Gifts for encouraging creativity do not come with batteries! They usually are not related to a movie or cartoon character. They are basic, simple tools for child’s play. Good toys will last through several children, possibly even for the grandchildren. When it comes to children’s toys, quality is far more important than quantity. Do not fill your house to bursting with cheap plastic junk. If your child has a lot of toys already, you may want to consider giving him toy-storage items, or tables, or furniture to fill out the play area. Of course, you should encourage him to donate some of his toys to Good Will or the Salvation Army, so a less fortunate child can have a Merry Christmas, as well.

Best Toys for Dramatic Play

Dramatic play is crucial for your child’s development. If you could have only one play area in your home, this should be it. Through dramatic play, your child can practice and imitate your behaviors, but in a safe environment. Through dramatic play, using a toy kitchen, or dress ups, or puppets, your child can express himself freely. He can practice different scenarios, develop vocabulary, and rehearse actions so that he will feel more confident when he is around others. You can play with him, and help him to understand new or scary situations. If someone is sick, you can have your child pretend a teddy bear is sick and needs to see the doctor. You can then bring out the toy doctor kit, and let your child examine the bear. Then when your child does need to see a doctor, it won’t be quite as intimidating to him. The same technique can help him understand a variety of issues, like moving to a new neighborhood, or how to share toys at preschool.

If your child already has a toy kitchen, then you might consider adding:

Toy food Small shopping cart Dress up costumes Play money baby dolls doll beds, bottles, clothes

Toy dishes Old shoes and boots Old costume jewelry Scarves, ties, hats Puppets puppet theater

Toy Doctor Kit Toy Veterinarian Kit Policeman outfit Fireman outfit old briefcase Whatever else you can think of

Best Gifts for Art

If your child doesn’t have a desk or easel yet, now’s the time. The easel makes paper and crayons available to your child any time. You can set spill-proof paint jars in the tray only when you are going to be there to supervise. The same goes for markers, scissors and all other art materials. You will be teaching your child how to use the materials, but not how to draw. Let him make large pictures, with bold colors and squiggle shapes. As he grows, you can begin to move the art materials out of your kitchen and into his play area. If he breaks a rule – colors on the walls or cuts his hair – then you remove the art materials from the playroom and continue to supervise their use in the kitchen. As art materials are consumable, you’ll be replacing them throughout the year. Things to buy include paper, crayons, markers, scissors, fingerpaints, tempra paint, and glue.

Great Gift Ideas for Encouraging Music

Most children love to bang on the drums! If your nerves can handle it, get your youngster a good quality drum or drum set. Put on some music and encourage him to play along. Try a variety of music. Try Stravinsky: The Rite of Spring , Copland: The Music of America, Tchaikovsky: 1812 Overture right along with whatever popular music you prefer. Some smaller drum toy sets come with a tambourine, maracas, a harmonica, and a triangle. If you don’t think you can handle the drums, consider getting a Recorder instead. Continually add to your child’s collection of music CDs. Look for some Sing-A-Long DVDs, as well. Maybe your child won’t learn to read by seeing the words scrawl across the screen, but he will become more aware of words.

Great Table Games and Activities
Table games help develop small muscle dexterity – important before letter-writing can take place. Games also teach taking turns, sportsmanship, following a few simple rules, and stewardship. Here are a few classic games and puzzles for you to consider:

Great Books for Your Young Child
I’ve posted several lists of good children’s books, but here are some beautiful seasonal favorites –

The First Christmas	Ordinary Baby, Extraordinary Gift	The Animals Christmas Eve
Brigid's Cloak	Tonight You Are My Baby	The Wise Men

Great Outdoor Toys for Winter
Toboggans, ice skates, snow shovel, snow crayons, sleds, even small skis if you think your youngster is ready.

