Not to brag or anything, because honestly I wouldn't feel any different about my amazing little man if he were not as smart as he is, but my little guy is ridiculously smart. He is quite advanced for his age in terms of communication and cognition and he has a voracious appetite for learning. To encourage his love of learning I try my best to provide Aiden with as many stimulating activities as possible while keeping them fun and light-hearted. But as you can imagine, with a little guy who learns quicker than I can figure out what to teach him next, there are times where I'm at a loss of what activity to do with him, which is why I've decided to devote one day a week of The Creative Toddler to chronicling our learning activities.
For the inaugural Teach Me Tuesday lets go with an activity I call Where Does The Letter Go?
Here's what you need:
An alphabet mat or puzzle with removable letters (you can buy these at Toys r Us for $20 or you could make your own)
Here's how to do it:
Take several letters out of the puzzle and put them in a pile off of the mat. Pick up each letter in turn and ask your little person to show you where it goes. Aiden did this without my prompting and walked to the space and pointed out the missing letter. Then ask questions about the space or the letter like what colour is it? or what shapes is it? depending on where your little person is at in their learning journey. Then get your little person to put the letter back in the puzzle or help them do this if they need assistance.
This is an activity that has become somewhat of a ritual for Aiden and I. He really enjoys running around the mat showcasing his knowledge, so much so that when the pile is finished he asks for more!
And this activity is a really good one for active, hands-on little people who love letters, numbers and colours.
Happy learning,
Creatively yours,
Maya :)
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
Monday, March 26, 2012
Music Video Monday: The Black Keys, Howlin' For You
The Rundown
Yes, I know this is not an educational video nor one that you would usually think of when thinking of your little person, however my little rock star in the making (I'm not kidding when i say this...he loves, loves, loves rocking out on his guitar, which is actually a ukelele, has the perfect rock star stance and carries his pick and/or one of his three guitar ornaments with him wherever we go. His favorite store in the mall is the guitar store and given the choice of a stuffy or a guitar pick, he will choose a pick to add to his ever growing collection. He also stops at random spots when we are out and about to play an impromptu concert) adores this song. I think this past weekend we must have listened to this song and watch this video, while he made his Dad and I dance in the kitchen, at least ten times in a row. Aiden will also request this one by name when he says "Black Keys...da da da da da song".
Ok, so what's it about, you ask. Well, simply put, it's a song by the band The Black Keys about a guy who's pining over a girl.
Like I said, not very educational but great tune nonetheless.
Why We Love It
Umm, well, The Black Keys...enough said I think!
Creative Extensions
I must admit that coming up with creative projects relating to this video is a bit tricky but I'll give it my best shot...
1. Turn up the music, grab your guitars (real, toy or air) and rock out.
2. Make some keys out of cardboard and decorate them with various craft supplies. Take your keys on an adventure and see what they will open.
3. Change the lyrics of the song to lyrics that suit everyday activities with your little person, for example:
I must admit, I must explain
That before we go play in the rain
Baby, we need to put our jackets on
Da da da da da
Da da da da da
4. Go to the library and look at books about animals that howl. When you get home make props for a shadow play about wolves howling at the moon. Rehearse your show and perform it for the other loved ones in your house.
The Video
Happy howlin'
Creatively yours,
Maya:)
Yes, I know this is not an educational video nor one that you would usually think of when thinking of your little person, however my little rock star in the making (I'm not kidding when i say this...he loves, loves, loves rocking out on his guitar, which is actually a ukelele, has the perfect rock star stance and carries his pick and/or one of his three guitar ornaments with him wherever we go. His favorite store in the mall is the guitar store and given the choice of a stuffy or a guitar pick, he will choose a pick to add to his ever growing collection. He also stops at random spots when we are out and about to play an impromptu concert) adores this song. I think this past weekend we must have listened to this song and watch this video, while he made his Dad and I dance in the kitchen, at least ten times in a row. Aiden will also request this one by name when he says "Black Keys...da da da da da song".
 |
| My Little Rock Star |
Ok, so what's it about, you ask. Well, simply put, it's a song by the band The Black Keys about a guy who's pining over a girl.
Like I said, not very educational but great tune nonetheless.
Why We Love It
Umm, well, The Black Keys...enough said I think!
Creative Extensions
I must admit that coming up with creative projects relating to this video is a bit tricky but I'll give it my best shot...
1. Turn up the music, grab your guitars (real, toy or air) and rock out.
2. Make some keys out of cardboard and decorate them with various craft supplies. Take your keys on an adventure and see what they will open.
3. Change the lyrics of the song to lyrics that suit everyday activities with your little person, for example:
I must admit, I must explain
That before we go play in the rain
Baby, we need to put our jackets on
Da da da da da
Da da da da da
4. Go to the library and look at books about animals that howl. When you get home make props for a shadow play about wolves howling at the moon. Rehearse your show and perform it for the other loved ones in your house.
