Course 1

Course 1

Dear Parents

How you introduce a new theme to your child is very important.

Be creative and remember to PREPARE. You may do any of the following:

  • Gather physical supplies: your child’s favorite story books  and a variety of different toys
  • Showing your child pictures: Any other pictures of toys (example: on store advertising pamphlets); or in books.( keep in mind that concrete examples is best suited for this age)
  • Talk about he/she is touching and looking at :  Name the items and talk about what you do with it (i.e. read and play with)

The following picture may be used in support of your discussion introduction:

Use the following questions to guide as you look at the picture:

  • What toys do you like to play with? What story books do you like mommy to read to you? 
  • Toys are lots of fun, can you see them in the picture?
  • Who is playing with toys?
  • Where do you see books in the picture? Are there many? Why are there so many?

Activity 1: 

Creative art: Shape Printing

Duration: 10-15minutes

Toilet roll shapes printing

What do we need?

  • Empty toilet roll holders
  • Yellow paint/or any colour available
  • A4 white craft paper

What to do:

  1. *Caregiver is to prepare toilet roll holder shape beforehand, by shaping it into shapes using hands.
  2. Demonstrate to your child by dipping toilet roll holder in paint and printing on paper. Talk about what you are doing.
  3. Allow your child to do it on their own. 
  4. Talk about the shapes and colours being printed as your child works.
  5. Ask him/her to tell you.

Art activities develop a child’s problem-solving skills: When children explore art ideas, they are testing possibilities and working through challenges, much like a scientist who experiments and finds solutions. Even when experimenting or learning how to handle art materials effectively, children are solving challenges and coming up with new ways to handle unexpected outcomes.

Activity 2

Play dough: making a shape

Duration: 5 – 10 minutes

What do you need? 

  • A big triangle shape drawn on cardboard (make sure that outlines of shape is bold and thick)
  • play dough

What to do:

  1. Caregiver demonstrates how to roll play dough by explaining that palms are flat.
  2. Show your child how to place play dough onto board to form a triangle
  3. Let him/her attempt to try it by themselves.
  4. You may need to assist by building parts and then having your child complete it.
  5. Discuss the three sides and that one corner is higher up than the others. Use the rhyme below to assist. Teach your child the rhyme.

** Learning shapes not only helps children identify and organize visual information, it helps them learn skills in other curriculum areas including reading, math, and science. For example, an early step in understanding numbers and letters is to recognize their shape**

Activity 3

Gross motor shape jump: triangles

Duration: 5 – 7 minutes

What do you need?

  1. Side walk chalk/ paper cut out triangle shape

What you need to do:

  1. Caregiver simply draws different size triangles outdoors on a flat surface.
  2. Demonstrate to your child by jumping in and out
  3. Alternative if weather does not permit, you can use triangle paper cut out and do this activity indoors

Talk about the triangle shape, colour and size as your child explores.