Activities to promote Development

This pack is to help you out with all of the interesting, simple and helpful ideas, activities and games for you and your children to enjoy and engage with!

We have split each page up into age groups and on there is some ideas for each age group to help you with entertaining your children while helping their development.

Don’t forget to upload all your fun activities onto your child’s EyLog learning journals!

These ideas are some which we uses within the setting to help develop these areas. We have given these to you as they work alongside the EYFS for this age group.

Sensory Development •

Mark making - crayons, pencils, paper, paints different tools i.e. pastry brush, twigs, leaves, ballsall of these will produce different shape marks as we have different textures on your hands for your babies to explore.

Messy play - bubble bath and small amount of water, pureed food on a tray, small amount of flour play, paints (if you have any).

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If you have access to your own personal garden texture play with grass between toes or fingers, exploration of flowers - collecting objects and putting the into a bowl or bucket.

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Physical Development

Walking practice - hand over hand guidance

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Pots and pans play with wooden spoons - helps with hand eye coordination - yes it is noisy but it is a lot of fun!

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Climbing on and off the sofa (safely) - helps with gross motor skills and muscle development in their legs.

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Baby Yoga or Yoga to help with mobility

Where possible, allow your child to help make decisions such as what clothes they would like to wear by giving them 2 options.

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Placing random (but safe) items for babies on a tray. Encourage them to pick up and feel objects in • Then allow your child to help you get them dressed. the hands, feet and mouths (sterilise before and Put a sock half on their foot so they have to pull it up or after). This could be anything from bath toys to a put their trousers half way and encourage them to pull them up. towel, from a cuddly toy to a piece of fruit!

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Personal, Social and Emotional development

Communication and Language

Facetime, Skype or video on WhatsApp to stay in touch with family and friends you cannot see- this ensures that bonds will be kept when you next get to see them!

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Tummy time for those who are not walking or crawling

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Copy your child’s sounds, noises, language - this will help them realising they are communicating and it will encourage them to do it more.

Label items regularly - at meal times or during the • Copy and mimic your child’s facial expressions day use single words to label items your child is playing with or receiving such as ’bib’, ’nappy’ , ’ball’ , ’milk’.

Play peek a boo with your hands or behind a muslin / blanket .

• Encourage good eye contact by searching for your babies eyes when they are trying to communicate with • Rolling toys back and forth such as cars or balls you. gives the child an understanding of sharing and turn

taking which they will develop more as they become older.

My turn your turn games will also promote good sharing as well as develop language.

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Songs which promote body parts such as head shoulders knees and toes give your child a sense of themselves as little humans and individuals.

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Giving children opportunities to request such as putting their favourite toys out of reach so they have to engage with you to receive it.

Music - get dancing with your children! It is a great way for children to be physical but to also begin to pick up words from songs as well as beats and rhythms.

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Use simple sentences when communicating - do not over complicate - “nappy time, let’s go, play time etc”.

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These ideas are some which we uses within the setting to help develop these areas. We have given these to you as they work alongside the EYFS for this age group.

Sensory Development •

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Physical Development

Mark making - crayons, pencils, paper, paints • Pots and pans play with wooden spoons - helps with different tools i.e. pastry brush, twigs, leaves, balls- hand eye coordination - yes it is noisy but it is a lot of all of these will produce different shape marks as fun! we have different textures on your hands for your • Climbing on and off the sofa (safely) - helps with children to explore. gross motor skills and muscle development in their legs.

Messy play - bubble bath and small amount of wa• Yoga to help with mobility ter, pureed food on a tray, small amount of flour • Where possible, allow your child to help make play, paints (if you have any). decisions such as what clothes they would like to wear If you have access to your own personal garden by giving them 2 options. texture play with grass between toes or fingers, ex• Then allow your child to help you get them dressed. ploration of flowers - collecting objects and putting Put a sock half on their foot so they have to pull it up or the into a bowl or bucket. put their trousers half way and encourage them to pull Placing random (but safe) items for children on a them up. tray. Encourage them to pick up and feel objects in • Begin to look at potty training - introduce your child the hands (sterilise before and after). This could be to a potty, look at online resources to support potty anything from bath toys to a towel, from a cuddly training, think is my child ready for this? Can they tell if toy to a piece of fruit - give them new language their child’s nappy is wet or soiled? such as soft or cold!

Personal, Social and Emotional development

Communication and Language

Facetime, Skype or video on WhatsApp to stay in touch with family and friends you cannot see- this ensures that bonds will be kept when you next get to see them!

•

•

•

Copy and mimic your child’s facial expressions, label their expressions i.e. “You look very happy” or “Oh no I can see you are feeling sad”.

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Rolling toys back and forth such as cars or balls gives the child an understanding of sharing and turn taking which they will develop more as they become older.

•

•

My turn your turn games will also promote good sharing as well as develop language.

Copy your child’s sounds, noises, language - this will help them realising they are communicating and it will encourage them to do it more.

Uses sounds during play, for example, when playing with animals use the animal’s sounds, when putting dollies to sleep using “shh” or “nom nom” when pretending to feed the dollies, using “brmm and beep beep” while using toy cars or vehicles.

Label items regularly - at meal times or during the day use single words to label items your child is playing with or receiving such as ’bib’, ’nappy’ , ’ball’ , ’milk’.

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Giving children opportunities to request such as putting their favourite toys out of reach so they have to engage with you to receive it.

•

Music - get dancing with your children! It is a great way for children to be physical but to also begin to pick up words from songs as well as beats and rhythms.

•

These ideas are some which we uses within the setting to help develop these areas. We have given these to you as they work alongside the EYFS for this age group.

