Diane C. Ohanesian
Early Childhood Specialist, Parent Educator and Author
Hello! I’m excited to see that you’ve found yourself here! I know your day is long, that you’re incredibly busy, that the day is just slipping by too quickly... and that you might be able to use a little help! Try some of the activities below with your preschooler. And check back to see what’s new!
So what will you do today to add some fun and learning to your preschooler’s day?
Excitement Contained in Containers!
I wanted to share with you some ideas I've experimented with using containers I found around the house. It turns out it's really easy to create entire environments for lots of kid-fun, with nothing more than paper, boxes and tins!
A Box City
This is a city scene made with boxes of different sizes, an old (very old!) piece of fabric that resembles a night sky, and a string of twinkling star lights. You can add your child's toy cars and plastic people to make this a really interactive town. And please offer your child materials to use to add other buildings/people/vehicles, etc. of his/her own design.
Keep in mind that the goal of your creations, as well as your child's, should not be to be “perfect”, but an effort filled with love that reflects the uniqueness of each of you!
Here are some close-ups of a few of the city buildings:
P.S. I discovered that cupcake papers make the perfect cafe tables!
A Box n' Paper Farm
A long, rectangular box makes an inviting barn for all sorts of farm animals...and packing straw placed inside the box is just right for those animals to cuddle up in for a good night's sleep! Here's a peek:
A long, rectangular box makes an inviting barn for all sorts of farm animals...and packing straw placed inside the box is just right for those animals to cuddle up in for a good night's sleep! Here's a peek:
A round box lid makes a perfect “watering hole”, styrofoam packing material a terrific animal trough, and a large piece of plain kraft paper fills in the farm landscape. Add some toy farm animals and your child will take it from there! (Images of animals, in this case from an old picture book, add some fun and interest to the environment!)
Cookie Tin Magic!
Somehow the holiday season always results in lots of cookie tins given and received! Here's a suggestion for using a tin lid to create a fun and inviting welcome for kids arriving at your door!
Somehow the holiday season always results in lots of cookie tins given and received! Here's a suggestion for using a tin lid to create a fun and inviting welcome for kids arriving at your door!
The possibilities for using boxes, paper, tins and more are unlimited! Hope these have inspired you to create some of your own—or provide the materials and let your child take the lead!