Best Block Toys
Blocks are a perfect toy, and will last for generations. Consider adding to your child’s basic unit blocks set, or add one of the many interesting accessory options, such as those pictured below:

Basic Unit Blocks	Antiquity Blocks	Block Topper Signs
Trucks and Road Signs	Castle Blocks	Lincoln Logs

Last, but Not Least, Gifts for Sensory Play
You don’t need to buy many items for the sensory area. Your child will explore found objects like pine cones, sea shells, rocks and bugs. Some items you’ll purchase in the grocery store, like shaving cream, rice, pudding or playdough. But there are a few gifts you can find that will add interest to your child’s sensory play. These are:

Magnifying glass	binoculars	sand water table
playdough tools	Playdo Fun Factory	Wiki Stix

Don’t over-stimulate your young child with too many gifts. It is better to give your child your attention than toys. As you help him build with his blocks, or teach him how to play a board game, you are showing him that he has value. You show him that he is loved. And that is the greatest gift of all.

This week is about winter. You’ll feed the birds and the squirrels. You’ll introduce the letter S and the number 3 to your child. You’ll teach the color white, and the circle shape. Your child can learn that:

We Enjoy Playing in the Ice and Snow
• when it is very cold, water freezes (gets hard), making ice, snow, sleet, and icicles.
• A blizzard is when a strong wind blows for a long time during a heavy snowstorm.
• Days are shorter, and nights are longer.
• Most plants stop growing for a while.
• Some plants and trees grow all year round, and are called “evergreens”.
• Some trees lose their leaves in the winter.
• Some animals hibernate.
• Many birds fly south (migrate) for the winter.
• We wear warmer clothing in the winter.
• We enjoy playing in the ice and snow – we build snow forts, throw snow balls, skate on ice, ski on snow.

Feeding the birds can be an exciting and rewarding experience, but if you start to feed the birds in the fall, then you should feel obligated to feed them all through the winter until spring, when they can find other sources of food. To extend your bird-watching experience, consider investing in a small, inexpensive bird bath heater, which will keep the water in the bath from freezing. You’ll have more birds in your yard, and watching them preen, and bicker, and splash is a treat.

In the winter, we dress warmly. It’s better for the environment to put on a layer of long underwear rather than crank up the heat on your thermostat. It may be healthier, too. It’s less of a shock going out to the cold, when you have that extra layer of insulation next to your skin. Thermal (long) underwear comes in so many attractive colors and prints! Get a dozen pair for your child and yourself, as well. Hard-to-find flannel-lined overalls fit nicely over the thermal underwear. A long-sleeved tee-shirt,then a sweatshirt completes the layers. Don’t forget wool socks for the family. Never buy synthetic socks in the winter. Synthetics do nothing to insulate, or wick away moisture. Cotton socks are okay inside, but when you are outside, if you want your feet to stay toasty warm and dry, you must go with pure wool. They can be expensive, but if you take care of your wool socks, they will last a lot longer than cotton. I’ve heard so many people complain that they just don’t like winter – but nearly everyone of them isn’t dressed appropriately for the weather. If you dress warmly, you won’t begrudge the chilly temperatures.

Now is a great time to take up an outdoor sport! Learn to love the seasons, and your child will, as well. Get everyone a pair of ice skates and make weekly outings to the ice rink part of your family fun. Get some sleds and ask your neighbors where the best sledding hills are. Have you ever considered taking up mushing? Mushing isn’t just for Alaskans, and you don’t have to have ten dogs to do it! One dog, 35 pounds or larger, can pull one child. Two dogs can pull one adult. Four dogs will pull you and your child together, and that’s when the fun begins. Dogs can pull you on a wheeled cart in the spring and fall, or cooler days in the summer as well, so this isn’t just a winter sport.

For answers to all your mushing questions, you can either email me, or contact: Sled Dog Central. I’ve been mushing for about ten years, so while I don’t know all the answers, I do know several places I can go to get the answers.

The worksheets for this week were all taken from First_School.
Worksheet 1
Worksheet 2
Worksheet 3
Worksheet 4
Worksheet 5
Alphabet

All of the books that are recommended for this week can be found here, if you don’t find anything suitable at your library. When I select books, they are either ones that I have read and loved, or they have a five-star rating from parents. The music and a few seasonally appropriate toys are also found here .

