Childs are busy little people, working hard to discover their new world and learn everything they can. They move from one challenge to another in a matter of minutes and need a great deal of chasing, appealing, cleaning up after, and redirection.
These eight creative tricks by early childhood education will keep child occupied for at least ten minutes at a time, and they are great for cheering both an increase in their concentration span and budding motor skills.
1. Sorting Machine. Most kids love to sort things. For a kid who enjoys organizing, provide a few handfuls of multi-colored, O-shaped cereal and a muffin pan. With a little direction, she’ll arrange the cereal by color into the muffin pan cups and like a healthy snack. For a non-edible action, use blocks or colored calculating.
2. Toy Rotation. A bin filled with toys can be hideaway for months in a closet or storeroom. When the forgotten toys are reintroduced, kids feel they have rediscovered them.
3. Shake It Up. Place toys or treats within clear containers with the lids attached. Kids love to shake and clatter things, and when a kid realizes a treat is inside, the activity will be even more attractive.
4. Paper Play. Consider allowing kids to enfold themselves in bathroom paper and imagine they are snowmen, or to beautify the room with toilet paper decorations. You may want to use the game as a potty training introduction or celebration of a potty success.
5. Lid-Le Ideas. Try presenting kids with a tub of plastic containers and their separate lids. Kids can find and attach the matching lids to each container. Cleaned and dehydrated plastic bottles like those used for condiments, and grated cheese have characteristic lids that are effortlessly recognized and attached.
6. Roughin’ It. Turn over a table or collect chairs into a circle in the center of the room, then drape blankets over them to build tents. Flashlights and a non-sticky snack can generate a fun environment while you interpret a story or sing songs.
7. Obstacle Course. Use nap mats on their sides, propped against chairs or tables, to form walls for a labyrinth. Pillows can be hopped over, crawled on, or used as steppingstones in a barrier course. Promote the children to recite - can they travel as kittens, as cows, as racecars?
8. Footsteps. Place a small amount of washable paint on a pie tin or strong paper plate. Promote the kid to step into the paint with her exposed foot, or feet, and walk across poster paper. She can even have a singular color for each foot. This action can be restricted to a wading pool or tarp to make sure easier clean-up.
Conclusion
With all their energy, providing constant stimulation for kids can be difficult. These inexpensive and easy ideas will afford early childhood educators a few minutes of downtime while encouraging children to use their minds and their bodies to explore, play, and learn in their new world.
JohnCruser holds Master’s in Psychology Degree. He was working as supervisor in teachers training institute.
Currently, He is working as course co-ordinator for diploma in early childhood education (ecce) & nursery teacher training (ntt) courses since last 20 years