The Video
Happy howlin'
Creatively yours,
Maya:)
Thursday, March 22, 2012
Magical Moon Sand
I saw this great recipe for sensory play on Pinterest and I couldn't wait to try it with Aiden.
Moon Sand
5 cups flour
1 cup baby oil
Glitter
1. Pour ingredients into a container
2. Let your little person stir it up with a spoon or their hands
3. Add rocks, vehicles, robots or other creatures for a moon like playing experience
The Review
This was tons of fun. The sand smells so delish and feels so soft when you squish it through your fingers. Aiden had a great time mixing the oil into the sand and squelching it through his fingers. He created a fabulous moonscape by added rocks and wood chips from the yard into his bucket. And the way a 20-month old says "Moon-sand" has got to be one of the cutest things!
Tips
This is quite a messy one if your little person is a young creative toddler who doesn't get the whole keeping it in the container thing, so I would recommend either taking this outside (like we did) or covering the floor with a wipe able mat or large garbage bags.
Happy moon-scaping,
Creatively yours,
Maya :)
Moon Sand
5 cups flour
1 cup baby oil
Glitter
1. Pour ingredients into a container
2. Let your little person stir it up with a spoon or their hands
3. Add rocks, vehicles, robots or other creatures for a moon like playing experience
The Review
This was tons of fun. The sand smells so delish and feels so soft when you squish it through your fingers. Aiden had a great time mixing the oil into the sand and squelching it through his fingers. He created a fabulous moonscape by added rocks and wood chips from the yard into his bucket. And the way a 20-month old says "Moon-sand" has got to be one of the cutest things!
Tips
This is quite a messy one if your little person is a young creative toddler who doesn't get the whole keeping it in the container thing, so I would recommend either taking this outside (like we did) or covering the floor with a wipe able mat or large garbage bags.
Happy moon-scaping,
Creatively yours,
Maya :)
Monday, March 19, 2012
Where the Sidewalk Ends, The Painting Begins
As per usual we are having some up and down weather days in the last few days of winter. I adore being outside and hate being cooped up in the winter so any inkling of having weather that is close to being nice for playing in the fresh air it's on with our coats and out of the door. And one of my favorite things to do outside, aside from running around and free playing, is big, messy art projects that would cause Aiden's Dad to have a miniature heart attack if he saw the mess that we made if we did it indoors.
Earlier this week we had one of those days, those glorious sun-filled, warm but not too warm, perfect for playing outside days. So after lunch, which I must admit we rushed through so we could get as much good weather as possible, we threw on our coats and shoes and headed to the backyard.
I'd recently read about an art project that I was dying to try - sidewalk chalk painting - so I gathered our supplies and setup our painting project while Aiden puttered around in the sandbox.
Here's the recipe:
1 part cornstarch
11/2 parts water
Food colouring
Mix ingredients together in a paint tray or muffin tin. Arm your little person with a brush and have them paint to their hearts content.
This was a huge success and one that we will definitely do again. We had a blast painting the sidewalk, our hands, our clothes and some rocks that we found in the parking lot. While we painted we talked about our paintings, and sang songs about the colours we were using and the new colours we were making. I didn't keep track of time but I'd say this kept us busy for at least 30-45 minutes. Not bad for a one nap kind of day.
Happy sidewalk painting,
Creatively yours,
Maya :)
Earlier this week we had one of those days, those glorious sun-filled, warm but not too warm, perfect for playing outside days. So after lunch, which I must admit we rushed through so we could get as much good weather as possible, we threw on our coats and shoes and headed to the backyard.
I'd recently read about an art project that I was dying to try - sidewalk chalk painting - so I gathered our supplies and setup our painting project while Aiden puttered around in the sandbox.
Here's the recipe:
1 part cornstarch
11/2 parts water
Food colouring
Mix ingredients together in a paint tray or muffin tin. Arm your little person with a brush and have them paint to their hearts content.
This was a huge success and one that we will definitely do again. We had a blast painting the sidewalk, our hands, our clothes and some rocks that we found in the parking lot. While we painted we talked about our paintings, and sang songs about the colours we were using and the new colours we were making. I didn't keep track of time but I'd say this kept us busy for at least 30-45 minutes. Not bad for a one nap kind of day.
Happy sidewalk painting,
Creatively yours,
Maya :)
Music Video Monday: Sesame Street Healthy Teeth, Healthy Me
The Rundown
In this video Elmo, with the help of his many celebrity friends, sings about how to keep teeth healthy. It is a bit funny that Elmo sings about teeth as he doesn't appear to have any, but whatever the little furry red monster can do to help keep our little people healthy is A OK with me.
