Today, let’s focus on sensory activities. Sensory activities not only stimulate your child’s senses and allow them to explore, but they also help improve your child’s sensory processing systems.  

Benefits of sensory play:

• Helps build nerve connections in the brain
• Supports language development
• Encourages fine motor practice
• Encourages problem solving
• Allows children to be creative 
• Supports scientific thinking

Here are some fun sensory activities to try today:

Crunchy Box: Put any stale cereal or pasta you have into a container and have your child use a play hammer or even a spoon to pound and smash away! 

Bubble Foam: Mix 1 cup of water with 1/2 cup of bubble bath to make a large container of foam! Children can play with their hands or use cups and spoons to scoop the foam. Do this in the tub or outside for a mess free activity. 

Check out the link below for endless sensory ideas you can use all summer long! 

https://busytoddler.com/category/activities/sensory-play/

Here are some ideas you can do for the next coming weeks.

Letter Z activities:

• Encourage your child to try to make the letter Z sound
• Find things around the house that start with the letter Z 
• Write the letter Z and then have you child trace over it with different colors or trace over it with their finger 

To practice this word at home “Zip”:

• Zip and unzip a jacket or hoodie – get the zipper started for them and encourage them to pull it up and down
• Practice zipping a bag – use their backpack, an old purse, a makeup bag 

Here is a link to a book with the word “zip” week: https://tarheelreader.org/2017/12/05/i-can-zip-2/

Please click the link below to complete the survey:

https://forms.gle/DNx3eN8hcRpXsfSs5

Letter Y activities:

• Encourage your child to try to make the letter Y sound
• Find things around the house that start with the letter Y 
• Write the letter Y and then have you child trace over it with different colors or trace over it with their finger 

Our word of the week is “You”

To practice this word at home:

• Play peek-a-boo and say “I see you!”
• Ask you child “How are you?”
• Model the word throughout the day ex: “You are happy” “You are playing with the ball” “You can do it!”

Here is a link to an online book with the word of the week: https://tarheelreader.org/2014/09/10/brown-bear-brown-bear/

HERE ARE SOME ACTIVITIES THAT YOUR CHILD COULD DO AT HOME TO PRACTICE IDENTIFYING THEIR NAME.

• Writing their name in shaving cream
• Spelling their name with magnetic letters

Painting their name with a paintbrush or finger paint

• An adult/older sibling could write the child’s name in highlighter or yellow marker and the child could trace their name with a marker (same color or rainbow write – rainbow write is each letter is a different color of the rainbow) or with glitter glue.
• An adult/older sibling could write the child’s name and cut out each letter and have the child put their name back together like a puzzle

• Matching their name with post-its or notecards
• Dot stickers – plain

or with the letters of their name on them

Write the names of all of the family members and have everyone find their name.

Have you noticed that the grass is greener and the flowers are blooming outside?! Hopefully the cold weather is finally done and we can enjoy the weather and watching plants grow! Are you and your family planting a garden or flowers? If so, send me some pictures.

This pipe cleaner activity is an easy way for young children to practice hand-eye coordination and learn through play. 

Materials Needed:

-Strainer/Colander

-Pipe-cleaners

Directions:

1. Thread pipe cleaners through the colander holes one by one. You can weave in and out of holes.
2. Tape your colander on a flat surface like a table or high chair top so your child can concentrate. 
3. Encourage your child to pull out pipe cleaners one by one once you have added all the pipe cleaners. 

LETS DO SOME MORE COUNTING!!

Here are some ways to practice counting at home with your child:

• Count snack foods! Example: If you are having Goldfish crackers for snack put a few in front of your child and count them out.  Have your child point to each cracker and count along with you
• Count while folding laundry – How many shirts? How many socks?
• Sing counting songs (5 Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed, Five Green and Speckled Frogs, etc.)
• Build a block tower and count how many blocks you used
• Count the steps in your house as you practice walking up or down them
• Have your child help you set the table for dinner – How many napkins? How many forks?
• Count toys! – How many… stuffed animals, balls, cars, dolls?

Besides tracing or using play dough to make the letter “X” try forming the letter with objects found around your home.

Craft Time: