Thinking Ahead to Summer
It may still feel chilly out there. Spring is barely recognizable in our area. But if you are like me, you are not exactly looking forward to summer. Endless light, warmth and lack of routine do not always spell r-e-l-i-e-f in households with special needs children. June, July, and August spell c-h-a-o-s and u-p-s-e-t. That’s why I start looking for summer activity suggestions in April.
Today in my Inbox I came across a newsletter from Play-Activities. Melitsa, author of Play-Activities, sent several great play ideas. My favorite is called Listening Outside.
The game is geared towards the under five crowd, but there’s a bonus benefit. It takes Mom outdoors, on her own, listening to the world around her. You don’t have to record the sounds if you don’t want to ~ just enjoy the act of listening.
If you do want to play the game with your child, here’s how it works:
Materials:
• Recording device - e.g. mobile phone, tape recorder, dictation machine, etc.
• Blank tape
Idea(s):
• When your child is not around, record some of the sounds that you hear outside.
• You might record vehicles, lawn mowers or other garden tools, dogs barking, howling or scratching, birds, children at play, sprinkler, swimming pool fun, wind chimes, foot falling on wood or concrete, ball bouncing, etc.
• Play the sounds and see how many they can identify.
• Go outside and see if that helps if they can guess.
• Try other places - park, preschool, church, garage, etc.
Good For:
• Patience
• Listening Skills
• Vocabulary
Find more ideas at:
Don't forget. Mary and I are at Momference on April 26th. Visit Momference for more information.