Lesson Plans for Winter Week

Related Reading:
Beginning Writing
Play Areas for Encouraging Creativity
Working With the Lesson Plans

Photo Credits:
Snowy Day by Mark Evans
Chubby Squirrel by Jeremy Noble
Running Sled Dogs by Lorelei Sieja

There is so much emphasis on teaching young children letter and number recognition, that many preschools simply do not have the time to properly incorporate music into their program. Music education should be more than singing a few children’s songs, or chanting some fingerplays. Little children are capable of so much more! Just attend any concert put on by Suzuki music programs, and watch the three- and four-year-olds play their violins. It is breath-taking.

I had two close friends whose daughters were about the same age as my oldest child, and all the girls were taking music lessons – theirs on the piano, and mine on the violin. The two moms exhibited the extremes of parental opinion in regards to their child’s music. The one mom clasped both hands to her breast, and with a dreamy expression on her face proclaimed, “It just brings me such joy to hear my child practice! To think than any child of mine would have so much talent is a true blessing!” The other mom snorted, remarking, “Thank God for electric pianos! She can plug in the ear phones and I don’t have to hear it.” I was somewhere in between. I loved hearing my daughter practice, but after listening to ten-thousand twinkles, I was mighty glad when she progressed to the next level.

The benefits of Music for the Young Child

Music develops listening skills! Music helps children express their emotions. Music and dance can give children a healthy way to expend some energy. Creating music fulfills a basic need that many of us have long ignored. And finally, music develops neural pathways in the brain, that lay the foundation for reading and math.

Introduce your preschooler to wide variety of music. Let him listen to classical music, folk music, baroque, romantic, jazz, blues, and more. Have him sing, clap, dance, and move to music. Help him discover sounds. One day he might bang on the back of a pot with a wooden spoon. The next day try beating on an empty oatmeal carton with a rubber spatula. One day you might actually get him a drum. How does it sound when he hits it with his hand, as opposed to the drumsticks?

Here below is Jonathan, a preschool conductor. He is listening to Beethoven’s Fourth Symphony, and he doesn’t miss a beat. He knows this piece! He knows what’s going to happen next, he anticipates it, giggling gleefully. In the comments after the video on YouTube, professional musicians said they would have no difficulty following him, and they wished their own conductors were as enthusiastic. The video is precious, but what struck me more than how talented this little guy is, is how joyful he is! I want that joy for my grandchild! I hope all of you can give your young children joy like this.

If you can find a class near you, you might want to look into Music Together. I’ve just discovered it while doing an internet search. I don’t have first-hand information on this program, but I watched their promotional video, and it surely looks good. I contacted a local class in my community, and depending on the cost, may give it a try.

The most important tip of all – have fun! Music should be loved, enjoyed, experienced. It should never be forced.

Photo Credits:

Little Drummer: by Bev Sykes

These are what I consider the best in Children’s Literature. These are the stories I read to my children, and now to my grandchildren. Some are stories I heard as a child. Fully ninety percent of the books I see in the libraries and in book stores for kids today are what I’d consider truly garbage. Yuck! Ugly pictures, stupid stories – we do not need to talk “down” to children! If you can’t find these books in your library, then I strongly suggest you add them to your Christmas and Birthday shopping lists. These are the stories that your child will want to hear again and again. The best way to raise a reader- read to them often. Read to them great books. Provide great books at home. Libraries are great, but children will want to own their own copies of their favorites so they can return to them again and again.

