Social/Emotional Development
 Play dress up - have a box of old clothes, shoes, purses, hats, and
scarves and let your child pretend to be someone else.
 Change roles - let him be the mom or dad while you are the child.
 Pretend your child is taking care of a baby or stuffed animal.
 Use manners when asking for a toy, sharing a cookie, and trying to
pass by someone.
 Take turns using one marker together - waiting to take turns.
Games for Learning
It seems as if young children learn something new each
and every moment. They are learning about colors and
shapes, how to count, how to get along with other
people, and how to do things by themselves.
Small Muscle Development
 Have a tea party.
 Punch holes in cardboard and lace a shoestring through the holes.
 Glue buttons or round cereal onto a piece of paper.
 Use children’s scissors to cut through play dough.
Young children learn best through normal, every-day play and
activities, especially when they are having fun. They learn
math, language, social/emotional, and large and small motor
skills through simple activities. Expensive educational toys
are not needed to learn.
Large Muscle Development
 Stir the ingredients for a cake.
 Sweep the floor.
 Ride the tricycle to “work”.
 Play ‘Simon Says’, “Mother May I”, and ‘Head and Shoulders’ song.
Consider the following simple games and activities to teach your children
new skills.
Remember that young children love to spend time with their parents doing
ordinary activities and that each ordinary time offers extraordinary
learning opportunities.
Mathematical Thinking
 Sort socks by color, size, or pattern
 Match lids on the right plastic containers
 Set the table for dinner. Your child will learn if there are five people in
your family, you will need to have five forks, napkins, etc.
 Put silverware away, sorting each piece into the right slot.
Language Development
 Pretend you are having a conversation on the phone with your child.
 Have your child help you cook dinner, cookies or prepare fruits and
vegetables. Talk about the names of the foods and ingredients.
 Practice singing songs—check out a children’s CD from the local
library and dance while you sing. Talk about any new words.
 Take turns acting out something and trying to guess what the other
person is doing, such as brushing teeth, dialing the phone, or making a
sandwich.
 Encourage your child to use complete sentences.
Source: Reschke, K. (1999) What are they learning?: Seeing the concepts
and skills children can learn through play. http://www.nncc.org/
Author: Janice McCoy, Family Life Educator, Whiteside County
Editor: Patti Faughn, Family Life Educator, Springfield Center, Fall 2006
For more information contact:
Angela Reinhart, Family Life Educator
University of Illinois Extension
Champaign County Unit
801 N. Country Fair Drive, Suite D
Champaign, IL 61821
217/333-7672
University of Illinois  US Dept of Agriculture
Local Extension Councils Cooperating
University of Illinois Extension provides equal opportunities in programs and employment.