Supporting Christian Science families and their young children
Materials
Peg number boards
Directions
Encourage your toddler or preschooler to place pegs into the wooden number boards. For toddlers, this is an activity that supports eye/hand coordination and fine motor control. Preschoolers should be encouraged to place the peg boards in numerical order (1-10) and count the pegs on each board using one-to-one correspondence.
Materials
Tempera paint
White Paper
Paint brush
Work surface (table)
Directions
Secure a piece of white drawing paper to the table surface. Using a marker, draw lines down the paper approximately two inches apart. Pour tempera paint into a paint cup or on a small paper plate. Encourage your toddler to use a paint brush to paint a stripe between each of the marker lines on paper. Allow to dry, then display.
This activity encourages your toddler to track with his eyes and control of the paint brush.
Materials
Tempera paint in various colors, if desired
Striped Wrapping Paper
Paint brush or foam sponge brush for each color paint
Work surface (table or easel)
Directions
Secure a piece of wrapping paper to the table surface or easel. Pour tempera paint into paint cups or on small paper plates. Encourage your child to use a paint brush or foam sponge brush to paint between the lines of the wrapping paper. Allow to dry, then display.
This activity encourages concentrated focus and control of the paint brush – a good one for preschoolers.
Materials
Solid color winter scarf (or make one out of fleece)
Colored craft sticks
Tray
Pictures of patterns (optional)
Directions
Lay the solid-colored winter scarf out on a flat surface (a carpeted space works well). Place a supply of colored craft sticks on a tray next to the scarf. Invite your child to place craft sticks along the scarf in a simple pattern to make stripes. How lovely!
Younger children will enjoy just making stripes with the craft sticks, if patterns haven’t been introduced yet.
Small package of colored sand
Tray or cookie sheet
Objects that will make tracks (i.e. combs, small plastic hand rake, children’s paint scrapers)
Pour sand onto a tray or cookie sheet. Place various objects for your child to scrape and drag through the sand making interesting tracks. Observe as she explores.
4 eggs
1/4 cup Milk
2 Tablespoons of butter
Salt and Pepper to taste
Bowl for mixing
Whisk
Skillet
Spatula
Help your child crack four eggs into a bowl. Measure 1/4 cup of milk. Invite your child to pour the milk in with the eggs. Sprinkle salt and pepper into your child’s hand and add to the mixture. BEAT eggs, milk, salt and pepper in bowl until blended. Invite your child to help with this step, too.
HEAT butter in large nonstick skillet over medium heat until hot. POUR IN egg mixture.
As eggs begin to set, GENTLY PULL the eggs across the pan with an inverted turner, forming large soft curds. Continue pulling and turning until no visible liquid egg is seen. Remove from heat and serve.
Ingredients
Jello
Boiling water
Cold water
Milk
Knox gelatin
Granulated sugar
Vanilla
Directions
See recipe
Materials
White paper
Crayons or markers (thick crayons, markers, or crayon rocks work best for small hands)
Tape
Directions
Secure the paper with tape onto the work surface. Encourage your toddler to choose a crayon or marker and make lines or stripes down the paper. Introduce the words top and bottom. With toddlers, don’t be too concerned about the way your child chooses to grip the writing instrument. Encourage preschool age children to hold the marker or crayon using a correct writing grip.
Materials
White paper (approx. 12 inches square)
2-gallon Zip-loc baggie
Large bottle of baby oil (half bottle)
1 cup water, colored with food coloring
Flat floral marbles
Small craft paint rollers
Directions
With a marker, draw lines down a piece of 12″ square paper. Secure it to the table with tape. Place about 20 flat floral marbles in the 2-gallon Zip-loc baggie. Add 1 cup of colored water and half of a large bottle baby oil to the baggie. Secure all sides with clear duct tape and tape on top of the paper. Encourage your child to try to place the floral marbles between the lines using their fingers or roller. Preschoolers can count the number of marbles between each stripe.
Materials
12″ pieces of ribbon in all sorts of colors
Clear contact paper (12″ square)
Directions
Secure contact paper to a table, sticky side up. Invite your child to choose one ribbon at a time and gently lay it across the contact paper. Continue until the contract paper is covered with stripes of ribbon. Hang contact paper on a window to allow light to shine through. This makes a beautiful colorful hanging.