Good morning! Here are three invitations for toddlers on a warm June day in Durham. It’s the end of Pride Month, but at LACS we value and honor all families and children’s unique selves all year.
We also want to share this parent resource from Resilience in Challenging Times. We are thinking about all the families who might be stressed and struggling right now.
Science/Sensory Invitation: Frozen Yogurt in a Bag
Small or quart-size ziplock bag
118 ml (½ cup) plain, yogurt
A selection of fruit (soft fruits such as berries work best)
Honey to taste (you can also use jam in place of the honey and fruit)
3.7-liter (1 gallon) ziplock bag (or a large mixing bowl)
473 ml (2 cups or 10-12 cubes) crushed ice
59 ml (¼ cup) salt (table, rock or Kosher)
Kitchen towel (optional)
Spoon (for tasting the yogurt)
In the small bag, combine the yogurt, fruit and honey (or jam). Seal the bag very well! In the large bag, combine the ice and salt, put the small bag into the large bag and seal the large bag well. You may want to wrap the large bag in a kitchen towel to protect small hands from the cold. Invite your child to shake the bag vigorously (you can turn on some dance music to make this even more fun). Shake for 10-15 minutes until the yogurt is firm. RINSE the smaller bag before opening. Your child can eat it straight out of the bag, or put it into a bowl.
Fine/Large Motor Invitation: Paper tunnels and balls
This invitation involves some adult set-up. You will need paper strips, some painter’s tape and small to medium balls. Fold back ½” on both short ends of your paper strips, use these little ledges to tape the paper in tunnel shapes on the floor or tabletop. Invite your child to see if they can roll the balls through the tunnels. What other things might they want to roll through the tunnels? This invitation builds both types of motor skills.
Outdoor/Large Motor Invitation: Another round of sponge toss!
For this invitation you will need a couple of large to mid-size containers of water, some sponges and a hula hoop or sidewalk chalk. Your child might want to wear a swimsuit for this invitation! Set the hula hoop on the ground, or draw a round shape with the sidewalk chalk. Invite your child to dip the sponges in the container of water and see if they can toss them into the hoop/shape. Your child might also want to use the sponge to move the water from one container to the other, or practice filling it with water and squeezing it out.
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