Why We Love It
Aiden has been teething since he was about 5 month, getting his first teeth at 6 months. I'm happy to say that we are in the home stretch now, with four left to come in. (They are the back molars so I feel for the little guy). We've been quite diligent about teeth brushing and in the beginning Aiden was happy to oblige. Unfortunately this is no longer the case and teeth brushing has become a bit of a struggle. So this video could not have come into our lives at a better time. Now we sing the hook "brushy, brush, brush, brushy brush your teeth" while brushing our teeth with Aiden's Elmo brush. And this has at least given us a minute or two of distraction time to get the job done. Thank you Sesame Street and Elmo!
Creative Extensions
1. Create and play a healthy teeth sorting game: Draw, colour and cut out things that are good for you teeth (crunchy fruits and vegetables, water, toothbrush etc) and things that are bad for your teeth (candy, sugary drinks etc). Draw, colour and cut out a happy tooth (white, sparkly and smiling) and an unhappy tooth (yellow, dull and sad). Work with your little person to match the healthy and unhealthy things with the appropriate tooth.
2. Use a toothbrush or dental floss as a paint brush.
3. Make teeth puppets using felt and miscellaneous craft supplies. Work with your little person to create a puppet show about what the teeth do during the day.
4. Make apple smiles for snack: Slice an apple into mouth shaped slices, two for each mouth. Spread peanut butter on one side of the apples. Stick four mini marshmallows on the peanut butter in between the apple slices.
5. Sing teeth related songs and rhymes:
I Know How to Brush my Teeth
I know how to brush my teeth
I brush on top and underneath
Up like a rocket
Down like a plane
Back and forth like a choo-choo train.
(Author Unknown)
The Video
Happy brushing,
Creatively yours,
Maya :)
In this video Elmo, with the help of his many celebrity friends, sings about how to keep teeth healthy. It is a bit funny that Elmo sings about teeth as he doesn't appear to have any, but whatever the little furry red monster can do to help keep our little people healthy is A OK with me.
Why We Love It
Aiden has been teething since he was about 5 month, getting his first teeth at 6 months. I'm happy to say that we are in the home stretch now, with four left to come in. (They are the back molars so I feel for the little guy). We've been quite diligent about teeth brushing and in the beginning Aiden was happy to oblige. Unfortunately this is no longer the case and teeth brushing has become a bit of a struggle. So this video could not have come into our lives at a better time. Now we sing the hook "brushy, brush, brush, brushy brush your teeth" while brushing our teeth with Aiden's Elmo brush. And this has at least given us a minute or two of distraction time to get the job done. Thank you Sesame Street and Elmo!
Creative Extensions
1. Create and play a healthy teeth sorting game: Draw, colour and cut out things that are good for you teeth (crunchy fruits and vegetables, water, toothbrush etc) and things that are bad for your teeth (candy, sugary drinks etc). Draw, colour and cut out a happy tooth (white, sparkly and smiling) and an unhappy tooth (yellow, dull and sad). Work with your little person to match the healthy and unhealthy things with the appropriate tooth.
2. Use a toothbrush or dental floss as a paint brush.
3. Make teeth puppets using felt and miscellaneous craft supplies. Work with your little person to create a puppet show about what the teeth do during the day.
4. Make apple smiles for snack: Slice an apple into mouth shaped slices, two for each mouth. Spread peanut butter on one side of the apples. Stick four mini marshmallows on the peanut butter in between the apple slices.
5. Sing teeth related songs and rhymes:
I Know How to Brush my Teeth
I know how to brush my teeth
I brush on top and underneath
Up like a rocket
Down like a plane
Back and forth like a choo-choo train.
(Author Unknown)
The Video
Happy brushing,
Creatively yours,
Maya :)
Thursday, March 8, 2012
The Missing Afternoon Nap
Aiden is teetering between the two-naps-to-one-nap-a-day continuum. This is really a good thing as it's a sign that he's growing up, but the one nap days can wreck havoc on a well-tuned schedule that is based on two naps a day. Those are the days that force me to flex my creative muscles and come up with more activities for the little guy. And I have no choice but to be up for the challenge. I've found that these spontaneous moments of creative projects are usually the best ones, and give Aiden and I a chance to build some more stellar memories that I'm sure I'll cling to when he's all about sports and girls and hanging with his buddies!
Earlier this week we had one of those afternoons. When I realized that my attempts at getting Aiden down for his afternoon nap were going absolutely and positively nowhere I had to come up with some activities on the fly.
The first activity we did was a very scientific science experiment figuring out what sinks and what floats in Aiden's water table. For this, we filled up the water table, grabbed some random toys - a plastic bunny, a lemon squeeze bottle, a mini water gun, a couple of boats, and some ice cubes, and dropped them in the water. We watched to see which one sank and which ones floated. And then we raced boats around the table seeing how we could make them move across the water. Yes, I told you, very scientific!
