Brooke is the Director of Community Outreach
For Pediatric Therapy Professionals and is a
Speech and Language Pathologist
bdorsch@pedtp.com
www.pedtp.com
With Winter upon us, we must say goodbye to long mornings at the park until next spring. We will be stuck at home with nothing to do, but stare out the window at the cold wind and snow.
However, there is plenty to do in your living room. Not only is there a lot to do, but there is a lot of learning that can be done. You don’t need fancy toys or expensive “My Baby Can Read” DVD’s to teach your children some good skills, while they are having tons of fun.
Here are some activities you can do right in your living room:
For Infants:
· Put music on and sing along to the songs. Clap your baby’s hands to the beat. Move their legs like he or she is riding a bicycle.
· Play Peek-A-Boo behind different things, not just your hands. Use a newspaper, blanket, or your child’s favorite stuffed animal. Try saying the same phrase each time, like “Here’s Mama,” or “There you are!”
For Toddlers:
· Play simple games like “Simon Says” to encourage your child to follow directions. This also encourages lots of movement.
· Use clean containers from around the house, like jars, tubs, etc., to talk about big and little. You can fill them with small toys, like blocks. Your child can take them out and in. Also, practice counting as they play.
· Turn on the radio and dance around the house. Wiggle like worms. Jump like bunnies. Reach high up to the sky.
· Look through old magazines and find pictures of things that are different colors. Cut them out and make a “color” book. You can have a blue page, a red page, and so on.
There are tons of websites out there that have instructions for arts and crafts and other activities that can keep your kids busy while you are stuck inside. Just because you can’t play outside doesn’t mean you can’t learn and have fun!
