Day of Play Newsletter
This newsletter is
brought to you by:
The Hanover
Insurance Group
Foundation
The Worcester Family
Partnership
and
Edward Street Child
Services
See highlights on the
Day of Play website!
August 2015 Newsletter!
Here you will find activities in each of the 6 important types of play:
reading play, construction play, STEM play, creative arts play, active
play and music & dance play that will allow you to continue the
learning fun at home! To find out more about the benefits of play,
visit the Day of Play website!
Reading Play
1. Lace the ABCs: Lacing provides hand-eye coordination
practice, which will help later with handwriting. For this cool art
activity, you'll need 26 colored foam sheets (you can buy them at
any craft store, or use cardboard), safety scissors, lots of shoe
strings (yarn taped at the ends also works), a hole puncher, a
pencil and some lined paper. Start by making your letters. On one
foam sheet have your child write the letter "A" in pencil. Continue
and use one piece of foam for each letter of the alphabet and help
your child if they need reminders about how to write the letters.
You can use the lined paper to demonstrate. Once all the letters
are written, carefully have your child cut them out using childfriendly scissors (or do it for them if they are not ready to use
scissors). Next, your child can draw dots along the strokes of each
letter connect-the-dots style. Then, punch a hole in each dot with a
hole puncher. Be careful not to punch too close to the edges of the
letters. Now your child is can string each letter using the shoelaces
or yarn in the direction that you'd write. If your child is up for a
challenge, brainstorm words that begin with the letter they're
working one, such as A for apple or B for bear.
2. Letter Detective: Provide your little Sherlock Holmes with some
highlighters in multiple colors, a few old magazines or
newspapers, index cards or post-it notes, and a magnifying glass
(optional) for this activity. First, have your child pick a letter of the
alphabet. Familiarize your child with this letter (both the capital
letter and lowercase version) if needed. You can write it on an
index card or post-it note, as a reference. Now, give your child the
old magazines or newspapers and a magnifying glass and tell
them to search for that letter. Every time they find it, they can
highlight it. If you want to mix it up, use a timer and see how many
versions of the letter your child can find in two or three minutes.
Keep track of the number and see if they can improve on it the
next time. The might also notice that A's and S's are a lot easier to
find than X's or Z's. Alternatively, custom make this activity to your
child's ability by typing up letters on a word document. Use your
focus letter frequently and a nice big font if you want to start out
easy.Then, have fun searching!
3. Underwater I Spy Alphabet Bottle: You'll need an empty
water or plastic soda bottle without ridges, alphabet beads
(available at a craft store), glitter, sequins or any tiny sparkly things
you might have, corn syrup, water, a sheet of paper, a highlighter,
and a hot glue gun. First, write the alphabet on a sheet of paper
and have your child lay all the beads from A to Z on the table.
Make sure all 26 letters are there and then put them in the
bottle. Next, add the sequins and glitter and fill half the bottle with
water and the other half with corn syrup. The corn syrup makes
the contents move more slowly and prevents the glitter from
sticking together. Finish by hot gluing the cap onto the
bottle. Then, shake it up! Do you see any letters? Have your child
highlight each letter they see on the paper. Ask if they can find the
letters in their name. This is a great way to keep your child
occupied and happy during car rides, too!
Construction Play
1. Hammering Practice: If your child always has their eye on Dad's (or
Mom's) toolbox, they'll love this simple activity! Put out play dough and
golf tees along with a toy hammer. Tell your child to hammer the tees
into a big blob of play dough and let the fun begin!
2. Steamroller: Make this toy together with your child to enhance
their block play. You'll need and empty oats canister, a wire pants
hanger, scissors, black construction paper (optional), glue
(optional), a hot glue gun, and glue sticks. First, poke a hole in the
center of the oats canister lid and in the center of the bottom of the
canister with your scissors. Then, take the hanger apart and
straighten out the wire (this should be done by an adult). Take the
lid off the canister and poke the wire through the hole in the bottom
and out the top. Next, slide the lid down the wire to put it back on.
