Our week: Playgroup, week 9
Dates: to · Try one activity on a day that suits you. Repeat or pause any part.
Reading & talking
Do: Your turn to ask. Let your child lead a short pretend visit. Pause so they can ask for a prop, offer you something or show what should happen. Respond with a short phrase, such as 'A cup for me, thank you.' Finish when they lose interest.
You need: The two cups and toy
Talk: How could we welcome Sara?
We noticed:
Game (optional): Feelings Friends
Writing & pencil control
Do: Big scribbles. Make big up-and-down lines like rain, round and round like a wheel. Scribble to music: fast music, fast lines; slow music, slow lines.
You need: Chalk on the floor, or crayons on a big sheet of paper
Talk: Can you squeeze the dough really hard?
We noticed:
Game (optional): Trace It
Numbers & shapes
Do: Big steps, small steps. Take giant steps across the room, then tiny steps. Make a big voice and a small voice. Stretch up big, curl up small.
You need: Some space
Talk: Is the elephant big or small? The ant?
We noticed:
Game (optional): Size Safari
Science & our world
Do: People in our day. Draw simple pictures of two people your child knows, including carers who may live elsewhere. Name each together and talk about something they do with your child. Accept pointing or your child's own word for the person.
You need: Paper and a crayon
Talk: Who is this in our drawing?
We noticed:
Game (optional): Memory Match
Thinking & feelings
Do: What comes with me? Start with spoon, sock, spoon. Offer the remaining sock and another large spoon and ask what could come next. If your child is unsure, point along the row and name it together. Stop after a few playful turns.
You need: The same spoons and socks
Talk: What do we see after the spoon?
We noticed:
Game (optional): Pattern Parade
Moving & making
Do: A cup leaves a ring. Hold the paper steady. Help your child press the cup's rim into a thin layer of paint, then onto paper and lift it. Name the colour they chose. Without paint, hold the cup while you draw around it and invite your child to add crayon marks. Supervise throughout.
You need: Paper, a large unbreakable cup, optional washable paint on a plate or an intact thick crayon
Talk: Which colour would you like?
We noticed:
Game (optional): Shapes & Colors
A possible rhythm: one or two strands a day, on the days that suit you. Swap days freely. Games are optional and never replace the home activity.
Something we would like to repeat: