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At HIPPY Halton, we believe that the journey of learning begins at home. Our free school readiness program is designed to empower parents with the tools, knowledge, and unwavering support to kickstart your child's learning journey—all from the comfort of your home!
Get ready for a four-week journey filled with exciting activities designed to enhance various developmental skills. From crafting sparkling snowflakes to sensory motor games, each week brings a new adventure that fosters creativity, motor skills, and a love for learning.
Week 1: Sparkling Snowflake Craft
January marks the beginning of a new year, and what better way to start than with a snowflake craft that enhances eye-hand coordination!
Activity 1: Layered Snowflakes
Here's a simple and delightful activity for you and your little one by the Kindergarten Connection!
Materials:
White cardstock
Light blue cardstock
Glue stick
Marker
Instructions:
Tear the white cardstock into small pieces with your hands and place them in a bowl.
Draw a simple, large snowflake on the light blue cardstock, covering the entire paper.
Color the snowflake with any marker of your choice.
Apply glue to each white piece and cover the drawn snowflake, creating a beautiful blue snowflake.
Decorate your house with the masterpiece you've crafted!
Tip: Discuss the uniqueness of snowflakes and explore different shapes. Learn more here!
Bonus Activity:
Watch "Ten Tiny Snowflake" story by Russell Julian: Watch Here
Still looking for more fun snowflake crafts? Check out 30+ Easy Snowflake Crafts Kids Will Love to Make.
Week 2: Sensory Fun & Motor Control
This week, let's focus on sensory processing and motor control with exciting activities that promote learning through movement and engagement.
Activity 1: Jumping Fun
Jumping is not just fun; it's also a fantastic way to enhance motor skills. Turn it into a friendly competition with your family!
Materials:
Tape
Open space
Instructions:
Tape 6 lines on the floor, equidistant from each other (about a foot apart).
Number the lines from 1 to 6.
Take turns jumping and see who can jump the farthest!
Variations:
Long Jump: See how many lines they can jump over. Have them try and beat their best score each time. Experiment with arm swinging vs arms behind their backs.
Run n' Jump: Now let them take a running start (if you have space) and see if they can jump even further!
Long Jump Backwards: Increase the difficulty by performing the tasks jumping backwards.
Hop: How far can they jump on one leg?
Reach 'n' Stretch: How far can their leg reach with one foot on the start line?
Activity 2: Hula Hoop Jump Games
Create an obstacle course using a hula hoop to boost sensory and motor skills.
Materials:
Hula hoop
Instructions:
Set up the hula hoop as part of an obstacle course.
Create variations: jump with two feet, hop through with one foot, alternate feet.
Activity 3: Baking Adventure
Engage multiple senses with a baking activity! It's not just delicious; it's a great way to develop new skills.
Materials:
Your favourite cake mix
Instructions:
Bake using a cake mix, involving your child in measuring, mixing, and shaping the dough.
Decorate with cream cheese frosting for extra fun!
Bonus Activity:
Listen to "If You Give a Cat a Cupcake" by Laura Numeroff: Listen Here
Week 3: Early Math Explorations
Dive into early math skills with HIPPY Halton in Week 3! This week is all about laying the foundation for your child's understanding of numbers, quantities, and basic calculations.
Activity 1: Measuring and Comparing Cups and Spoons
Let's have fun by measuring and comparing with this engaging activity!
Materials:
Large sensory bin or container
Rice, beans, or sand
Range of measuring cups and spoons
Instructions:
Fill the sensory bin with rice, beans, or sand.
Provide your child with measuring cups and spoons to scoop, pour, and measure.
Encourage your preschooler to compare the different volumes and sizes.
Ask questions about which measuring cup or spoon holds more or less.
This activity not only introduces the concept of volume but also enhances fine motor skills, problem-solving abilities, and overall math understanding.
Activity 2: Measure with Building Blocks
Build a solid foundation for future learning experiences with this spatial awareness and math activity!
Materials:
Various building blocks
Objects to measure (e.g., water bottle, toy car, book)
Instructions:
Provide building blocks and objects to measure.
Encourage your child to compare the heights of the objects using the building blocks.
Ask questions like, "How many blocks tall is the water bottle?" or "Which object is taller, the toy car or the book?"
This activity sparks spatial awareness, early math concepts, and problem-solving abilities.
Activity 3: Comparing with a String
Engage your child in a fun and interactive activity to develop their understanding of length!
Materials:
Pieces of string or yarn of varying length
Scavenger hunt objects
Instructions:
Prepare pieces of string or yarn of varying lengths.
Encourage your child to compare the lengths and determine the longest or shortest.
Set up a scavenger hunt for objects matching the string lengths.
Help your child compare the items found.
This activity keeps your child engaged while developing their understanding of length in a playful way.
Activity 4: Listen to a Story & Sing Together
Enhance your child's math journey with a delightful story about two mice exploring measurements: Watch Here.
Let's sing and measure together with "Put Your Feet Up!": Watch Here. Comparing shoe sizes is a fantastic way to talk about measurement. Gather some shoes and order them from longest to shortest.
Week 4: Building Literacy Skills
Week 4 at HIPPY Halton is dedicated to building literacy skills through the joy of playtime! Explore language development with simple and fun activities.
Activity 1: Let’s Play “I Spy with My Little Eye”
How to play I Spy:
Begin the game by spotting something in the same room.
Describe the object briefly, and let your children guess what it is.
For example: "I spy something that is very small, blue, and makes a noise if you shake it."
Whoever guesses correctly has a turn to spy on something.
Activity 2: Action Rhymes - Let’s Sing and Move
Sing along to "If You’re Happy and You Know It" with different actions.
Activity 3: Playing with Blocks and Learning New Words
Choose age-appropriate construction toys and explore size, shape, and colors. Construction toys offer opportunities to learn new words while building towers, castles, houses, cars, trains, etc.
Activity 4: Listen to a Story about Dr. Seuss's ABC
Listen to "Dr. Seuss's ABC: An Amazing Alphabet Book!" on YouTube.