Jack Frost is in the air. The holiday season will soon be upon us; and with the fervor and festivities comes the gift giving season. It is a time of generosity, and a time of watching wallets to stretch how far those pennies can go while maximizing fun!
Occupations are the activities you fill your day with.
Your daily occupations can be divided in to three realms; self-care, productivity and leisure. The main occupation for children is play. It is through active play that they learn, grow, and develop.
As we enter the winter season, school holidays arrive and children spend more time indoors and at home.
Caregivers and educators spent a lot of effort considering play and how to fill this indoor time for busy little minds and bodies.
By making conscious choices of the items placed in the play environment and a little thoughtful planning, children can develop the skills they need to be successful at school and in life through fun, low cost activities. Remember the kiddo who got the expensive present, paid it no attention and instead had a riot playing with the box?
Here are a few suggestions:
Modeling clay and play dough for hand strength, manipulation and imagination.
Activity books such as dot-to-dots, drawing, colouring and mazes to work on pencil control.
Crayons, changeable markers, finger paint, pastels.
Pull out those games for a little retro fun and the development of in-hand manipulation skills! Try Tiddlywinks, Light Bright, Crocano, play cards and card games, Yatzee, marbles, Barrel of Monkeys, Battleship and add in Rubik's cube for a little visual perceptual fun.
Fill a tray with sand, rice, lentils or beans to draw and print in.
Make holiday cards or place settings; string popcorn/pasta/cheerios to make edible jewelry or ornaments.
Use a hole punch - (craft stores sell fun animal hole punches) to work on pre-scissor skills. To work on beginner scissor skills, try using them to cut plastercine.
Fill the tub with soap crayons, wind up boats, dollar store letters and animals that stick to the wall with water, a turkey baster and mini water guns to facilitate pre-scissor skill squeezing and a little bath-time fun!
Build a cool fort or a pet playground with boxes, scissors, markers and tape.
Popsicle sticks to play pick-up sticks or build crafts.
Practice simple magic tricks; learn to spell your name in sign language; create a secret handshake or play handclapping games to learn new hand movements; practice crossing the midline of the body while coordinating both sides together, and how to plan those movements.
Lego and building blocks.
Download or "YouTube" visual and written instructions and make paper airplanes, pirate hats or origami.
Be creative and think like a kid. Use your imagination.
