Ideas for things to do over the Summer!

Enjoy summer break, but most importantly make sure you child does too! Interact with your child and spend time with them! Then, towards the end begin to get them on track with a set schedule before school starts. It will be a tough transition for them going to full day! Have a great summer!! 


*Practice cutting with scissors. make sure your child's thumb is facing the ceiling (on top) when cutting. Our rhyme at school is, "My thumb on top, and I chop, chop, chop!"

* Practice fine motor activities such as using tweezers at home to pick up pieces of popcorn kernels, cotton balls, dry beans, etc. and place them in a container. This will help to improve isolation of fingers for handwriting.

* Point out letters and the sounds they make on street signs, in magazines, on cereal boxes, etc. Expose your child to both upper and lower case! Write a letter, or make the sound the letter makes, and let your child go for a "hunt" to search for it in thier favorite book or even on a piece of paper with the alphabet already written on it.

* Encourage your child go for a "hunt" to search for it in their favorite book or even on a piece of paper with the alphabet already written on it.

* Remember to keep your child a chance to "try thier best" first before helping or doing the task for them. This helps encourage independence as well as self-confidence that it's okay to need help as long as they make attempts first. ESPECIALLY coats, zippers, gloves!  :)

*Play a board game together to practice taking turns.

* Let your child count amounts. Be sure to have them count 1 to 1 correspondence!

* Have your child retell a favorite story to you!

* Draw pictures together! Ask you child to tell you about their picture-- write it down on the paper! This give them an early connection between spoken and written language.

* Play with play dough or clay! Let your child really work their fingers, cut the clay with scissors, count pieces, etc.

* Let your child practice pouring…milk, water, etc. This can be either to help with getting meals ready or just for play in the bathtub!

* Take a "picture walk" of a new book. Look at the pictures together of an unfamiliar book and let your child PREDICT/ tell what they think the story will be about.

Great Internet Resources:

www.starfall.com

TumbleBooks (Go through Public Library Link)