Activities Made Free but Packed Full of Fun and Learning

This activity consists of cutting a square hole in the milk carton and clothes pins. This is great for hand-eye coordination which is developmental in building spatial awareness and writing skills. I introduced it by bringing Stinky over to the activity table I made for her. I put 1 clothes pin into the hole and then clapped. I handed her a clothes pin and she began working to put her clothes pin in the hole. She had a really difficult time getting it in and wanted to quit a few times. I encouraged her to keep trying. She attempted to get it in using different hand positions and trying different hands (great practice in problem solving). Eventually she got her first one in. I congratulated her and she was so proud of herself. She smiled really big. Now she wanted to do it again and again. Each time she made it in she clapped. Now at least once a day she goes over and puts all the clothes pins, with no trouble, into the carton.

I believe that one of the most important parts of creating experiences for your children is how they are presented and what they look like. A toy box just crammed full of toys doesn't not look appealing and can be so overwhelming. Creating one activity at a special spot and then changing the activity as your child loses interest will give your child something new to focus on that isn't so overwhelming. This also can help you as a parent to enjoy putting together special activities and then watch as your child learns through them. I encourage everybody to look around the house and find things you all ready have and begin creating new learning experiences.