Activities 

If you are enjoying these activities make sure to tag us on Instagram: @echolibraries 

we would love to be a part of the fun! 

Obstacle Course

Directions:

Utilize many different everyday objects at home  and create a gross motor course the whole family will love. There are no rules, use cook books as stepping stones so you don't touch the lava, organize couch cushions in such a way where kiddos have to army crawl underneath them to get to the next objective! Our favorite is stringing streamers through a hallway so they have to maneuver their body just so to make their way around the strips without touching them to get to the other side. 

If you want to make this activity a bit more challenging for older siblings or build on this tradition and core memory; you can add additional brain teaser activities. Start with putting a puzzle together before advancing and then, maybe, have kiddos spell a word or complete a riddle in between physical activity to catch their breath as they get older! 

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Bath Sensory & Learning Activity

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Turn bath time into a fun sensory activity for your child - again, if your child may have certain concerns about sensory struggles you can find alternatives to this activity based on your child's likes and dislikes, alter the idea and activity to fit the needs of your child, or allergies. You can opt out of bath color tabs and keep it typical bath water. 

Instead of usual bath time you can use an orange, green or purple  bath dye tabs to alter the color of the water to fit the theme of Halloween. Then add in plastic spiders, "eyeball toys" and mini plastic pumpkins and other items associated with this holiday for children to explore! (Clean first!)  This creates a fun environment, easy sensory activity to clean up later and makes bath time a bit easier! And who knows, you may have a way to create bath fun and engaging as well as display eagerness rather than frustration during this daily, weekly routine for every season! 

Have fun getting them out of the bath now! (Idea isn't ours, check out where we found it!) 

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Decorating Pumpkins

Directions:

Seeing as most of us are doing this already as we get prepared for trick or treaters come Monday evening October 31, 2022, or any time your neighborhood or community celebrates Halloween, you and your little can find alternative ways to decorate pumpkins other than carving! 

Or course this activity of parents cutting a fun design into a pumpkin that you worked together on creating a silly or scary face for as you "de-gut" the insides (removing the seeds and pulp) and conduct a sensory expiration activity , however, if you do not want to carve every pumpkin, running low on time or have littles at home where you would prefer another activities in order to decorate , keep reading! 

You may prefer to paint a pumpkin (maybe teal? See blog post and resource this week) or have your child color mix and apply paint with different tools! Try stickers or clue items to make a unique art project! Even puncture the skin of the pumpkin  with golf tees and other relatively sharp but not too-sharp objects to add another learning activity to this project! You don't always have to carve, especially if your child may have sensory struggles and would prefer to keep their hands as clean and dry as possible! 

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Family Photo Fun

Directions:

Some ideas to incorporate family photos into your child's life can be creating a personal scrapbook for them to decorate of your amazing moments together, let them get crafty! Or, create your own family photos using your phone! Have an impromptu family photoshoot where you do fun, exciting and silly things as a family by setting your phone to either utilize timer feature so everyone can get in or create videos for a digital scrapbook! Another fun way to bring family photos into learning is to print a large picture of a wonderful moment and cut it into shapes and jagged edges! Make your own puzzle based on your child(ren)'s ages!

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Hometown Tourist

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We all get busy in our own routine and world but have you ever explored your own neighborhood or town - or recently? There are fun things to do for free! Look up your hometown for kid-approved scavenger hunts (there are tons of parent and child resources out there for your neighborhood just a quick internet search), go geocaching, visit the playground! Is there an event you can access? Don't forget to take lots of photos to document your adventure and utilize them in the family photo fun activity! 

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A Jar of Me

Directions:

Find an empty mason jar (or use a search engine picture of a large empty jar to glue items on.) Work with your child to fill the jar with items that make them different than others. Place a family photo in the jar to indicate you share a different family than your friends. Add a crayon of their favorite color, maybe an image of a flag if your country is very much a part of your life - or symbol to represent a religion. Even a hospital bracelet from a trip to the ER if there is an ongoing health struggle. 

 You can get creative as you want but make sure to not fill it to the brim quite yet during this activity. Leave space for additional visual representations as your child grows and leave in their room for them to look at periodically. If things change in their life they can swap them out for what they are feeling in that moment. Everyone's jar will look very different and if you have siblings (or a family friend's child does this activity as well) The child can see the differences themselves, maybe a few things are the same but each aspect is what makes them unique, different and amazing! No ones jar will be exactly like theirs!


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Around the World

Directions:

Utilize a map or globe and have your child point to an aspect on the world view that sparks their interest. Talk about what the name of the country is and what the flag looks like; the colors and symbols. Then, from there dedicate an evening to cooking a meal that is popular, stems from, or fits your family's health and pallet originated from that particular country.  As your family helps cook the meal together talk about things within that culture or region to get to know that part of the world a bit better. The things covered can include holidays, community involvement, food, schooling, art and entertainment and other topics interesting to your family and child(ren). 