Mike Mulligan and his Steam Shovel by Virginal Lee Burton. Actually, I will list anything by this author. She wrote a number of children’s books – some of them Caldecott Award winners – for her own two boys. This story is a classic, timeless tale of a man, his trusty steam-shovel, and the work they do. As progress makes steam shovels obsolete, Mike and Mary Ann work together to find a solution. Written in 1939, this book has it all, “heroes and happy endings, lively illustrations, and a dash of nostalgia for extra charm.” (quoted from the publisher’s website). The publisher is currently offering extended activities for this story. You can click here for the website to download the activity sheets. I looked through the activities, and would recommend them for older preschool children, kindergarten, and even first grade. Her other books include Katy and the Big Snow and The Little House. Of course, if you’re going to buy Mike Mulligan for your little one, you might want to get a steam shovel from Tonka to go with it! Pairing a toy with a book is a great way to grow a book-lover.

Corduroy by Don Freeman. This charming story is about a Teddy Bear who wants to go home with a little girl. During the night he explores the store, looking for his lost button. He has a great imagination, is a warm and friendly character and one that small children can certainly relate to. In the morning when the girl returns to the store to buy him, he realizes that she must be a friend. He always wanted a friend! There is a sequel to this story, A Pocket for Corduroy, which is just as cute. (You can get the book Corduroy with a matching Teddy Bear.

Sand Cake by Frank Asch. Papa Bear amuses Baby Bear during an afternoon at the beach. Warm, family relationships, cute story, charming pictures. This author is very prolific! Most of his work is excellent. I especially recommend Popcorn, Milk and Cookies, and Bread and Honey.

But No Elephants by Jerry Smath. This is a silly story, but adorable. The kids love it. Just the right mix of humor, lively illustrations, and caring, compationate characters. Check out other books by this author, as well. He wrote and illustrated 40 books, and illustrated a hundred more.

The Mitten by Alvin Tresselt, illustrated by Yaroslova. I mention the illustrator, as well, because this story is a classic Ukranian folk tale, and there are other versions available. This is the best of them all. A little boy is out fetching wood for his family, but loses a mitten. A woodland mouse finds it, and makes a home in it. The mitten stretches and stretches as more animals climb in beside the mouse to escape the cold. Jan Brett, a fantastic illustrator, also did a version of this book, but the story isn’t quite as charming. Alvin Tresselt has done many other books, as well, including White Snow, Bright Snow, and Wake Up, Farm!

Annie and the Wild Animals by Jan Brett. She is absolutely the best illustrator! Her pictures are detailed and colorful. Her intricate boarders add little clues about “what happens next” before you turn the page. I’d buy her books just to look at the pictures. However, as far as stories go, they are somewhat lacking. This one, though, is the exception. I loved Annie and the Wild Animals, and so did my children. My copy is in the mail – can’t wait to see my grandchild’s face on Christmas Day! We do own Brett’s The Three Snow Bears. It’s okay as far as story goes. We love it, because we also run sled dogs. Here is a Jan Brett treasury of board books, for younger children.

Strega Nona by Tomie dePaola. “Strega Nona” means Grandma Witch, the title the people in the village have given an old woman. She is not a scary sort of witch, though. She can cure headaches, help girls find husbands, and get rid of warts. Big Anthony comes to work for her, and gets into mischief. It is a delightful story, the illustrations are perfect. This is a Caldecott Honor book, and well-deserving! One reviewer even suggested that children who grew up loving this tale became Harry Potter fans. Interesting concept. Another reviewer compared this tale to Disney’s Sorcerer’s Apprentice, and said that this one was less frightening. I just know that I loved reading it to my children. You really have to like the books you buy for them, as you will have to read them at least a hundred times each. You can safely buy ANY book by Tomie dePaola, and know you are getting a classic. I especially recommend Tomie dePaola’s Book of Bible Stories, The Clown of God, The Miracles of Jesus and Mother Goose.

The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats. I didn’t care for this story as much as my kids did. I thought the story was a little bare, as were the pictures. A little boy goes outside to play in the snow. He puts a snowball in his pocket to keep it safe, and when he goes inside, it melts. On the other hand, this book would probably appeal to a much younger crowd – ones, twos, and young threes. If your child does enjoy this book, you make want to check out Keats’ other stories, especially Peter’s Chair, Whistle for Willie, and A Pet Show.

