Additional Resources

Dominoes - Dominoes are versatile, tactile tools that foster early learning across ages, from building motor skills through stacking and creating falling, synchronized lines to strengthening cognitive abilities.

• Toddlers & Preschoolers: Focus on fine motor skills by stacking, lining up for "domino toppling" (cause and effect), color recognition, and basic counting.

• Early Elementary: Match sets by number, recognize patterns, compare quantities (greater than/less than), and introduce basic addition or subtraction by totaling the dots on each side.

• School-Age Kids: Utilize dominoes for adding, multiplication, complex equations, and writing number sentences (like 2 + 3 = 5)

Fun with Tracing - Boosts pencil control by having children trace, enhance, and color basic shapes to improve dexterity.  Provide a dull pencil and tracing paper (but no crayons) with some basic shapes (circle, square, triangle, etc.) drawn darkly on white paper; have them trace these simple shapes at first. Then have them enhance the circle by turning it into a drawing of a face or turning the square into a house. Finally, let them color their drawing. Once they are successful at drawing simple shapes, coloring books provide great tracing opportunities. Be sure to praise their efforts, use of colors, good tracing skills, original ideas, etc.

Jump the Rope - A simple, active game for young children that builds coordination and confidence. Lay a rope on the ground and have the children take turns jumping over it.  Alternately, practice progressive distance by placing two ropes parallel to each other and gradually increase the distance between them to increase difficulty.  You can also play ‘Snake in the Grass’ by having two children or adults wiggle a rope on the ground, while the others jump over it without touching it.

In and Out – A low-prep activity using hula-hoops to develop gross motor skills, coordination, and spatial awareness in young children.  Obtain a hula-hoop for each child and show them how to jump in and out of it. Later use it as a “safe space” for the child to sit in while playing or listening.

Make a Face - Use a safe mirror; make a sad (happy, scared, surprised, pleased, angry, etc.) face and encourage your little ones to put the same “feeling on their face.” Talk about how the emotions feel.

Matching Words - Build foundational reading skills.

1. Prepare the Cards: Use picture cards that have the corresponding word printed underneath (e.g., a picture of a cat with the word "cat" below it).

2. Create Matching Cards: Print or write the same word again on separate, smaller index cards.

3. Introduce the Cards: Lay out a few picture/word cards (start with 3-6 to avoid overwhelming them).

4. Match the Words: Have your child read the word on the smaller card and match it to the corresponding picture/word card.

5. Read Together: Once matched, encourage your child to read all the words aloud from left to right.

Rolling Wheels – This is a classic, engaging activity for young children that fosters development across several areas, including motor skills, cognitive development, and early STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) concepts.  Create a fun, homemade ramp using a simple board or cardboard box propped against a step, couch, or chair.  Provide toy cars, various balls, empty cans, containers, ribbon spools, natural objects like pinecones or pebbles and so forth; basically, anything that will roll. Extend play by:

• Comparing Surfaces: Test how fast objects travel down a smooth board versus one covered in sandpaper, fabric, or bubble wrap.

• Increasing Difficulty: Challenge your child to make the ramp steeper or longer.

• Measuring Distance: Use a measuring tape or ruler to see which object rolls the farthest

Spelling Game - Glue a small picture (dog, cat, tree, box, book, etc.) to a 4" x 6" index card. The use of stickers simplifies this greatly! Use a dark permanent marker to print the word for the picture (in lowercase letters) beneath it. Have your child use (magnetic, block, sponge, stamp, etc.) letters to spell the word that you have written.

Water Play - Water play offers year-round joy and developmental benefits for children, from sensory stimulation to learning basic science and math concepts like volume and displacement.

• Supervision: Keep a careful watch on the children, a toddler can drown in seconds in as little as 2 inches of water; never leave them unattended.

• Ideal Setup: Use a small dish, a large bucket, a sink, a small outdoor pool, or take advantage of bath time.  Keep the area warm and cozy.

• Essential Props: Plastic spoons, pitchers, measuring cups, sponges, spray bottles, and squirting toys are perfect for pouring, squeezing, and filling.

• Learning Opportunities: Water play encourages fine motor skills, relaxes the mind, and introduces concepts like "full" and "empty".

• Outdoor Fun: In summer, use sprinklers or a kiddie pool for maximum enjoyment

What’s Hiding? - An engaging, low-cost "Seek and Find" sensory activity uses a plastic container filled with materials like rice, cornmeal, or sand to hide small toys to promote fine motor skills, patience, and sensory exploration while encouraging focused, repetitive play.

• Setup: Use a plastic resealable container about the size of a loaf of bread and fill it with rice, cornmeal, or sand.

• Game: Bury ten small, kid safe items; use a timer to give children 1-minute to find items. Keep taking turns until all ten items have been recovered.

• Extension: Introduce various sized tools like spoons, pitchers, a funnel, and a strainer on a second day to teach pouring and scooping techniques. 

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