Fun Start: An idea a week to maximize your baby’s potential from birth to age 5

Change the type of containers throughout the week and try to let the child work independently whenever possible. Use a maximum of three containers at a time. Too many containers will confuse the child. Use the words ‘on’and ‘off’as the lids are put on and taken off.

Throughout the week, call your child’s attention to other things that have lids. It may be in the bedroom, kitchen, bathroom or other places. This will serve to expand your child’s awareness of things in her immediate environment.

Let’s Play Ball (#ulink_e19dcaec-3179-5f03-a277-71c2ed29caf3)

This activity develops

eye-hand coordination

tactile sensation (feel of the ball)

following directions

association of different uses for one object, the ball

language development by listening to words used during the activity

Obtain a cloth ball if possible, although a rubber ball will suffice for this activity. The ball should be about 15 centimetres in diameter. This size is recommended so that the child can easily hold the ball with both hands. The cloth ball is soft and is easier for a child to grab and control.

Sit with the child on a smooth non-carpeted area and roll the ball a short distance to the child. Observe to see if the child watches the ball, or does she attempt to stop the ball? Talk to the child and encourage her to catch the ball as it is rolled to her. Continue to do this until the child loses interest. Repeat this activity often to develop skill in watching and receiving a ball. Praise the child whenever she responds positively.

Once the child is comfortable in watching and receiving a ball, encourage the child to roll the ball back to you. Much practice is needed to ensure a straight aim or roll. To accomplish this, place books on each side of the ball’s path, or use long blocks, a broom or a mop for boundaries. At first, encourage the child to use both hands to roll the ball. Gradually, the child will develop skill and will be able to roll a ball successfully with one hand.

A homemade tunnel can easily be made with a corrugated box by cutting an opening on opposite sides of the box. A table, chair or building block tunnel may also be used for the child to roll the ball under. After the child is better coordinated, line up an empty plastic detergent bottle at the end of a controlled narrow path and encourage the child to use the ball to knock down the plastic bottle. Be sure to praise and encourage the child in a positive manner.

During a given week, be sure to repeat many of the activities that have been suggested in previous weeks. In this way, you help your child to develop confidence, security and also independence. Remember that young children need to repeat activities in order to build a sound foundation for learning.

Let’s Go Walking (#ulink_90687c97-7887-5778-9117-76b58dcd0df7)

This activity develops

leg, foot and eye coordination

language interaction

concentration

following directions

independence

The lines on a tiled floor, masking tape, wool or string placed in a straight line on the floor can be used for this activity. The line space should be approximately one and a half metres long.

Walk on the designated straight line while the child watches you. Then encourage the child to walk on the straight line. To make this activity more interesting, tell the child to pretend that the line is a bridge that goes across some water. Explain that a bridge allows people to go across the water without getting wet. Make sure the child understands that this is like a game and if she steps off the line, then she will get wet. If the child still does not understand, walk across the pretend bridge again. Talk to the child as you do this and deliberately pretend to lose your balance and step in the pretend water. Laugh and tell the child that you got wet, because you were not careful and you fell in the water.

Instruct the child to put one foot in front of the other so that the heel of one foot touches the toe of the other foot. Also suggest that the child hold both arms out straight to help her keep her balance. Praise the child even if she seems to find this activity difficult. If the child is not a confident walker, hold the child’s hand as she walks on the line.

Repeat this activity often throughout the week. The child will soon become confident in crossing the pretend bridge.You may even observe the child doing this activity independently, and chances are that the child will not use the designated line where you first introduced this activity. She may even find another line to practise her line walking.

Since a child of this age may spontaneously enjoy walking backwards at various times, allow her to do so. If she does not initiate this on her own, show her how to walk backwards on a given line. Point out that she should keep her eyes on the line as she walks backwards.

Next, the child can be asked to straddle the line as she walks forward. Later, the child can try walking backwards in this manner. It may be difficult for her, but watching the line as she walks backwards involves much concentration and coordination. Try this at a later date if the child appears to encounter any difficulty.

Look at Me (#ulink_5953c382-e589-529b-9dbd-3ef914d35f89)

This activity develops

an awareness of the body shape

skill in associating the outline with herself

awareness of a specific colour and its name

more awareness of the body parts

language enrichment

eye-hand coordination

matching a specific colour

Lay the child down on a large sheet of brown or white blank paper. Use a crayon and quickly trace around the child’s body. Tell the child to get up and look at the shape of her body on the paper. Say to the child, ‘Look how big you are!’

Use a crayon or felt marker and draw a left eye on the paper. Then draw a right eye. Ask the child what they are. As you draw the nose and smiling mouth, ask the child to name them also. Help the child if necessary. Point to the position where the left ear should be, and ask the child what should be drawn there. Praise the child if she responds correctly. If not, identify the ears as you draw them in place.

Call the child by name, and instruct her to find the eyes, nose, mouth and ears. Does the child point to the eyes on the paper or her own eyes? Whichever the child points to, make a point of letting the child know that the face on the paper represents her face. Use the word‘picture’to identify the face in the drawing.

Look at the child’s clothing and name the main colour that the child is wearing. Ask the child to find that one colour among the crayons or felt markers that you have been using. If the child needs help, repeat the question and direct the child to look more closely. Emphasise that the colour chosen is the same colour that is found on her clothing. Use only one colour at this time. If you use several colours, a child of this age will become confused. Introduce only one colour at a time, and delay adding another colour until the child is very comfortable in identifying a specific colour.

Sketch in the clothing with a marker on the outline. Show the child how to hold a crayon or marker. Make a mark on the paper to show the child how to colour the clothes on the outline model. The child should be allowed to hold the crayon the way she feels most comfortable, even though you may have shown her the correct way. Observe the child’s hand preference, if any. A child at this age may switch hands to colour. It is best to allow free movement of the crayon irrespective of the line boundaries of the clothing.

The scribbling stage of writing or drawing will take place during this activity. Observe the child. The arms, legs and body will probably all be scribbled on. Note that most of the scribbling is up and down or round and round. Ignore any scribbling outside the lines, and praise the child for the nice colouring.

You may want to hang this ‘masterpiece’on the refrigerator or somewhere else, and throughout the week allow the child to scribble some more on the outline picture to fill in with more colour. Be sure to use the same colour and repeat the colour name often. Cut the outline out if it is still visible after the child finishes colouring. The child will enjoy watching you cut it out.

This is an opportune time to point out the body parts for association. Name the neck, arms, hands, chest, stomach (tummy), legs, feet and toes. Leave out the word‘toes’ if the child is wearing closed shoes.

What Made That Sound? (#ulink_5c215285-9334-5397-9c95-7818c6da2b22)

This activity develops

listening skills

association skills

following directions

vocabulary enrichment