What you need:
- Flat discs like milk jug caps, colored poker chips, juice can lids, plastic coasters
- Clean plastic cylinder with a lid
What to do:
- Cut a slot in the lid wide enough to put the chips through. (We found a parmesan cheese container works well since the lid already has holes.)
- Give your child the “chips” and the empty cylinder without a lid. If he doesn’t do it on his own, show him how to put the chips in the can.
- Put the lid on the can and show him how to fit the chips into the holes.
- Encourage him to open the can, dump the chips out and do it over again. (Tip: Offer other types of “chips” such as clothespins, ping pong balls and juice can lids to see what he can do with them.)
What he’s learning:
As he figures out how to solve problems, like turning the can so the chip will fit in, he’s developing thinking skills and his brain is making permanent connections.
This is Parents as Teachers 