead ask questions- “What shape do you need? I’ll hand them to you.” or ” Tell me what you are doing?” ” Where would they sleep?” Here the parent is being the assistant not the director. The parent is deepening and not directing. ” Who should I be?” Let your child direct.” Overlooked creative toys II
Come back and tell us your experiences of using blocks. Share what you did. How did you like the free play? What do you need help with? What blocks do you have/prefer?
Put your thoughts in a blog post and use that link, not your blog, into Mr Linky.
Sign up to our play-activities email and you will receive a new, fun, educational activity to try at home with your child each week. Best of all, it's completely FREE!
. Which led us to focus on…reading stories aloud even as they get past 6. We also love audio stories and hope our kids will continue to love listening to stories as we do.
. This is our current popular read.
Subscribe by RSS
