Play is an important experience for your child's sense of self-discovery. Through play, they will learn to start projects, explore and create. They will also have many opportunities to develop the social skills necessary to form friendships, cooperate with others and solve personal problems.
Meaningful Play Experience
• Let your child sort laundry. Show them how to put socks in pairs.
• Gather buttons of all sizes, colors and shapes. Let them sort or string them by color, shape, size, etc.
• Let your child help you set the table. Ask them to put a glass by each plate, a fork and a napkin for each place setting.
• Go for walks in your neighborhood. Help your child find and identify different objects such as leaves, trees, etc.
• Read books about different occupations and allow your child to pretend to do what they do and express what they themselves would like to be.
• Visit places where people work in the community or show them to your child through books, magazines, newspapers, etc.
• Use a book the child likes and act out a play; use costumes, props and furniture.
Stranger Safety
It is very important to teach your child about strangers. It’s best not to accept rides from, or even talk to, strangers, or ever go anywhere with an adult they do not know well. Teaching children this poem can be fun and also help them remember to be safe.
Turtle Knows
Turtle doesn't talk to strangers,
No matter how friendly they are.
He won't take anything from them
Or get in a stranger's car.
Most strangers are just nice people
That you simply haven't met.
But, sad to say, there are others
Who are bad and a dangerous threat.
“Better to be safe than sorry”
Is a saying that's old but true.
So Turtle won't take any chances
And wants YOU to be careful too!
Things You Can Do Every Day to Help Your Child Grow
• Play word games with your child. Use words that sound alike and make up silly sayings:
"I see a PIE in the SKY. Do you see a KEY in a TREE?"
Let your child finish a phrase: Do you feel the HEAT on the ________?” Your child could answer: “seat,” “street,” “beat”—any word that ends with the same sound as HEAT is fine.
• Have your child pretend they are a bird and act it out, or a tree, a dog, or an elephant. Guess what they are. Then you act out something and let them guess.
• Talk with your child. Listen to them and answer them. Ask a question about what they told you. This will let them know you are listening and do care about what they say.
• Set aside a special reading time each week. You can call it "DEAR" time ("DEAR" stands for Drop Everything And Read). Everyone in the house reads or looks at a book, magazine, newspaper, etc. You and the adults in your home will be modeling the behavior that your want for your child.
Note: It will be hard to turn off the TV, but you can do it if you make it fun. Set a time limit—it can be five minutes at the start. After DEAR time, do something special with your family or your child. You could have popcorn or ice cream and talk about what you read. Your child could draw a picture about what they read, and you display it on the refrigerator. You could plan a "theater time" and let your child act out the story. Adults can do this too. It can be lots of fun for the whole family. As a special treat, your family could watch a family movie or play a fun game.