Activities

I have been doing the following with her up to about 22 months:

Reading

We read every day. I read to her before she was born and have read every day since she was born. Now that she is older she likes to choose books to read and also is happy to look at them by herself. She has lots of books and I can pick up some really good ones that are hardly used at charity shops and car boot sales. Another good place to pick them up is at National Childbirth Trust (NCT) sales.

Painting

Using ready made poster paint. She likes to use the paint brushes and also her hands and fingers. She enjoys this very much, but it can get a bit messy, so she has a long-sleeved plastic apron and I cover the table with newspaper. These pictures have made lovely presents for grandparents.

Drawing

She loves to draw each day, she uses pencils, crayons, chalks and felt-tip pens. I give her printer paper, coloured paper and cardboard to draw on.

Imagination

I have made her a house using a tea box so she can put her figures in. I have also drawn her a farm so that she can use her imagination with her farm figures, she especially likes the toilet for the farmer to use. I think this is a great use of materials that we have at home and it's cheap as you don't have to buy anything. If they get wrecked you can just make a new one or a different one.

Building

She likes to use her building bricks and we have great fun making kitchens and beds for her figures. I also managed to make a little swing using ribbon.

Cooking (pretend)

I bought her a picnic set from Boots and she loves to pretend to cook and make meals for me and her Dad and her dolly and teddies. She likes to say "Ready" when she has made a plate of food up.

Cooking (real)

I wanted to get her to enjoy cooking. So when I make dinner she will normally stand on a chair next to me and look at what I am doing and try the vegetables that I cut up. She generally just plays with water in a bowl while I get on with cooking. She knows (and reminds everyone) that the oven is hot. I also make cakes so she can stir the ingredients and help put the mixture into the cases. It shows her that not all food comes from packets in supermarkets!

Gardening

This year we grew tomatoes and Ellie was very keen to help out - especially when it came to picking them. She saw and helped me plant the plants and also she helped water them and kept asking when she could pick them. This is important as it teaches how things grow and where food comes from.

Park/Playground

Eloise loves going to the playground and the park. She likes to go on the swings and the slide especially. She also likes to go into the jungle which is a piece of the playground that has bushes. She gets in the fresh air and also exercises. We tend to go a few times a week.

Jean

Links

• National Childbirth Trust (NCT).

All articles: introduction prepregnancy pregnancy birth breastfeeding weaning teething routines bathing walking activities dad
This site is not official advice: just one mum's experience!
Copyright (c) Jean Ryder 2006-2008.
See Eloise's home page, and the main Hart-Davis home page.