Kids Corner

Idea #1

Arranging food by color, shape and texture.

If your child is a picky eater, here’s a great way to get them excited about food. Divide your food by colors, for example, and encourage your child to eat at last 4 colors with every meal. You can also cut various foods into various shapes (or better yet, let your kid use cookie cutters to shape various foods), and create a story out of the food, to motivate them to eventually eat it all up and get those important nutrients.

Reference: www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-living/childrens-health/in-depth/childrens-he...

Idea #2

Create a chart of emotions.

Your kid may not be able to express emotions very well, especially if he or she doesn’t have the proper vocabulary necessary to do so. A fun activity to do together is to draw various emotions on a chart using smileys. This will be a great opportunity to discuss various emotions and will simplify your child’s ability to express his or herself.

Reference: www.zerotothree.org/resources/241-24-36-months-social-emotional-development

Idea #3

Create a mood chart

It’s not easy for your child to express himself, so creating a mood chart and placing it somewhere accessible might allow him to do so in an easy way. You can create the chart together, drawing symbols for happiness, sadness, fear, anger, and so on. Then, whenever your child is upset or throwing a tantrum, you can both use the mood chart to better understand what is going on. A visual aid will help him to express things he may not have the vocabulary for yet.

Idea #4

Create a routine chart

Kids love routine. It is comforting for them. To help get things organized, create a chart together that lays out the plan for the day. This way she can understand time and knows what is coming up. If there is a change in the routine, then adapt the routine chart. This will make the change easier for her to accept and adapt to.

Idea #5

Find Shapes in Nature

As your child learns about various shapes, a fun activity can be going out on the streets and looking for various shapes, like circles, squares, rectangles and triangles. This is a fun activity to do together outdoors and will teach your child about space and basic geometry.

Idea #6

Build mountains out of house items

A good way to teach your child to climb stairs is to build various little mountains out of empty boxes (that are sturdy enough to hold his weight) or pillows, and building mini-mountains somewhere safe where he can practice climbing and not worry about hurting himself if he falls.

Idea #7

Create a memory game

Cut out small pieces of colored cardboard and create pairs of numbers, letters, or symbols. Then turn them over and have your child try to match the cards. It may take him a while, but playing with colors can help him out. It’s a great way for him to start exercising his memory, and you can help him out until he understands how it works.

Idea #8

Put together a play

Encourage your child to create stories and use her imagination by putting together a play for the entire family, starring her favorite toys. Don’t worry if it doesn’t make sense. The point is to get her to led her mind wander and explore possibilities. Having an audience will also build her self-confidence.