Then, put the end of the wire back into the cardboard tube. To
avoid the wire ends coming out later, hot glue both ends of the
wire into the hanger tube. Be careful not to get hot glue in the
canister, though, because it will prevent it from rolling. Lastly, you
can glue two pieces of black construction paper onto the canister
for a sleek, more realistic look. Now you can test it out! It should
pass right over smaller items. See what different kinds of toys the
steamroller will push, roll over, or knock over.
3. Dyed Wooden Spools: Making these colorful building blocks is
a great fine motor skill activity and will provide you with something
new and fun for construction play, too! You'll need some wooden
spools as well as liquid watercolors, containers for the watercolor,
and paintbrushes. Put some watercolor in the containers and dye
the spools by rolling them around in the watercolor until they have
absorbed enough color. Let them sit for a while if you want a really
bright shade. Let them dry and then get ready to build some
towers, sort them by color, or maybe arrange them like a rainbow.
There are many possibilities!
STEM Play (Science, Technology, Engineering
and Math)
1. Cloud Watching: On a warm and lazy afternoon, lay down
in the grass with your child and watch the clouds drift across
the sky! This will present a good opportunity to talk about how
clouds are formed. Basically, water evaporates from the earth
and condenses into small droplets which make up the clouds.
Has you child ever seen fog? When clouds touch the earth,
they become fog. Bring a notebook with you and have your
child draw any cool-looking clouds they see! Do any clouds
look like something else?
2. Fizzing Lemonade: Get ready for some fizzy fun! This
activity will teach your child some science and they'll also be
delighted by the lemonade tasting involved! Essentially, you
mix a base (baking soda) with an acid (lemon juice) to cause
a chemical reaction. This specific reaction produces carbon
dioxide and causes a process called carbonation
which creates bubbles. To start this cool process and make
the lemonade, you'll need 1 or 2 lemons, 1 teaspoon baking
soda, 1 or 2 teaspoons of sugar to taste, a juicer, a glass, a
regular spoon, and a measuring spoon. First, squeeze and
strain the juice of your lemon(s). Combine this juice with the
baking soda in the glass and start stirring to really spark the
reaction. Add some sugar and then taste your fizzing
lemonade! Ask your child what they notice and feel on their
tongue. You can dilute it with water or add more sugar if
needed. Enjoy!
3. Number Writing Salt Tray Game: This math game is easy
to set up and play! You'll just need salt, a dish, cardboard or
paper squares, a marker, and a paintbrush. On one side of
each square, write a number, and on the other side, draw that
many dots. Your child can help you with this. Stack these
cards up, with the dots facing up. Then, pour some salt into a
dish. Your child will then count the dots on the first card and
write the number in the salt with the paintbrush or their
fingers! Your child can work independently and turn the card
around to see if they did it correctly. Depending on the ability
of your child, you may want to start with very few numbers to
make it easier, and then gradually add more.You can also mix
up the number cards and have your child organize them from
smallest to largest or largest to smallest. Have fun sharpening
up those math skills!
Creative Arts Play
1. Clothespin Stegosaurus: You will need a cereal box, paint,
clothespins, a per plate, a marker, scissors, and a googly eye (optional).
Dissemble the cereal box and start by drawing a simple dinosaur shape
on it with your marker. Then, paint the dinosaur.You can use any color
Creative Arts Play
1. Clothespin Stegosaurus: You will need a cereal box, paint, clothespins, a paper plate, a marker,
scissors, and a googly eye (optional). Dissemble the cereal box and start by drawing a
simple dinosaur shape on it with your marker. Then, paint the dinosaur.You can use any color paint you
have, but if you want your child to practice color mixing, put 2 colors of paint on the plate and let your
child blend blue and yellow to make green paint, for example. Then, using the same dish you mixed the
colors in, roll your clothespins in the paint to color them. Try not to get too much on them or they'll be
stuck together and won't open. Glue the eye on the dry dinosaur (or paint one if you don't have one) and
then cut it out. Next, pinch the clothespins onto the dinosaur's back. Pinching is great fine motor practice!
