Keystone Human Services

Keystone Children & Family Services

Capital Area Head Start: Parent Activity Ideas by Age

Smiling boy

Dear Parents,

The Work Sampling System (for preschoolers) and the Ounce Scale (for infants and toddlers) are the assessment tools used by Capital Area Head Start and HPP. These assessments help parents, teachers and home visitors learn a child's strengths and interests and how to best support the child's development. Both assessment tools complement the High Scope curriculum which is used in your child's early childhood program. In the Work Sampling system and the Ounce Scale you will find domains or areas of development. The following pages will explain each domain for infants and toddlers, and for preschoolers.

In the following pages you will see also find a few ideas for experiences you can provide that will help your child develop, grow and learn. Ask your home visitor or teacher if you would like more information about the Pennsylvania Early Learning Standards, the Work Sampling System or Ounce Scale assessment or for more ideas for things to do at home with your child.

In home and in school your child learns through play experiences and other opportunities as well as interactions and conversations with other children and adults. As you talk with your child, ask open ended questions that don't have one word answers such as "yes, no, five, blue, windy." Ask questions that encourage your child to think more deeply and develop their reasoning skills. Ask questions and start conversations using words such as: How do you think you could solve this? What would happen if'? Why do you think it works that way? How does that happen? I wonder why! Even babies can benefit from beginning to hear these types of open ended questions.

Remember each child is unique and grows, develops and learns at his or her own pace. Choose experiences and materials that match your child's abilities and interests. Enjoy these ideas with your child as you continue in your role as your child's first, and most important, teacher. Have fun!

Parent Activity Ideas for Infants and Toddlers

Note: Always be sure to choose safe toys and activities for your infant and toddler. Supervise them closely. They are very curious and can easily try to explore unsafe objects or places. Your home visitor or teacher can give you more information on home safety.

Social and Emotional Development
How children show trust

When you talk to and respond to infants and toddlers in consistent ways they learn to trust the adults around them and learn their world is safe and predictable. This trust that very young children begin to experience shapes their relationships throughout their lives.

0-3 months
Respond to your infant's cries. Hold and snuggle your infant.
3-9 months
Play hide and seek or peek a boo. Talk to your infant, even from another room or from across the room.
8-18 months
Respond to your toddler's need for comfort. Remove things that scare your toddler. Allow your child to explore himself in a mirror.
18-24 months
Follow your child's lead. Practice daily routines – bedtime, tooth brushing, baths. Help your child wash his hands.
24-36 months
Allow extra time for your child to dress himself. Encourage your child's individuality. Enjoy what your child can do well!
How children express who they are

Infants and toddlers learn who they are and how to express their individuality from a very early age. Families' beliefs and practices and values establish the child's sense of themselves.

0-3 months
As you talk to your infant during changing and feeding talk about the feelings they are expressing. (You are so hungry. You are so happy today. You don't like feeling wet but you'll be dry and comfy soon)
3-9 months
Respond to your infant's smile with a smile and happy voice.
8-18 months
Label your child's feelings. "You are happy." Hold, read, sing to your child daily. Laugh and smile at your child.
18-24 months
Calm your toddler by picking her up, touching, talking to her.
24-36 months
Show your toddler you are aware of her feelings. Remind her to use words to express her feelings.
How children act around other children

Children are very interested in other children from the time they are very young infants. Their relationships with other children and adults are shaped by their personality and experiences.

0-3 months
Look into your infant's eyes when feeding, talking, changing, playing with her. Talk about what will happen next.
3-9 months
Pick your baby up when they lift their arms to you. Talk about what you can both see as you look around.
8-18 months
Label your child's feelings. "You are happy." Hold, read, sing to your child daily. Laugh and smile at your child.
18-24 months
Listen and respond to your toddler's "stories". Encourage them in conversations with you.
24-36 months
Provide opportunities for your toddler to play with other children at the park, Head Start or with friends.
Communication and Language
How children understand and communicate

Infants learn to understand what is said to them and learn how to give messages. Babies communicate by smiling, crying, cooing, babbling and moving their bodies. Learning language is a natural process that develops as children listen to those around them. Language skills vary a great deal from child to child. Some speak early, some speak later. They begin to look at and explore books and are interested in stories, songs and other language.