Caps for Sale, by Esphyr Slobodkina.I loved this story! Another classic tale retold, a man’s caps are stolen by some monkeys. He tries everything to get his caps back, but not until he gets so angry that he takes off his own hat and throws it on the ground, do the monkeys comply. A cute, monkey-see, monkey-do theme. This story is fun to read, if you make a fist and imitate the poor salesman. It can generate a discussion about emotions, as well – anger, frustration, etc. This is really a story worth owning. It’s been around for more than fifty years!

The Story About Ping, by Marjorie Flack. This one is a must-have. Ping is a young duck with a huge family on the yellow waters of the Yangtzie River. Ping gets separated from his family, has some adventures, and eventually finds his way back home safely. Colorful and charming, this classic tale is a must-have.

Tkiki Tikki Tembo, by Arlene Mosel. This is a great retelling of a classic Chinese folktale about why the Chinese give their children short names. The older brother in the story had a great, long name. Children love the rhythm of this story, and will repeat the long name with you over and over. “Tiki Tiki tembo, No Sa Rembo, Chari-bari Ruchi, Pip Peri Pembo”. Poor little Chang is quite out of breath as he runs for help, to inform his mother that his brother is at the bottom of the well. This book is a perfect read-aloud. Don’t get this story confused with “Riki Tiki Tavi” – a story for older children by Rudyard Kipling.

Make Way for Ducklings, by Robert McCloskey. There’s an excellent review of this book at Amazon.com, by a Professor Donald Mitchell. I’d almost forgotten this story, but it was one I read to my children often. It talks about parental love and concern for keeping their children safe. It was based on a true story, I believe. One day in Boston a family of ducks were trying to cross a busy street to get to the pond in the park, and the police got out to hold up traffic for them. Get yourself a copy, and share it with your children. There are even used copies available, which surprised me. Most kids wear this book out. The gold circle on the cover is a “Caldecott Award” – awarded annually for the “most distinguished American picture book for children.” Robert McCloskey has several other titles that are charming. I especially like “Blueberries for Sal” because I remember picking blueberries as a child.

The Little Engine that Could, by Watty Piper. I don’t know if this story even needs a review – who can’t remember it? The little engine had a big load to carry to all the good boys and girls, but he had to go over a tall mountain. He only made it by sheer determination, chanting “I think I can, I think I can, ” as he slowly made his way. A good lesson story, with bright, colorful pictures. I did think the “good little girls and boys” phrase got a little sappy halfway through the book, but you have the right to skip words and phrases when you read – your child isn’t going to know! Until, that is, it’s a favorite of his. Then he’ll know it better than you and he’ll remind you when you miss something.

The Story of Ferdinand, by Munro Leaf. I don’t remember actually liking the pictures in this book when I was little, but my kids liked the story anyway. The pictures are lovely line drawings, but at least the copy I had was tacky, two-color acetate overlays. Maybe they’ve republished the book with better color recently? This is a story about a bull who does not want to fight. He likes to stand in the field and smell flowers. Cute story, and a good one to share with children about learning to be true to themselves.

No Roses for Harry, by Gene Zion. I laughed the first time I read this one to my kids, and I still chuckled after the fiftieth time I read it. If any book can make you smile that much, it must surely be a keeper. Grandma knitted a sweater for Harry (the dog), but he didn’t like it. It has roses on it. He tried to lose his sweater, but someone always found it. Then one day at the park, as he was worrying a loose thread, a bird grabbed it (unraveling the whole sweater) to make her nest. I wonder if kids especially relate to this story, because someone – a grandma, or aunt, or neighbor – has probably given them something they didn’t like to wear either? There are several books about Harry, including Harry the Dirty Dog. I’d guess they were all great, but this is the only one I had.

Henry’s Awful Mistake, by Robert Quackenbush. Poor disaster-prone Henry. He’s expecting someone for dinner, when he sees and ant. As he tries to get rid of the ant, he makes a big mess and destroys his house. There is nothing to do but cancel dinner. He has to move into a new house, and the next time he sees an ant, he looks the other way. Kind of cute and imaginative. The illustrations are perfect, and the story moves along. This was very popular with my children. Henry has more adventures, including Henry Goes West.

