Here you will find activities in each of the 6 important types of play: reading play, construction play, STEM play, creative arts play, active play and music & dance play that will allow you to continue the learning fun at home! To find out more about the benefits of play, visit the Day of Play website!
Reading Play
1. Fishing for Letters: Go fishing for letters to help develop reading skills! Start by finding an old ice cream container and make sure it has been rinsed out. Allow your child to decorate or paint the container if they want! Next write the letters of the alphabet on small pieces of paper and attach a paper clip to each letter. Focus on letters that your child struggles with. Once every letter has a paper clip, place them inside of the fish tank or ice cream tub. Find a stick or something like that to use as the fishing rod and tie a piece of string (1.5-2 feet) to it. Tape a small magnet to the end of the piece of string. Once this is done, go fishing! Ask your child about each letter they fish out of the pond and ask for the sound of the letter!
2. Sight Word Kick: Go outside and kick a ball around while working on sight words! Start by grabbing some index cards and writing sight words onto them. Once you have done this lay them out on the ground outside. Make sure the cards are very far apart from each other. Your child will then have to find the card, go back and grab the ball and kick it to the card. Try and call out words that are far away from each other so your child really has to move around!
3. Connect the Letters: This game of giant connect the dots is a great way to work on learning letters while being active! Choose five or six letters to focus on and write them about eight to ten times with chalk on the driveway or sidewalk. Then give your child the chalk and have them connect all of the same letters together. For example, have them connect all of the R's together and then move on to the next letter. You can also make this a smaller version and use paper and crayons!
Book Suggestion: One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish by Dr. Seuss
Construction Play
1. Paper Building Blocks: Did you know that you could use paper as a structural material? You will need scissors, paper (preferably construction paper) and tape. Start by taking one piece of paper and cutting it so it is six inches long and about three inches thick. These pieces are about the size of an
i phone 6. Once you have done this fold these pieces of paper into triangles and secure them with tape. When you have made a few of these, let your child start to experiment with how structures work. Let them see what is the best way for their tower to stand on its own. You can vary the size of the piece of paper to try and make different shapes!
2. Fork Weaving: This is a great way to develop fine motor skills! This activity has tiny hand movements and concentration to get that thin piece of string to weave in and out of the fork tines. All you need for this is a fork and some string. This also helps with learning about patterns. Start by tying a piece of string to one of the end of one of the prongs. Then weave away!
3. Homemade Watering Can: Here is a simple do it yourself watering can to help start your spring garden! This watering can is easy to fill, carry and pour, and it won't leak or drip back down the spout like a regular watering can does! You will need a plastic milk jug and a pair of scissors or a needle. Take the cap of the bottle off and poke small holes into it using the scissors or the needle. This step needs to be done by an adult but kids can do the rest! While you are poking holes, let your child decorate the milk jug. Once both steps are done, fill the jug with water and go water your garden!
Book Suggestion: Charlie Needs a Cloak by Tommie DePaola
STEM Play (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math)
1. Lego Zip Line: Put your child's building skills to the test with this activity! You will need a small toy and some other items to build a basket or traveling device for the toy! Once you have safely secured your toy into its holder, set up your zip line! Make sure to add a place on the toy holder where you can put a piece of string through. Use a thicker piece of string or piece of ribbon and place one end on the highest point you can find (the top of a stair case or bookshelf). Secure the string and then attach your holder and toy! Have someone at the bottom to catch the toy holder so it doesn't hit the ground and break.
2. Match the Sound: Fill several cans or jars, covered with paper or painted if necessary so no one can see what's inside, with different familiar noise-making items in each one. For example, fill one jar with beans, another with toothpicks, and another with keys. Put a sample of each item in a line and have children shake each jar to see if they can match the sound to the object. Ask you child what he or she hears, encouraging them to use words to distinguish sounds.
3. Estimation Station: Have your child work on their math skills in one fun activity! Start by collecting several small items from around your house that you can put into containers or plastic bags. For example you can use multiple milk jug lids or water bottle tops, small pieces of candy, magnets, Matchbox cars or even rocks. Once you have collected these items, find clear containers or plastic bags to put the items into. You can use Tupperware, old baby food containers or Ziploc bags for this. Fill the containers and then lay them out for your child to look at. Explain the process to them which is they pick a jar and guess how many items are inside of it. Once they have made their guess about have them open the container and count how many items are inside of it. Don't stress how close or far away their guess was from the actual number of items inside the jar. Once they are done counting, put all the items back into the jar and pick again!