2. Puffy Paint Moon: Get your child interested in the sky and the world above by creating a cool moon
together! You'll need some strong paper (a cereal box or paper grocery bag would do), shaving cream,
white glue, a marker and scissors. Start by sketching a big round moon with the marker. Then, mix a 1/2
cup of glue and 1 1/2 cups of shaving cream to make the paint. Paint moon and have fun exploring the
texture of the paint. Let the paper dry overnight and cut out your moon the next day!
3. Paper Roll Beads: Make some jewelry with these cool recycled toilet paper or paper towel roll beads!
They are big enough to pose no choking hazard and easier for little hands to thread onto a the ribbon.
You'll need 1 paper towel or 2 toilet paper rolls, markers, scissors, a ribbon, and glitter and glue or sparkle
paint (optional). Start by decorating your rolls with markers. Then, add the glitter, if desired. Once
everything is dry, cut the rolls into small rings. Then, cut some ribbon for a necklace and tape one end of
the ribbon to the table, so that your child can start threading beads and they won't fall off. Once all the
beads are on the ribbon, detach it from the table and tie a nice little knot to finish it off!
Active Play
1. Outdoor Alphabet Track: Practice letter recognition and engage in gross motor learning with
this fun chalk activity! You'll just need some chalk and a safe paved area to draw. Create a
curvy path by drawing the letters of the alphabet, a little spaced out and in order. Now, your
child can follow the path and lead the way from A to Z, stepping on each letter along the way.
Why not sing the ABCs as you go to make it even more fun? Your child can also ride their
bicycle or tricycle instead!
2. Balloon Badminton: This is a great twist on the fun summer game of badminton. All you
need are one badminton racket per person and a blown-up balloon. If you don't have regular
rackets, just create your own using sturdy paper plates, paint stir sticks or something similar,
and some strong tape. Tape a stick to a plate to make a racket. Once everyone has one, start
playing! Pass the balloon back and forth or simply try to keep it off the ground! This activity
works well both indoors and outdoors.
3. Bubble Pop Road: This activity is guaranteed to have your child running and jumping
around! Simply save up bubble wrap from packaging. Once you've collected a good amount,
create a road by taping pieces together and onto the floor with painter's tape. Your child can run
on it or maybe even push toy trucks and cars on it. If your child is interested in pushing a toy
vehicle along it, you can create hills using empty cardboard boxes. Just drape the wrap over
them and place pillows under the incline for support. Happy popping!
Music & Dance Play
1. Coffee Can Drums: You can create colorful drums using balloons and old coffee cans! You'll
also need some scissors and packaging tape. First, cut the nozzle off one balloon and stretch it
around the can. Then, take another balloon of a different color and also cut off the nozzle. Cut
out some shapes, too - small circles, diamonds, hearts, etc. Then stretch this second balloon
around the can. Adding it not only looks cool, but also increases the durability of the drum!
Lastly, secure the balloons with tape. Now you're child will be able to make some noise!
2. Drinking Straw Flute: This flute is fun to make and play! Just get out a ruler, scissors, nine
straws and some tape and you'll be ready to get started! Set one straw aside -- this one will not
need any cutting. Then, line your second straw up against the ruler and cut 2 centimeters off the
bottom. Put it aside and cut 4 centimeters off the next straw. Continue this process with the 6
remaining straws, cutting off 2 more centimeters of each straw than you did off the previous
one. Next, lay out a long piece of tape on the table with the sticky side facing up. Line the straws
up, longest to shortest. Make sure the tops are even with each other and then wrap the tape
around them. Now, it's finally time to play your flute! As you blow over the tops of the straws,
you'll hear the shortest straw making the highest note and the longest one making the lowest.
3. Water Xylophone: Make your very own temporary xylophone! Start with 8 small mason jars
(or any glass jars of the same size). Set out a pitcher of water and allow your child to
experiment with different amounts of water in the glasses and high and low pitches with a metal
spoon. You can also add food coloring to the different jars and arrange it however you like.
Explain the science behind this to your child, too. When you hit the glass, you create small
vibrations which make sound waves that go through the water. The more water, the slower the
vibrations and the deeper the tone.
Created by Lillian Daley