Pickle Things, by Marc Tolon Brown. Personally, I didn’t really like this story the first ten times I read it. My kids did, though. And as I read it again and again, I grew to like it. Silly rhymes, but children love rhymes. “Pickle up, pickle down, juggled by a pickle clown. Pickle in, pickle out, pickles from the water spout.” Silly and colorful, children quickly memorize the poem and will “read” it right along with you. This illustrator is also the creator of the Arthur books, if your child happens to be an Arthur fan.

Are You My Mother? by P.D. Eastman. I imagine most of my readers already know this story. It is still popular, even though many of the other classic books I read to my children are no longer readily available. A little bird falls from his nest and wanders around looking for his mother. He meets a variety of animals and even a big piece of machinery, before he finally finds his mother. I wondered if very young children might be scared by this story, afraid of losing their mom, but maybe they focus more on the happy ending. I know that my two younger girls simple LOVED this story. I had to read it a whole lot more than I wanted to.
The same daughters and now my granddaughter absolutely adore his “Go, Dogs, Go!” These two books aren’t quite what I’d consider “five stars”, but they sure are popular with children.

Septimus Bean and his Amazing Machine, by Janet Quin-Harkin. Another cute rhyming story. Septimus creates a great machine, but doesn’t know what it does. Everyone helps him try to figure it out. I can’t find my copy, but I will definitely be buying a new one for my granddaughter. The rhyming is precious! And at the end of the story, they find the perfect use for his amazing machine. Amazon.com doesn’t carry this story any more, but there are sellers who will sell it through Amazon.com. I found one hard cover copy for under five dollars.

James Herriot’s Treasure for Children by James Herriot. This is the famous country veterinarian author of “All Creatures Great and Small”. This picture book is a collection of some of the sweetest animal stories you’ll find anywhere, with the most beautiful illustrations! If your child loves animals, this is sure to become his or her favorite book of all.

Ooblech is Made with Cornstarch and Water. Coloring is Optional.	What is Oobleck? Oobleck, glump, goo. This interesting muck is called by many names. It is cheap and easy to make, and kids of all ages will enjoy playing in it. Your preschooler can learn: Oobleck is a solid when you hit it It is a liquid when you touch it softly It won’t hold it’s shape when you roll it It loses it’s color when left out in the sun
For your information: Oobleck is a non-Newtonian Fluid Newtonian liquids are harder to pour when they are chilled (like molasses, or vegetable oil) Non-Newtonian fluids are harder to pour when you exert pressure (like oobleck or quicksand) The word “oobleck” was coined by Dr. Seuss, in his book “Bartholomew and the Oobleck”	Place Cornstarch in a Bowl. Add Food Coloring and Water.
Stir Until All the Cornstarch is Moistened	To Make Oobleck: pour 2 cups cornstarch into a bowl add 1 cup water optional – add a few drops of food coloring mix – with a spoon or your hand if too dry, add a small amount of water if too sticky, add small amount of cornstarch store uncovered – or it will mildew. Add more water as necessary.
Do this activity with your preschooler. Ask him to slap it. What happens? Have him slowly put his hand on it? What happens then? Can he roll it into a ball? Roll it real well! Now, can he toss it and catch it? What happens to the ball if he just holds it? Can he stir it? Try stirring the oobleck very hard. Now try stirring it gently. Is it hard, or is it soft? Is it a liquid? Is it a solid? How does it feel?	Playing with Oobleck Can Be Addicting
Your Oobleck Should Be Very Stiff	Oobleck Won't Hold Its Shape
Read Dr. Seuss’s “Bartholomew and the Oobleck” to introduce this activity. Let any spills dry. The water evaporates, and dry cornstarch remains. You can vacuum it up. You can dump the old oobleck in the trash, or let it air-dry until all the moisture is gone. Then save the cornstarch for a rainy day activity.	Oobleck Drips Between Your Fingers When You Stop Rolling It
For Further Reading: Non-Newtonian Fluid How to Make Play Dough How to Color Rice	Pound Oobleck, and It Feels Solid

Photo Credits:
Lorelei Sieja

Rice can be a great addition to your sensory table. It is easier to vacuum up than sand. It pours well without splashing. The young child will mix it, pour it, measure it, and bury his hands in it. He can hide small toys in it to dig up. After your child grows tired of playing in white rice, you can put it away for a while, then bring it back out, and color it.