0-3 months
Talk to your infant as you feed and change him. Imitate his cooing and movements.
3-9 months
Direct your infant to notice things "Look, there's daddy. You found daddy." Use gestures along with words. Shake your head and say "yes".
8-18 months
Talk out loud to your baby throughout the day. Use words to describe what he is doing. Use new words over and over. Point to things or pictures in books and talk about them. Combine easy words like "bye bye" with the words and gestures.
18-24 months
Give simple two part directions. Use words that describe things or express action. Allow your child to choose books to read. Read them over and over. Ask simple questions. Encourage him to sing songs or chant with you.
24-36 months
Ask your child to tell you where something is, who someone is, talk about what happened. Repeat the correct form of an incorrectly pronounced word or incorrect sentence but do not correct the child's speech. Ask questions as you read books together.
Cognitive Development
How children explore and figure things out

Infants and toddlers learn about their world as they explore by looking at, touching, tasting, listening to and feeling everything around them. They learn how things work and how to solve problems.

0-3 months
Encourage your baby to touch and play with her bottle or toys. Talk to your baby about things in their world.
3-9 months
Move things back and forth for your baby to watch. Provide chances for your baby to find, grasp and hold things.
8-18 months
Play turn-taking games. Provide toys and experiences that encourage your baby to solve problems. Hide toys for your baby to find.
18-24 months
Have toys your child can use to move or make sounds. Keep toys at a special place. Ask the child to get them or put them away. Count things. Name things.
24-36 months
Talk about matching and match socks, toys, other objects. Point to and talk about small details in books. Play hiding games with people or objects.
Physical Development
How children move their bodies and use their hands

Infants and toddlers gain more control over their arms and hands and leg and feet as they mature. They need safe places to move freely and practice all these new movements.

0-3 months
Play patty cake or this little piggy or other word games while gently touching your baby. Allow her to move her legs and arms freely. Place a rattle or toy in her hand.
3-9 months
Change your baby's position frequently throughout the day. Provide time for the infant to be held in a sitting position. Rock your baby.
8-18 months
Sing simple songs and move your baby with the music. Provide balls and other soft objects to throw. Make your home safe to explore.
18-24 months
Have riding toys, balls to kick. Jump with your child. Have materials they can hold and use to draw. Dance with your child to music.
24-36 months
Have toys for catching and throwing. Put measuring cups and toys in the bathtub. Walk backwards, tiptoe, stand on one foot together.
Parent Activity Ideas for Preschoolers
Social and Emotional Development

Young children develop important social skills that will be with them throughout their life. They watch others, imitate them, want learn about themselves and others. A child learns to understand and express their feelings. Their feelings about themselves is important. Children first learn about their own families and then about their school, the larger world and their community.

  • Create special times in your daily routines that your child can look forward to like reading a story at bedtime or talking about their day
  • Provide opportunities for your child to play with other children – go to the park, have a friend come to play, attend Head Start regularly
  • Help your child express their feelings in words (surprised, sad, happy, angry)
  • Praise and support your child with specific words about what they have done. (You know exactly where to hang up your coat! It was very helpful for you to hold the door open for me!)
  • Visit with family members and talk about their jobs, family memories and traditions
Approaches to Learning

All children need to feel secure, comfortable and successful about learning. Each child learns in their own way. Adults can help support them by closely watching to help discover a child's learning style. Children need to be encouraged to try new things, problem solve and to be persistent in their activities and projects.

  • Show that learning is fun
  • Encourage your child to try new things, plan activities, offer suggestions and solve problems whenever possible and safe
  • Encourage your child to be persistent with tasks/activities. Give specific feedback. (You brushed your teeth on the top and bottom today and they are shining! You worked so hard to put all your books/toys on the shelf just like they were before you started playing. It looks so neat!)
Language Development

From the time children are born their ability to learn language is amazing. They listen, make sounds and begin to speak. Young children need lots of experiences with language in their everyday life and in their play. They need to talk with you and have you listen carefully. Language development involves listening to and understanding speech, using new words, and knowing that letters make sounds in words.

