Stress-Free Ways To Play With Your Cutie Pies During A Pandemic
- Mar 24, 2020
- 2 min read
Updated: Mar 25, 2020
Even though we are staying safe inside, that doesn’t mean the fun has to end. Here are some simple play ideas for you and your kiddos.
Littles learn about themselves and the world around them through hands-on play. Play is essential for brain development as well as gross and fine motor skills. Every time your little use their senses and slowly growing motor skills while playing, they are learning.
““Children’s play is not just kids’ stuff. Children’s play is rather the stuff of most future inventions.” -Mr. Rogers
Are You Ready To Play?!
Play helps your child:
+ build self confidence
+ develop social and language skills
+ feel loved and happy
+ learn about caring for others and compassion for the world around them
Freeze Dance!
Play music and encourage your boogie monster to dance or move around however they like. If they’re not on-the-move yet, throw on your own boogie shoes and shake what your mama gave ya. Pause the music and STOP! This kind of movement activity encourages listening skills and self-regulation as they learn the concepts of stopping and starting. This is a very useful skill for when they go to school and have to follow directions.
Check out these awesome Kindie Rock musicians that will even get moms + dads rockin' out!
I’m With The Band
Gather several objects that make different noises—pots & pans, water bottles filled with beans, baby rattles, bells, squeaky toys, etc. Start singing your favorite song, pick up an instrument, and make some music together. Discover some fun DIY instruments from Red Tricycle here
Storytime @ Home
Are you missing your storytime from your local library? Make your own up. Sing songs and nursery rhymes. Your little will enjoy singing with you, especially songs that involve actions. Sing your familiar rhymes and fingerplays. As you read books, ask your kiddo to “point to the butterfly” or “show me the sunshine” in their favorite stories. They may be too little to identify the pictures yet, but the more you point to objects and ask questions, the more you may be surprised by how many words your little seems to know. Reading helps children understand the connection between words and pictures and supports the building of their vocabulary. For some fantastic educational resources and must-have picture books check out Brightly.
ROAR! I'm A Dinosaur!
Give your kiddos opportunities for pretend play whenever you can. You can create an exciting bear cave using a bedsheet over a table, take an apron + some play food and become a chef, or turn empty tissue boxes into dinosaur feet. Even simple props like scarves, your twenty empty Amazon boxes, or clothes can give your toddler ideas to make up stories or pretend games.
Check out some more ideas at Hands On As We Grow.
The best part is that these activities are so fun even the older siblings will jump in and join the party. #familyfun
Let's get playing!
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