Coloring

Did you know that using crayons, markers, chalk, and other writing instruments helps a child learn how to write? Making marks is the earliest form of writing development so I try to let the Bug have a chance sometimes though it is tough because everything goes in his mouth...

We experiment with different papers/mediums especially with markers since there is no need for you to apply pressure in order to make a mark. 

The Bug doesn't always leave the paper (or aluminum foil) taped down but that's all part of the process. (Oh yeah, until your child can coordinate holding the paper with one hand while drawing with the other (around age 3) it helps to tape it down!!!)

Note the marker all over his face. They're washable but I don't like that he wants to suck the ink out so markers don't get used a lot...

Crayon cakes are one of my very favorite writing instruments. They are cool shapes and take more pressure then the average crayon making them great for all ages! Once the Bug is old enough for us to have a stash of broken crayons, I'll post a tutorial on crayon cakes but until then you'll just have to check mine out!

These are much easier to lay out for "choices" then round crayons. I did buy some triangular crayons during the back to school craze but I'm not sure where they are...

Chalk! Sorry the pictures are blurry, I forgot I needed to take some until he was finishing...

Drawing with chalk on a chalkboard is a great time filler! Add a paintbrush and cup of water to "erase" their art and toddlers will sit still for longer. Actually the Bug might to- wait no, he'd want to drink the water...

The place where I taught didn't allow pencils (colored or other) in the rooms for kids under 3 so while I am willing to try, there's not any reason to start now!

As your child grows, drawing/writing should be encouraged. Try not to draw too much for them (it can in some cases make children feel that they can't do something) but encourage them to trace letters. We used a cool program called Handwriting Without Tears that used a "wet, dry, try" method. An adult writes the letter on a chalkboard. The child then uses a small sponge (think pincer grip here) to "wet" trace the letter. They then use a small piece of paper towel to "dry" trace the letter and lastly use a piece of chalk to "try" writing the letter themselves! 

Water Play!

Water is one of the easiest sensory bins you can create! All you need is a container and some water! From there you can always add colors (food coloring is best for keeping things edible), small toys, cups or scoops, or for older children- more containers to move the water around!

Cleanup is a breeze- throw a towel on it!

The Bug is pulling up on EVERYTHING... We put our ocean animals TOOB in the water.

The main game with water is always to eat the animals. Octopi are his favorites (he has a tub toy octopus too...)

I encourage him to splash and we talk about what animals he is picking up. The advantage of the Safari TOOBs is they print the animal type on the animal so I can say Hammerhead Shark without question!

I also encouraged the Bug to make waves. He isn't quite old enough yet but talking is a major part of his language introduction so we try hard to have monologues (and occasionally babbling dialogues) with him about things!

He was SOAKED after this activity so be prepared. If you don't have animals or want a safe alternative add warmer water and colored ice cubes! It's a great motor skill practice trying to pick up the ice cubes and you can talk about how the ice is melting and what colors you see at the same time!

Peek-a-Boo!

What baby doesn't like peek-a-boo? And what toddler doesn't love looking at pictures of themselves? Enter the peek-a-boo sensory bin! You can use just about any material though water wouldn't work quite the same way.

I used contact paper (sold near the shelf liners at most stores) to adhere pictures to the bottom of one of the Bug's sensory bins. I did it on the outside so that the cornmeal we used wouldn't get stuck in the adhesive! Because the Bug isn't quite 8 months, I showed him the pictures before I hid them.

He dove right in as always picking up handfuls of the cornmeal.

 He swept the cornmeal around with his hands and thought it was HILARIOUS.

This is when I regret throwing him how to throw things...

When he got close, I started saying, "Who's that?" and "Peek-a-boo" which was a big hit!

When he found people he knew (the pictures were all of him with people he knows), he got excited.

Here's a view of the box- the pictures were just printed on our printer- they don't have to be high quality- just good enough to be able to tell who the person is. These were wallet size so I could fit 3 on the box.