Self-Portraits

FOR AGES: TEENS
Many teenagers go through a phase where they become fascinated with their reflection in the mirror, especially during the period when their faces make that change from a child’s to a young adult’s.

In this activity, you and your changing child can take advantage of this fascination by drawing your mirror reflection

SELF PORTRAITS

MATERIALS:
Mirror
Pencil
Paper

DIRECTIONS:
Both of you sit facing a mirror and draw yourselves. Try and draw faithfully exactly what you see.
You can also draw each other’s reflections.

It’s fun to look only at the other person but not at the paper until you are done. This often gives a kind of Picasso look to the work.

Spotlight in the Dark

FOR AGES 1-7
flashlights in the dark can make a fascinating game

A SPOTLIGHT IN THE DARK

MATERIALS:
Two flashlights

DIRECTIONS:
In a dark room or on a dark night, turn both flashlights on and encourage her to "catch" your spotlight. Move your spotlight around the room and she has to move hers so it "catches" yours by covering your spotlight with hers.

Your turn to chase next.

Who's hands on top?

FOR ALL AGES:
Here is a silly fun game needing nothing more than two pair of hands and a goofy spirit.

WHOSE HAND IS ON TOP?

MATERIALS:
None

DIRECTIONS:
Put your hand on the table and ask your little one to put hers on top of yours. Then put your other hand on top of her hand and ask her to put her other hand on the top of the hand pile.

Then you pull your first hand out from under the pile of hands and put it back on top. Encourage her to do the same with her hand that is now on the bottom.

Keep repeating this pattern with the hand on the bottom of the pile moving to the top. Start very slowly at first until she gets the idea and then begin to speed up the action.

Got three pair of hands or more wanting to play? Silliness ahead!

Sock on a Bottle

FOR BABIES:
When babies are old enough to hold their own bottle, you can enrich that experience by creating a textural and visual delight with nothing more than a sock.

SOCK ON A BOTTLE

MATERIALS:
A variety of clean socks in different colors, patterns, and textures.

DIRECTIONS:
Place your child’s bottle into a pretty sock and hold it in front of your baby so he can see the new look. Change to a different sock on another day to add the element of surprise and enhance his ability to notice details.

Follow the Floating Feather

FOR AGES: TODDLERS

As mesmerizing as watching dancing dust motes, following the trajectory of a feather is both compelling and calming.

FOLLOW THE FLOATING FEATHER

MATERIALS:
Feathers

DIRECTIONS:
Hold a small feather up high and then let it go and encourage your child to watch it as it slowly falls. To help him keep his eye on the feather's movement, suggest that he catch it as it falls.

Drop the feather from different heights or outside to let him notice how air currents affect movement.

Also, blow the feather to your child and ask him to blow it back to you. If there are a few of you playing, see how many times you can blow it to each other before it touches the floor.

Beginning Hammering

FOR AGES: 3- 7 years

Hammering nails into wood is a fun activity. Make it easy and safe for young fingers by using stryofoam instead of wood.

BEGINNING HAMMERING

MATERIALS:
Block of styrofoam (such as the ones that come in boxes for shipping computers, printers, etc.)
Small hammer (tack hammers work well) or thick stick
Nails or golf tees

DIRECTIONS:
Show your youngster how to hammer nails or golf tees into a syrofoam block. They hammer in easily making each attempt a satisfying success.

If you want to give them a more advanced experience, use screws and a screwdriver instead.

Ice Cube Distraction

FOR AGES: 3-10 MONTHS

Babies can get fussy just when you are busy making dinner. It’s probably the smells that make them hungry. Distract them with an ice cube. They have the fun of trying to catch it as it skitters. You get to cook without interruptions. . Everyone is happy!

ICE CUBE ON A TRAY

MATERIALS:
Ice cubes
Tray
Food coloring (optional)

DIRECTIONS:
Place a large ice cube on your child’s high chair tray or table for him to chase around. Make them out of plain or colored water.

When it gets too small and might be swallowed, replace it with a large one before you take the small one away.

Other fun, but messy, things to splash and squiggle are soy sauce, mild mustard, ketchup, whip cream or meringue.

Jell-O blocks are fun to touch and to watch them shimmy and shake.

Five Good Moments

FOR AGES: TEENS

Life contains many kinds of moments. Teens can get stuck on a negative moment and enlarge its significance. This game shows children that good moments are always part of the mix if one looks for them.

FIVE GOOD MOMENTS

MATERIALS:
None

DIRECTIONS:
Suggest to your Teen:
"Pay attention throughout the day for five moments that make you feel good. The moment can be an interaction with someone or something lovely that you thought or saw or heard.. What it is doesn’t matter. What matters is that for at least a moment it made you feel good.

I’ll do the same and when we get together at the end of the day, we’ll share our five good things that happened."

The Knocking Game

AGES: ALL AGES

Listening to and identifying the different sounds objects make when you knock on them is a game that can be played at any time. When you want to change the focus of fussing children, try saying: "Hey, let’s play a game. Close your eyes and see if you can tell what I’m knocking on. No cheating!"

THE KNOCKING GAME

MATERIALS:
Common objects found around the house

DIRECTIONS:
Ask your player to close her eyes and turn her back to you. Then see if she can guess the object you are knocking on with your fist (or a spoon). Start with easy things such as a table and a window, and work towards sounds that are harder to identify, such as knocking on a book or lamp.

Take turns being the identifier and the "knocker".

Nature Bracelets

For Ages 1-5
You can start your little one’s exploration and appreciation of nature with this game of making a masking tape naturre bracelet. They’ll notice all the lovely color and shape variations there are in petal and leaf and adorn their wirsts with beauty.

NATURE BRACELETS

Materials:
Masking tape
Leaves and flower petals

Directions:
Wrap a piece of masking tape around your child's wrist, sticky side up, and then go exploring to find wonderful leaves, beautiful flower petals and other interesting things to attach to the bracelet.

Before bedtime, snip the bracelet off and attach it next to his bed or somewhere in view so he can admire his work and remember his fun time.