Provide children with wooden peg dolls for dramatic play.
The dolls can be painted or left unpainted. Wooden dolls allow children to use their imagination. This is especially true with unpainted dolls, which allow children to play and create a world that they have imagined. The unpainted dolls can become any race, gender, age or profession.
Adaptations and Extensions of Play
Use with your favourite books to promote literacy skills
Skills
Literacy skills when combined with story books
Imaginative play
Creative play
Dramatic play
Social skills
Language skills
Socioemotional skills
Empathy
Narrative skills
Retelling stories and attention to recall
Vocal skills
Tactile skills
Sequencing
Verbal skills
Listening skills
Acting out real life experiences through imaginative play
Diversity – seeing similarities and differences in the dolls to oneself and family
Turn taking and conversation skills, if playing with others
Dry flowers and leaves using a flower press. You can also place the flowers and leaves between two sheets of wax paper, which is then placed under a couple of very heavy books. Leave it to dry for a couple of weeks or until flowers are dry.
Paint the jar with mod podge and then stick the flowers to the wet surface.
Allow to dry.
Paint over your design with mod podge to seal. It is okay to have flowers that are sticking out of the jar; these do not need to be sealed.
Allow to dry.
Place your battery powered tea light in the jar and admire. This makes a great night light!
Adaptations
Use other craft supplies that you have at home to create a one of a kind lantern
Use pieces of tissue paper to create a beautiful stained glass lantern
Cut out pictures from an old magazine or print pictures from your computer. Perhaps a dinosaur themed lantern for the young paleontologist
This activity is a wonderful learning opportunity for infants, under strict supervision. Although, children of all ages will be fascinated by this activity.
Supplies
Rice
1 tsp vinegar
Food colouring
Zip lock bag
Lavender essential oil (optional)
Directions
Put rice, vinegar and a couple drops of food colouring into a zip lock bag.
Gently shake the bag to mix the ingredients. This will dye the rice.
Empty the bag of rice on to a large pan. Lay flat until dry (about 20 minutes).
If you are making multiple colours, repeat steps 1 – 3 for each colour.
Rice should be stored in a sealed bin.
Have fun!
Adaptations or Extensions of Play
Add small world items (animal figurines, ocean theme, snow theme, etc.)
Add cups and containers for dumping, filling and pouring
Hide items such as alphabet letters, numbers, small toys or figurines to be found (larger toys for infants and toddlers)
Large tweezers for kids can be used to pick up items hidden in the rice
Large tweezers, tongs, water droppers, warm water, salt (optional)
Instructions
Stretch open the top of the balloon and place the dinosaur figurine inside.
Fill up the balloon with water and tie the top.
Place the water balloon in the freezer overnight.
Take the frozen water balloon out of the freezer and carefully remove the balloon.
Have fun using your imagination and problem solving skills to dissolve the ice egg and save the dinosaur.
This is a great activity for a hot summer day!
Adaptations or Extensions of Play
A larger container/tupperware can be used in lieu of a balloon
Use a large container if you would like a large block of ice
Place letters inside of the balloon, if you would like to adapt this activity to focus on letter recognition and sounds
Other items can be used in lieu of dinosaurs, such as rocks, gems, plastic figurines, etc
Skills
Math and Science: experimentation with salt and warm water to melt the ice, measurement of water, flow of water, changing states
Float/sink
Problem solving skills
More, less, dissolve, freeze, melt
Pouring, dumping, squeezing
Eye hand coordination
Cooperation
Imagination
Dramatic play – save the Dinosaurs!
Social skills
Socioemotional skills
Sensory skills: cold, warm, slippery, wet
Cognitive skills
Fine motor skills: pouring, dumping, squeezing, picking up objects with tongs or large tweezers
Note: By using their hand muscles children will further develop their pincer grasp and hand muscles – all necessary for holding a pencil and writing ✍️
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