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Exploring with a Pumpkin

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Place a baking sheet or newspaper on a flat surface. Pre-cut a small area around the stem and a larger area beneath that. Talk about the parts of the pumpkin that you see on the outside and talk to your child about what the pumpkin might look like on the inside. Open the pumpkin from the first cut made and let your child look inside. Were their predictions right? Ask them if they think the rest of the inside will look the same. Open the larger hole that you made and let your child explore using their senses. 


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Friendship Paintings

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Place object coated with paint (ie. golf balls, culinary whisks, toy car wheels etc.) on paper and have the paper on a tray or in bin large enough to hold the (future) art work. 

Each child has their own set color utilized for their own art work - pre-set stations help with more than two friends at work. 

Shake or maneuver the items so that the paint is applied to the page in a fun and creative way. Each color represents each friend and their role within the art. If the children involved like the same color create different shades to differentiate between them. When paintings are dry have parents write their names, the year and what color belonged to which friend, place them somewhere in the house to show them off and for your child to look at frequently and remember the experience. 


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Fine Motor Sort (ages 2.5+)

Directions:

Utilize objects around your house, a pop it, ice cube trays or egg cartons are perfect for this activity! Place the sorting item (ie. beads, beans, poms, M & Ms and so on, age appropriate) next to the sorting object and have your child work with tongs to place each smaller items into the spaces however they like. 


Additional or alternative idea: Use an eye dropper and move water (color using food dye for a little fun!) into the object! 

As your learners grow add other layers, sort by pattern, rows of colors etc! Get creative!) 

Make it for toddlers: Use muffin tins and scoop balls into the tins. 


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Nature Walk

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  Collect one nature item you found on your walk to show to your class, or collect a bunch of (safe) items to add to a nature art collage! 


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Watch it Freeze - Make it Melt

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My Name is "Brave"

Directions:

Help your child, or children write their own name(s) largely on a sheet of paper sticking to capital letters. Let your young learner add colors, stickers and other art enhancements to make the sign their own. Under each letter write a positive adjective that describes them utilizing that letter. Stick to age appropriate words for them to easily remember, understand and say on their own. Hang the masterpiece in the kitchen, their bedroom or a space they spend most of their time. Use that mantra throughout your daily life - when they are feeling sad, have a long day ahead of them, or to reenforce positive feeling of accomplishment and happiness within them! 

For example: BELLA (Brave, Excellent, Loving, Leader, Adventurous) 

You can even get into the habit of saying these terms with them every day: as they look in the mirror, on their way to school or eating dinner together. This constant reiteration helps build confidence and a positive self view to help conquer anything! 

You can start by saying: "Bella is Brave, Excellent, Loving, A Leader, and Adventurous!" (insert you child's name and traits here) Or have them start, "I am -----". 


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Bravery Badges (Trophies or Ribbons)

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Cut out badges, award ribbons or trophy templates for your child to decorate with crayons, markers and other art mediums. Help them write "bravery" on the awards and talk about what makes a person brave or courageous. From there ask if they know how to demonstrate bravery in everyday life. Read a book or two to help reenforce this concept. Start with the obvious, Police Officers, Fire Fighters and other community helpers within your area. Then, have your child give out these awards to who they believe should get them. Start at the firehouse, maybe a cousin who just learned how to potty train, a friend who stood up to a bully. However many your child creates and passes out make sure you save one for them. Explain, it took bravery to interact with everyone one, or any thing in their world recently they were brave for. Spoke to a teacher if they are non verbal, ate most of their lunch if they have struggles with food, learned how to ride a bike and so on. Anything can qualify but make sure you point our they are brave too! 


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Create a Colorful Lunch

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Let's make our own lunch for school tomorrow! Follow these simple steps to create a unique, colorful, healthy and delicious meal that is kid & parent approved! Hunt around your kitchen for what what you like and what can help give you energy for tomorrows play and learning! 

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Alter as needed for your child. 

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House to School Scavenger Hunt

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Go through your home and locate items that you would find in your classroom such as the typical pencils, paper, puzzles,  books, backpack but even chairs, water bottles,  paper towels and so on. Point out things you do not see as well, like candles, a TV, and your pets! Gather all the items (that you can carry) together and swap roles. Parent becomes the student and Student takes on the role of their teacher. (Classroom schedule can add an additional layer to pretend play for older students) Have the Teacher read the book they found, draw/ write together, utilize what you find as you initiate imaginative (dramatic) play but allow your child to expand and express themselves through their new role. 



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Plant a Garden


Go to a gardening center and pick out plants, seeds, soil and other items needed for their garden at an affordable price for you. Pick out an area of lawn/ garden for your child to work with and get their hands messy! 

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Family Picnic

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Basket or bag, blanket and tupperware for the food dishes.


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Upside Down Day


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We’re Going on a Color Hunt

Materials:  

Colored paper or Colorful tape strips and items around your home


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