Child's play!

Some fun ideas of creative play at home or at daycare that I found in this article on the Globe & Mail website...

Adventure Play

- Draw and colour a map of your bedroom. Where are all of your things?
- Make a treasure hunt! Find things around the house - a book, a pencil, an apple.

Construction Play

- Construct a “cereal box” city. How many different style of building can you build.? How high can they go?
- Lay a toy on the floor and figure out a way to build a bridge over the toy with blocks.

Physical Play

- Create a Simon Says game at home. Take turns being Simon!
- Ask your parents to teach you games they played when they were kids.

Creative Play

- Create a telescope out of paper towel and toilet paper rolls.
- Make a face out of outdoor materials like logs, nuts and leaves - make the face sad, happy, silly!

Music and Dance Play

- Anything can be a drum. Turn over a plastic bucket and start to bang out a rhythm.
- Mirror-dancing: get a partner and take turns following everything your partner does.

Make-Believe Play

- Make-believe you are a wild animal. What animal are you? How do you sound?
- Pretend you are making the most delicious soup. What’s in it?

Technology Play

- With help from an adult, pick a few small items in your kitchen like a spoon, a measuring cup, a straw and a toothpick. Have your parent fill a bowl of water. Which object will float? Why do you think so? Now, test your hypothesis!

Language Play

- Create an ABC book on a favourite subject. For example: My hometown, family, pets, plants and trees in my city, or favourite characters from books you’ve read together.
- Put on a show! Make up a story and perform it. Create your own actions and words to tell the story.

From the Ultimate Block Party Playbook. www.ultimateblockparty.org