Dash loves learning. He loves playing. He loves games.
A simple learning activity we often do is "the learning box".
I got the idea when I saw these CHEAP cards at Target on the dollar rack.
Dash was three years old at the time and he was always asking. "What is that?" to everything we passed. I figured it wouldn't hurt to expose him to knowing what more things were!
So, here's what we did...
A simple learning activity we often do is "the learning box".
I got the idea when I saw these CHEAP cards at Target on the dollar rack.
Dash was three years old at the time and he was always asking. "What is that?" to everything we passed. I figured it wouldn't hurt to expose him to knowing what more things were!
So, here's what we did...
First, we had to have some fun making the box.
Yes, he did his messy painting OUTSIDE in the kiddie pool while wearing Daddy's old shirt.
I told him that this was going to be his 'learning box' and I would put pictures inside of it. The pictures would be of things he could learn about.
Then, I put twelve or thirteen cards in the box without him seeing. I got him really excited about wanting to see what was in the box. I kept the box up high. I told him he'd have to wait until the next day to choose a 'learning card' just to build up his anticipation.
The next morning, I told him it was time. I kept the box just high enough so that he couldn't see inside and had him reach in and grab one card.
We rushed to the couch and I told him to show it to me.
Then, I told him two things:
First, what the picture was (i.e. the Statue of Liberty) and
Second, one fact about the card (it's in New York).
Now, I'm not crazy. I realize my three year old doesn't understand half the facts I tell him about these cards. He doesn't know what 'New York' is. But, it is kinda fun when he is watching a movie or sees a poster and says,
"Mommy, there's the Statue of Liberty!"
which has happened a few times. And, it is even more fun when he whispers,
"It's in New York".
No, he doesn't remember half of them. But, he gets SUPER excited and almost giddy about getting to choose a card. It's like he won the lottery when he picks one out and peeks to see what it is. So darn cute!
After he chooses the cards and I tell him about them, we do the next step.
We put the card in a clip.
These, too, I got at Target off the dollar rack.
The picture stays on the magnetic clip in the kitchen
where we see it for weeks.
Then, comes Dash's favorite part. We play little games to quiz each other on the cards. I'll be busy doing dishes and I'll say,
"Which picture is of something in New York?"
to which he'll rush over and point to the Statue of Liberty. Most the time, he'll want to point to a card and then quiz me to see if I remember the name or fact about it (by the way, I usually do remember- hee hee). But, I love that, too, because it means he is hearing the fact and name of it, again.
Or, I'll be making dinner and he'll come rushing in and say,
"Which picture is a bird that when it spreads its wings the span is as tall as Daddy?"
He loves it :)
We ONLY choose a learning card when Dash initiates it and asks if he can choose a card.
I usually limit it to one or two cards a day.
Once all thirteen clips are full I usually leave the cards up there for a few weeks before putting new cards into the learning box.
So, this silly little 'learning box' activity we do allows us to hear some daily conversations that sound like this:
Neighbor: "I'm heading out to the desert this weekend."
Dash: "Scorpions are in the desert. Be careful!"
Dash: "Daddy, what is that noise?"
Daddy: "A cricket."
Dash: "Oh. A cricket's ears are on its knees, Daddy."
Or when I am on Facebook writing on a friend's wall and
her profile picture has the
Leaning Tower of Pisa behind her and Dash says,
"Look, Mommy! The Leaning Tower of Pizza!"
Yes, he did his messy painting OUTSIDE in the kiddie pool while wearing Daddy's old shirt.
I told him that this was going to be his 'learning box' and I would put pictures inside of it. The pictures would be of things he could learn about.
Then, I put twelve or thirteen cards in the box without him seeing. I got him really excited about wanting to see what was in the box. I kept the box up high. I told him he'd have to wait until the next day to choose a 'learning card' just to build up his anticipation.
The next morning, I told him it was time. I kept the box just high enough so that he couldn't see inside and had him reach in and grab one card.
We rushed to the couch and I told him to show it to me.
Then, I told him two things:
First, what the picture was (i.e. the Statue of Liberty) and
Second, one fact about the card (it's in New York).
Now, I'm not crazy. I realize my three year old doesn't understand half the facts I tell him about these cards. He doesn't know what 'New York' is. But, it is kinda fun when he is watching a movie or sees a poster and says,
"Mommy, there's the Statue of Liberty!"
which has happened a few times. And, it is even more fun when he whispers,
"It's in New York".
No, he doesn't remember half of them. But, he gets SUPER excited and almost giddy about getting to choose a card. It's like he won the lottery when he picks one out and peeks to see what it is. So darn cute!
After he chooses the cards and I tell him about them, we do the next step.
We put the card in a clip.
These, too, I got at Target off the dollar rack.
The picture stays on the magnetic clip in the kitchen
where we see it for weeks.
Then, comes Dash's favorite part. We play little games to quiz each other on the cards. I'll be busy doing dishes and I'll say,
"Which picture is of something in New York?"
to which he'll rush over and point to the Statue of Liberty. Most the time, he'll want to point to a card and then quiz me to see if I remember the name or fact about it (by the way, I usually do remember- hee hee). But, I love that, too, because it means he is hearing the fact and name of it, again.
Or, I'll be making dinner and he'll come rushing in and say,
"Which picture is a bird that when it spreads its wings the span is as tall as Daddy?"
He loves it :)
We ONLY choose a learning card when Dash initiates it and asks if he can choose a card.
I usually limit it to one or two cards a day.
Once all thirteen clips are full I usually leave the cards up there for a few weeks before putting new cards into the learning box.
So, this silly little 'learning box' activity we do allows us to hear some daily conversations that sound like this:
Neighbor: "I'm heading out to the desert this weekend."
Dash: "Scorpions are in the desert. Be careful!"
Dash: "Daddy, what is that noise?"
Daddy: "A cricket."
Dash: "Oh. A cricket's ears are on its knees, Daddy."
Or when I am on Facebook writing on a friend's wall and
her profile picture has the
Leaning Tower of Pisa behind her and Dash says,
"Look, Mommy! The Leaning Tower of Pizza!"