  • Talk with your child often – it is one of the best activities to support language development. Talk anywhere and everywhere (the drive to work, bath time, meal time). It's fun to learn what your child is thinking or to share your thoughts and ideas!
  • Model good listening by giving the child a chance to think and respond to you.
  • Introduce new words to your child and use them in various ways, talk about what they mean
Literacy

Literacy involves children knowing about and enjoying books, knowing that letters and words have meaning, using letter names, understanding that writing things has a purpose and beginning to write by using letter like shapes, symbols or actual letters.

  • Point out familiar words (stop signs, McDonald's, family names, etc.) that mean something to your child
  • Encourage your child to scribble, draw, and write. Give them pencils, markers, crayons, envelopes, paper, memo pads, chalk, etc.
  • Read books of all types to your child. Ask your child to pick books to read. Talk about the parts of the book and the pictures. Ask your child questions while you read a book. Use different voices for the characters in books or act out a story or book
Mathematics

Young children learn math by playing and working with real objects. They learn about size, quantity, patterns, measurement, and shapes as they play with objects.

  • Ask open ended questions to help extend their thinking such as: I wonder how many cups it will take to fill this. When will the train arrive? What will we do if it's late?
  • Cook with your child. Choose simple, safe cooking experiences. Measure ingredients together and talk about how they change.
  • Let your child play with graph paper, rulers, timers, old watches or clocks, real or play money
Science

Children use all their senses to observe, explore, experiment, investigate, compare, classify, predict, question and look for answers as they play with objects and through trial and error. Scientific thinking involves the properties of things (soft, hard, wet, dry), studying nature and living things, and thinking about how things change and move.

  • Ask open ended questions to help extend their thinking such as: How did you get that block to stay there? Why do you think that happened?
  • Take a walk, talk about things you see and how they change. Collect natural objects in bags or boxes (pine cones, twigs, stones, nests, feathers). Let your child play with their collection.
  • Give your child old maps, flashlights, old telephones, cardboard boxes and tape
  • Encourage your child to try new things, make choices, plan things and solve problems. Talk about their ideas.
Creative Arts

The arts include dancing, music, dramatic play and art. It is important that children have opportunities to use and enjoy the arts. Current research shows a direct connection between the arts and higher levels of thinking and learning.

  • Participate in your child's pretend play. (You be the shopper while the child is the clerk. You are the baby and the child is the babysitter.)
  • Give your child the chance to listen to different kinds of music (jazz, folk, dance, ballet, pop, classical, different cultures, nursery rhymes)
  • Use a variety of body movements and sing, march, shake, wiggle, jump, tiptoe, exercise, run, walk or dance to music with your child.
  • Provide materials for creative play, such as old clothing, scarves, tablecloths, pots and pans, sheets, shoes, hats, empty boxes, cardboard tubes.
Physical Health and Development

Young children develop important physical abilities which are supported by active indoor and outdoor play. Children need chances to exercise all their muscles (arms, hands, fingers). Physical movement helps brain development and learning, and young children need to move and handle actual things to learn. Young children need to learn how to take care of themselves, rely on themselves and healthy lifestyles.

  • Make Fun Dough: 1 ?? cup flour, ?? cup salt, ?? cups water. Mix ingredients together. Slowly add more water if needed. Knead to form workable dough. Use cookie cutters, popsicle sticks, rolling pins, etc. Add food coloring to the water for different colors of dough.
  • Exercise together or create an obstacle course that children can go under, over, around and through things.
  • Give your child a special job around the house. Show your child how to set the table, spread peanut butter, pour drinks.
  • Encourage your child to dress and undress himself and have an easy-to-reach place for them to put their own clothes.
  • When you walk with your child, review safety rules. Show him how to cross the street, look both ways.
Dancing Thru The Decades

This page last updated on:
October 3, 2007