If you place your Sensory Area in the house, you can spread a sheet or shower curtain under it, to aid in clean-up.

Coloring Rice is Super Easy All you need is: rice rubbing alcohol tempra paint or food coloring zip-lock bag paper towel You’ll color it in batches, so to color enough to fill a sensory table could take a while.	Ingredients for Coloring Rice
Put Rice in Zip Bag Add a splash of rubbing alcohol. I never measure anything – why waste a perfectly clean measuring spoon? But if you’d like some general idea, try using about a teaspoon or two of the alcohol per cup of rice. If you use a larger zip bag, you can do several cups of rice at once.	Rubbing Alcohol Speeds Up Drying Time
Add Paint You can use liquid tempra paint or food coloring. I chose green tempra paint this time – as my grandchild is going to play in it with construction trucks. I suppose brown for dirt would have been better than grass green!	Add Paint or Vibrant Food Coloring
Seal Bag, Mush Contents Close bag tightly. Mush the bag to mix the paint, alcohol, and rice thoroughly.	Mush Bag to Spread Paint Evenly
Air Dry Spread the colored rice on a paper towel to air dry. It must be completely dry, or it rub off on your child’s hands when he plays in it. The alcohol helps it to dry faster. It should be dry enough in a few hours. Now you can add more rice, alcohol, and paint to the used zip bag to make the next batch. Keep repeating these steps until you’ve colored a sufficient quantity for play. Twenty pounds of rice is enough for one child. Thirty to forty pounds will work in a sensory table that accommodates four children.	Spread Colored Rice on Paper Towels Until Dry
Ready For Play Once dry, pour into the sensory table (or splash pool, as pictured at the top) and add toys. Children will supply the creative play.	Finished Colored Rice

Related Articles:
Sensory Play
Sensory Activities for Early Childhood
Home-Made Playdough Recipes

Photo Credits:
Girl in Rice: by Grandma Musher
Remaining Photos: by Lorelei Sieja

How often should you give your child a bath? When ever they are dirty is the simple answer. But beyond basic hygiene, the young child can benefit from a regular bath in many ways. First, it can have a calming effect, so it is often part of the bedtime ritual. Second, the child can learn to enjoy that “squeaky clean” feeling, of climbing into clean sheets wearing clean pajamas – and maybe that will carry over with them into puberty. Finally, water play is educational!

Water play can be grouped into the “sensory play” category. The young child explores water with his senses. He uses his sense of touch as he slaps it, splashes it, dunks his head in it, pours it from a pitcher, and fills his toys with it. He uses his sense of taste more often than you’d like, as he drinks his bath water. He uses his sense of sight, as he studies water’s natural properties – how it splashes, how it makes waves. He uses his sense of hearing as he listens to the sound of splashing. The only sense he may not use much is his sense of smell, but even that can come into play if you add scented bubble bath or bar soap.

Besides the sensory experience, water can be a pre-math activity, as the child fills gradated measuring cups and spoons. He will learn that a large cup of water will not all fit into a smaller cup. He won’t understand the complexities of fluid dynamics, but later, if he takes up that field of study in college, he will remember the properties of water from his childhood play.

You can add to the child’s experience of water play simply by changing the toys he takes into the bathtub. There are many on the market now, some provide more play value than others. You don’t have to buy expensive toys, though, as water play can be fun with nothing more than empty dish soap bottles, some wash clothes, and a funnel or two from your kitchen. If you do invest in water toys, remember that mold absolutely loves damp things in dark spaces, so make sure to let the toys drain well and put them somewhere to dry out between baths. Occasionally rinse them in a mild bleach and water solution to kill any mold spores. (I prefer a white vinegar and water solution for controlling mold, as it is more earth-friendly).