The other activity we choose to do was some face/body painting. As we were already dressed in shorts and t-shirts I decided to quickly whip up some homemade face paints (recipe below), move us into the bathroom, grab some q-tips as brushes and paint each other red, yellow and blue. This was a huge hit and kept us entertained for the better part of an hour. The cleanup was also quite quick as I kept us in the bathroom. I wouldn't recommend these types of paints if you have pictures or need to look smart in the near future as the paints didn't come off right away.
Here's the recipe I used:
1 tsp. corn starch
1/2 tsp. water
1/2 tsp. cold cream
Food coloring
Mix together in small containers (I used an ice cube tray) as many as you want colours.
Now however, Aiden is taking a second nap, so I will bid you adieu so I can snooze too.
Happy napping or non-napping as the case may be,
Creatively yours,
Maya:)
Earlier this week we had one of those afternoons. When I realized that my attempts at getting Aiden down for his afternoon nap were going absolutely and positively nowhere I had to come up with some activities on the fly.
The first activity we did was a very scientific science experiment figuring out what sinks and what floats in Aiden's water table. For this, we filled up the water table, grabbed some random toys - a plastic bunny, a lemon squeeze bottle, a mini water gun, a couple of boats, and some ice cubes, and dropped them in the water. We watched to see which one sank and which ones floated. And then we raced boats around the table seeing how we could make them move across the water. Yes, I told you, very scientific!
The other activity we choose to do was some face/body painting. As we were already dressed in shorts and t-shirts I decided to quickly whip up some homemade face paints (recipe below), move us into the bathroom, grab some q-tips as brushes and paint each other red, yellow and blue. This was a huge hit and kept us entertained for the better part of an hour. The cleanup was also quite quick as I kept us in the bathroom. I wouldn't recommend these types of paints if you have pictures or need to look smart in the near future as the paints didn't come off right away.
Here's the recipe I used:
1 tsp. corn starch
1/2 tsp. water
1/2 tsp. cold cream
Food coloring
Mix together in small containers (I used an ice cube tray) as many as you want colours.
Now however, Aiden is taking a second nap, so I will bid you adieu so I can snooze too.
Happy napping or non-napping as the case may be,
Creatively yours,
Maya:)
Monday, March 5, 2012
Music Video Monday: The Days of The Week
The Rundown
In this Kids CBC video, the all-girl group, Done with Dolls, pay a visit to Mamma Yamma to pick up a casserole that she was supposed to make them. The Dolls find Mamma in a tizzy about how to get everything done so they teach her how to use a calendar and sing about the days of the week.
Why We Love It
Guitars, cute girls, rocking tune and something to learn - what more could a little guy want?!
Creative Extensions
1. Make days of the week puppets out of paper bags, popsicle sticks, socks and other miscellaneous craft supplies. Make up stories and put on a puppet show about what each day of the week likes doing.
2. Make a poster board sized calendar and have your little person decorate it with various craft supplies. Fill in the calendar with your little person and talk about the activities they do each day of the week.
3. Sing other days of the week songs like the Happy Days theme song:
Sunday Monday Happy Days,
Tuesday Wednesday Happy Days,
Thursday Friday Happy Days,
Saturday 7 days, Groovin all week with you!
or The Days of the Week sung to the Addams Family theme:
Seven days of the week (snap, snap)
Seven days of the week (snap, snap)
There's Monday and Tuesday
Wednesday, Thursday, Friday
Saturday and Sunday
There's seven days of the week (snap, snap)
The Video
Happy days,
Creatively yours,
Maya :)
In this Kids CBC video, the all-girl group, Done with Dolls, pay a visit to Mamma Yamma to pick up a casserole that she was supposed to make them. The Dolls find Mamma in a tizzy about how to get everything done so they teach her how to use a calendar and sing about the days of the week.
Why We Love It
Guitars, cute girls, rocking tune and something to learn - what more could a little guy want?!
Creative Extensions
1. Make days of the week puppets out of paper bags, popsicle sticks, socks and other miscellaneous craft supplies. Make up stories and put on a puppet show about what each day of the week likes doing.
2. Make a poster board sized calendar and have your little person decorate it with various craft supplies. Fill in the calendar with your little person and talk about the activities they do each day of the week.
3. Sing other days of the week songs like the Happy Days theme song:
Sunday Monday Happy Days,
Tuesday Wednesday Happy Days,
Thursday Friday Happy Days,
Saturday 7 days, Groovin all week with you!
or The Days of the Week sung to the Addams Family theme:
Seven days of the week (snap, snap)
Seven days of the week (snap, snap)
There's Monday and Tuesday
Wednesday, Thursday, Friday
Saturday and Sunday
There's seven days of the week (snap, snap)
The Video
Happy days,
Creatively yours,
Maya :)
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