Body Awareness

Laundry Basket Sailboat

Steps:

Place a large laundry basket on a smooth floor like wood or tile.
Have your child sit inside the basket with their legs tucked in comfortably.
Give them a long pool noodle to hold with both hands like an oar.
Show them how to push the noodle against the floor to move the basket.
Encourage them to alternate pushing on the left and then the right side.
Use masking tape to mark a start and finish line for the race.

Safety Tip:
Supervise your child to keep the basket from tipping. Make sure the floor is clear of toys that could trip them up.

Zigzag Beam Clip Challenge

Steps:

Lay out three long strips of cardboard in a zigzag line on the floor.
Use masking tape to stick the cardboard firmly to the ground.
Use markers to draw five small circles along the cardboard path.
Place a paper cup at the very end of the line.
Fill a plastic container with colorful pom-poms and place it at the start.
Give your child a handful of paper clips to hold in one hand.
Ask your child to walk slowly along the cardboard beam.
As they walk, they must place one pom-pom inside each drawn circle.
While standing on the beam, they must use pincer fingers to slide a paper clip onto the paper cup.
If they step off the cardboard, they have to go back to the start!

Safety Tip:
Ensure the floor area is clear of other toys to prevent tripping. Make sure the cardboard is taped flat so it is not slippery.

The Musical Ribbon Shaker

Steps:

Give your toddler two paper plates to decorate with markers.
Place one plate face up on the table.
Help your child pick up a handful of beans.
Ask them to use their thumb and pointer finger to drop the beans one by one.
Place the second plate upside down on top of the first.
An adult should staple the edges together firmly.
Glue several colorful ribbon strips to the sides of the shaker.
Show your toddler how to hold the shaker with both hands.
Shake the plates to the beat of your favorite song!

Safety Tip:
CHOKING HAZARD: Beans and staples are small. Always supervise your child and ensure the plates are sealed tightly.

Under-Table Starry Night

Steps:

Draw many colorful dots across a flat piece of cardboard using your markers.
Use a pen to poke a small hole through the center of every dot.
Find a stable low table and tape the cardboard to the underside with masking tape.
Help your child lie down on their back underneath the table.
Hand them a pile of Q-tips to hold in their helper hand.
Challenge them to push a Q-tip into every star hole they see above.

Safety Tip:
Ensure the table is stable and the area is clear of hard objects. Always supervise your child while they are lying under the furniture.

Sticky Stocking Treasure Walk

Steps:

Place several colorful pom-poms on a smooth floor area.
Take a long strip of masking tape.
Wrap it loosely around your toddler’s stocking-covered foot with the sticky side facing out.
Help your child stand up and hold your hands for balance.
Encourage them to step directly onto a pom-pom so it sticks to their foot.
Have them lift their foot to see the treasure they caught.
Ask them to use their hands to pull the pom-pom off and put it in a basket.
Switch to the other foot to keep both legs working hard!

Safety Tip:
CHOKING HAZARD: Pom-poms and tape are small parts. Always supervise your toddler closely and ensure they do not put these items in their mouth.