Book Suggestion: How Long or How Wide by Brian P. Cleary
Creative Arts Play
1. Cloud Dough: Cloud dough is the easiest activity to make and it holds together much like wet sand so you can build castles and towers! Find a large container like a bowl or some Tupperware and combine eight cups of flower and one cup of olive oil or vegetable oil. You can start by letting your child experiment with just the flour and then add the oil. Let your child use their hands and mix the oil and flower together. Add things like cups or measuring spoons so they can make molds of things. You can also add things like trucks and drive them around in the dough!
2. Egg Carton Flowers: As the rain keeps falling down, bring some beautiful spring flowers into your house! Start by dismantling an egg carton by cutting off the lid and cutting the egg holder into individual sections. Once the individual sections have been separated, cut 2/3 of the way down each of the sides. Fold the four sides down creating the petals and color or paint each flower! While you are letting the paint dry, search the house for little items like beads or sequins. Put a few drops of glue into the middle section of the flower and place a few beads or sequins. When the glue dries, display your beautiful springtime flower!
3. Toilet Paper Roll Bracelets: Bring dress up to a whole new level with this fun craft! Gather toilet paper rolls, some paint or markers, scissors and if you want, some glitter. First cut open the toilet paper roll rounding out the edges with scissors. Next add some decorations like paint or stickers. Once it is dry, put it on and play dress up! These bracelets can be whatever your child wants. They can be superhero cuffs or more jewelry for the king or queen!
Book Suggestion: A Perfect Day for Digging by Cari Best
Active Play
1. Milk Jug Toss: This is a great way to get your kids moving either indoors or outside! You will need an old gallon milk jug, string, wiffle ball or homemade pompom, scissors and tape. Start by cutting the bottom off of the jug and covering the bottom of the jug with tape. If you want you can make your own yarn pom pom! If not, you can also use a wiffle ball or something like that. Next run a piece of string through the top to the bottom and tie it off. Attach a piece of string to the ball or pompom and then tie that to the first piece of string. The length of the tossing string is up to you! Then swing the ball or pompom up and catch it in the milk jug!
2. Pretend Picnic: There is nothing more fun than an outdoor picnic! Wait for a nice day and go have a meal outside. You can add an element of pretend to this and let your child use their imagination to pick a location for lunch! You can have a meal by the ocean, in a castle or in a secret lair! Grab some sidewalk chalk and let your child draw you where you are going to be eating this meal!
3. Red Light, Green Light: Don't get caught in a moving violation! Start by choosing one person to be the traffic cop. All of the other players stand on the starting line while the traffic cop has their back to all of the players. When the traffic cop says green light, the players try to run to the finish line. When the traffic cop says red light, he turns around and the players have to stop in their tracks. If a player is caught moving, they have to return to the starting line. The first person to cross the finish line wins and becomes the new traffic cop!
Book Suggestion: Click, Clack, Moo: Cows that Type by Doreen Cronin
Music & Dance Play
1. Hi! My Name is Joe: See how many actions you can do at one time! In the blank at the end of the song, add in a body part like left hand, right hand or foot. Keep repeating the song until you have as many body parts moving as you can!
Hey! My name is Joe
And I work in a button factory,
I've got a wife and a dog and a family,
One day the boss came up to me and said
Hey Joe, are you busy? I said no,
He said turn the button with your____
2. How Sound is Made: Let your child explore how sound is made! You will need containers of various sizes, wooden spoons or chopsticks, balloons, plastic wrap, rubber bands and things to bounce on the drums like rice, flour, dried beans or marbles. Start by making your drums using things like tin cans and bowls. Cover the bowls with plastic wrap and the cans with the balloons. Secure these with the rubber bands. Once the drums have been made, add various items like the rice and beans to the top of each drum. Bang on the drums with the spoons. Listen and watch what happens!
3. Paper Plate Tambourine: Create your own musical instruments right in your home! You will need two paper plates, any color crayons, a stapler or string and objects to put inside of the tambourine like dried pasta, beats, rice, pebbles or beans. Before you attach the two plates, allow your child to color on the bottom of each plate. Hold the two paper plates together and begin the staple or string the outsides together. Stop halfway through and add the small items to the inside and then continue to close the two plates together. Finally, seal off the two plates and make some music!
