Welcome to the final week of the Lakewood at Home blog. This week we are going to revisit some of our favorite invitations from the past four months, adding some ways to extend the invitations or modifying them for different age groups. Enjoy!
Fine Motor Invitation: String, yarn, or ribbon explorations
Invite your child to play with string, yarn, or ribbon. Ask your child what can you create? What does the string remind you of? What can we do with it?
The intent for this invitation is to have the child create something by weaving, tying or anything else they can imagine. This way they are finding ways to use the item creatively, problem solving all while giving those fine motor muscles a work out!
Sensory Invitation: senses collection
Invite your child to collect things from around the house or outside. Using touch, sight, and smell, what can we observe about the objects? Perhaps your child notices they have many objects that are smooth, can they find more objects that are similar? How about different?
The intent of this activity is to have the child focus on what their senses are telling them and in turn relaying those thoughts to us. We have always noticed an interest in textures when children are exploring objects that feel wildly different.
Large Motor Invitation: Freeze Dance
Before beginning this invitation, tell your child what is going to happen, “while the music is playing we will dance, then it will stop and we have to freeze and hold our bodies still until it starts again.” Play a favorite song and dance. Pause the music any time to stop dancing.
This invitation builds listening skills, self-regulation, and large motor skills. We often sing, play music during times of transition to engage our bodies in a safe and constructive way.
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