What bath toys to buy? Again, you can go back to the eight basic areas of play: Dramatic Play, Block Play, Large Muscle Play, Sensory Play, Art, Music, Books, and Table Games (or small muscle play).

For dramatic play, you can purchase toys that encourage imaginative role-playing games. These types of tub toys have little people or animals or cars or cities. Lots of pieces, but hours of fun.

Blocks: You can buy Wood Foam Blocks that somewhat stick to the tub surround. They may stick two or three tall as they float, but they will tip over before building a tall stack.

Large Muscle Play is somewhat limited by the dimensions of the tub. You don’t want your child jumping around and risk a fall-related injury! But there are baskeball tub toys. One even has a battery-operated noise of a crowd cheering every time the basketball makes it through the hoop.

Sensory play: Just being in the tub is a sensory experience. Occasionally you can alter the experience by altering the water. Add colored fizzing tablets to change the color and scent of the water. Add bubble bath. Try an oatmeal bath, especially if your child has a rash or dry, itching skin. You can purchase “Oatmeal bath” from a pharmacy, or you can finely chop a cup of raw oatmeal in your kitchen blender until it is mostly a powder. Then add it to warm bath water. You can also add bath salts, but watch your child so he doesn’t drink it.

Art: Bath Tub Crayons are so much fun! Now you can even find bathtub Finger Paints and face paint. Who knew getting clean could be so much fun!

Music: Alex Toys markets a tub symphony. This set has a xylophone, drum, mallets and flutes. I haven’t tried it yet, but it received a five-star rating from the parents who reviewed it. I plan to get this for my granddaughter, as I’m sure she will love it, too.

Books: I have seen some baby books made in durable vinyl that my granddaughter eventually took into the bath tub. This isn’t really an area where I feel it is important to have books, though. But if you have a sick or tired child, you might read them a picture book while they soak in the tub.

Small motor Play: this may overlap with the dramatic play toys, as small motor play (Table Toys) are any game with tiny pieces. You can build with legos in the tub, but they can also fit down the drain. Perhaps it would be better to build with duplos, even when the child is old enough for the smaller lego bricks. The Reeve and Jones Water Works toy is a great example of small-motor play. The child can rearrange the water pipes into unique designs, then pour tub water through the water wheel and watch it cascade down. I’d give this toy two thumbs up!

You don’t need to have an enormous toy chest. Just pick a few bath toys, and alternate them regularly. Don’t let the child have every toy every bath. He’ll never play with them all before the water cools off, and bath time will just be another battle to pick up his toys.

Remember SAFETY! A child can drown in an inch or two of water! Stay in the bathroom with him, or as he grows older, stay very near and listen diligently. You can sit on the stool and read a book, or take his bath time to spruce up the bathroom and make it nice and clean. You can get an older child or spouse to sit in the bathroom with your preschooler. An ounce of prevention will save a pounding heartache.

Related Reading:
Wet and Wild: benefits of water play
Sensory Play
Play Areas for Encouraging Creativity

Photo Credits:
Bath Puppy: by abbybatchelder
Bubble Bath: by ~My Aim Is True~
Bath Boy: by Chimothy27

Here is something cute I found while trolling through YouTube the other day. I posted it here, thinking that other parents might like to sit their preschooler on their knee and let them watch this three-minute alphabet song. It was uploaded to YouTube by 1Ronledson, who according to his profile is 71 years old. The Zoo Animal ABC lists that it has had 4 1/2 million hits.

Play this song several times, then encourage your preschooler to sing along. There are many other alphabet songs for free on YouTube. If you find another that you think is especially cute, post the link in the comments section! This could be a page that you come back to again and again. Happy singing!

Related Reading:
A is for Apple
B is for Bugs!
C is for Cookie