When We Are Kind by Monique Gray Smith
After reading this book with your child, reflect together on how we can be kind and courageous:
Gratitude Cards: Invite your child to think about who has been kind to them. Work together to write, draw, or paint that person a message of thanks.
Act of Kindness: Invite your child to think about someone they would like to show kindness to, and help them think of one small, kind thing they can do for that person.
Family Story Art: Ask your child to think about a caring story from your family's past and create a piece of art together to honour that story.
The Crayons Go Back to School by Drew Daywalt
After reading this book with your child, reflect together and consider trying one of these activities:
Art Activity: After reading this book your child can use their crayons to create a mural of their favourite place.
Talk Time: Talk to your child about how the crayons shared their favourite thing to do at school. What is your child looking forward to doing at school?
Sorting: After reading the story your child can look for things of different colours around your home. They can sort the objects by colour and name the colours.
Pocket Sleeve and Dry Erase Marker
You can put any paper inside a pocket sleeve and have an instant white board! Use this to help your child's fine motor skills:
Practice Lines and Squiggles: Draw some straight, curved, and diagonal lines on a piece of blank paper and put it in the pocket sleeve. Have your child trace the lines with the dry erase marker.
Letters : Once your child can trace straight, curved and diagonal lines, print letters (in large print) on a piece of blank paper and put it in the pocket sleeve. They can practice tracing the letters. Pro tip: Uppercase letters are easier than lowercase - start with those first!
Your child's Name: Print your child's name (in large print) on a piece of blank paper and put it in the pocket sleeve. Your child can practice tracing his/her name!
Dice
Dice can be used to help your child develop an understanding of number. Here are some dice games you can play with your child:
Subitizing: This means looking at the dots and knowing right away what number they represent, instead of counting each dot. Roll one die and have your child tell you how many dots they see as quickly as possible. Or, hold up one side of the die for five seconds and then hide it behind your back and ask you child what number they saw.
Roll and Build: For this activity you will need items to build with, like blocks, legos or toilet paper rolls. Have your child roll a die and then stack a tower the that number of blocks. You or your child can count as the tower is being built. When finished, count the blocks in the tower again!
Roll and Squish: For this activity you will need the dice and your playdough. Help your child roll ten little balls of playdough. Place them in two rows, with five in each row. Ask your child to roll both dice, and then count the total number altogether. Have them squish each of the playdough balls as they count that number again. For example, if they roll a total of 6, they would squish and count a total of 6 balls.
Using Scissors and Crayons
Providing your child with opportunities to use items like scissors and crayons can help with fine motor development! Here are some tips for introducing scissors:
Provide an opportunity for your child to tear paper with their hands. This is considered an important pre-scissor skill!
Place scissors in a "thumbs up" position. This means the thumb is on top when cutting.
Practice Snipping: snip playdough, paper bags, or junk mail. Snipping thick materials is easier for beginners.
See more great tips from Thrive Child Development Center's parent handout, Getting Ready to Write and Cut.
Wheat Fiber Utensil Set
Pack this utensil set in your child's lunch bag each day. All components of this eco-friendly utensil case set are made from wheat fiber except the straw cleaning tool. This set includes a straw that comes apart for cleaning, cleaning brush, knife, fork, spoon, and a pair of chopsticks. It's durable and easy to clean to use daily!
Playing with Playdough
Hand strengthening is a foundational skill for all fine motor development. This is just one of the many benefits of playing with Playdough!
Develops hand strength, dexterity, and control needed to manipulate everyday items.
Provides open-ended opportunities for children to experience independent and cooperative play.
Encourages creativity: playdough can be anything!
Provides an opportunity to explore different textures and consistencies.
For more tips & tricks, see Thrive Child Development Center's parent handout, Hand Strengthening Made Easy
Ready for Kindergarten Lawn Sign
During your school's Welcome to Kindergarten event in the spring, you will receive a lawn sign. Take a picture of your child on the first day of school. You're ready for Kindergarten!