It’s so easy to say but it is true: anything can become a learning game. When I opened a box to find a dozen air bubble mailers, my daughter oooh’d and aaaah’d over the them. So I grabbed the sharpie and complied with her curiosity. “Letter POP” is the impromptu game that resulted.
Each bubble became a letter in Strawberry’s name, plus a few other that I knew she could recognize. We called out letter and found them. Then we stomped on them to get the loud “pop” that made her squeal.
She loved it! She was playing with letters but she was also jumping and laughing as she waited for the POP. When we found another air bubble later that day, I suggested she pop it, but she said, “No, Letter, Mommy!” and of course, we had to add a letter that one too.
Note that I kept close to supervise this play. I hope it goes without saying that plastic baggies like this are not toys for toddlers: a watchful eye meant that these did not get close to her mouth.
What spur-of-the-moment learning activity have you created lately?
Do you want more ideas for teaching a toddler?