Sensory Development Mark making - crayons, pencils, paper, paints - different tools i.e. pastry brush, twigs, leaves, balls- all of these will produce different shape marks as we have different textures on your hands for your children to explore.

•

Physical Development Pots and pans play with wooden spoons - helps with hand eye coordination as well as gain a sense of rhythm and beat - yes it is noisy but it is a lot of fun!

•

Climbing on and off the sofa/bed/ chairs (safely) helps with gross motor skills and muscle development in their legs.

•

Messy play - bubble bath and small amount of water, pureed food on a tray - mark making simple shapes and • Yoga and dancing to help with mobility and rhythm lines in it, small amount of flour play, paints (if you have any) - all good for creating different marks, • Where possible, allow your child to help make shapes, numbers etc. decisions such as what clothes they would like to wear

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by giving them 2/3 options (depending on their age).

If you have access to your own personal garden - texture play with grass between toes or fingers, explora- • Then allow your child to help you get them dressed. tion of flowers/natural objects - collecting objects and Put a sock half on their foot so they have to pull it up or putting the into a bowl or bucket - finding similarities put their trousers half way and encourage them to pull and difference between these objects .

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them up.

Placing random (but safe) items for children on a tray.

Encourage them to pick up and feel objects in the hands (sterilise before and after). This could be anything from bath toys to a towel, from a cuddly toy to a piece of fruit - give them new language such as soft or cold, sticky or dry - be inventive!

•

Begin to look at potty training - introduce your child to a potty, look at online resources to support potty training, think is my child ready for this? Can they tell if their child’s nappy is wet or soiled?

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Explore different ways of moving around, crawling, jumping rolling slithering, move from one room to the other like a bear or quietly like a mouse!

•

Personal, Social and Emotional development

Communication and Language

Facetime, Skype or video on WhatsApp to stay in • Label items and actions regularly - at meal times or touch with family and friends you cannot see- this en- during the day use 2 or 3 word sentences to label items sures that bonds will be kept when you next get to see your child is playing with, doing or receiving such as them!

“You are jumping … good jumping!”, “We are eating soup for dinner”, “We are doing good sharing”.

• Copy and mimic your child’s facial expressions, label •

their expressions i.e. “You look very happy” or “Oh no I can see you are feeling sad”.

Rolling toys back and forth such as cars or balls gives the child an understanding of sharing and turn taking which they will develop more as they become older.

•

•

My turn your turn games will also promote good sharing as well as develop language.

Make sure you are always positively engaging your child in an activity - there is no right and wrong way to do something - your child is learning!

•

•

Giving children opportunities to request such as putting their favourite toys out of reach so they have to engage with you to receive it.

Using 3/4 word instructions with your child, for example, “please can you get your slippers and pyjamas” or “can you find me the blue sock and the yellow sock”.

•

Music - get dancing with your children! It is a great way for children to be physical but to also begin to pick up words from songs as well as beats and rhythms.

•

These ideas are some which we uses within the setting to help develop these areas. We have given these to you as they work alongside the EYFS for this age group.

Sensory Development

Physical Development

Mark making - crayons, pencils, paper, paints • Making music with items you find around your different tools i.e. pastry brush, twigs, leaves, balls- all house - helps with hand eye coordination as well as gain of these will produce different shape marks as we have a sense of rhythm and beat, encourages exploration different textures on your hands for your children to and investigation into different sounds and pitches - yes explore. it is noisy but it is a lot of fun!

•

Messy play - bubble bath and small amount of water, pureed food on a tray - mark making simple shapes and lines in it, small amount of flour play, paints (if you have any) - all good for creating different marks, shapes, numbers etc.

•

If you have access to your own personal garden - texture play with grass between toes or fingers, exploration of flowers/natural objects - collecting objects and putting the into a bowl or bucket - finding similarities and difference between these objects .

•

Yoga and dancing to help with mobility and rhythm

•

Where possible, encourage your children to make their own decisions about what they want to wear.

Although them free reign of their wardrobes and see what they pick out. Then allow your child to attempt to dress themselves!

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Explore different ways of moving around, crawling, jumping rolling slithering, move from one room to the other like a bear or quietly like a mouse!

•

Placing random (but safe) items for children on a tray. • Look at and talk about reasons for staying fit and Encourage them to pick up and feel objects in the healthy - talk to children about healthy and unhealthy hands (sterilise before and after). This could be anyfood options, exercise regularly and look at the effects thing from bath toys to a towel, from a cuddly toy to a it has on your body for example, increased heart rate, piece of fruit - give them new language such as soft or sweating and thirst. Look at ways to keep ourselves cold, sticky or dry . You could even see what happens if healthy such as visiting the dentist. you were to mix 2 textures together - be inventive!

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Personal, Social and Emotional development

Communication and Language

Facetime, Skype or video on WhatsApp to stay in • Label items and actions regularly - at meal times or touch with family and friends you cannot see- this en- during the day use 2 or 3 word sentences to label items sures that bonds will be kept when you next get to see your child is playing with, doing or receiving such as them!

“You are jumping … good jumping!”, “We are eating soup for dinner”, “We are doing good sharing”.

• Copy and explain your child’s facial expressions, label •

their expressions i.e. “You look very happy” or “Oh no I • Using 3/4 word instructions with your child, for excan see you are feeling sad, I think you maybe feeling ample, “please can you get your slippers and pyjamas” sad because we cannot do this right now”. or “can you find me the blue sock and the yellow sock”.

My turn your turn games will also promote good sharing as well as develop language. Simple board games or colouring can also promote turn taking.

•

Music - get dancing with your children! It is a great way for children to be physical but to also begin to pick up words from songs as well as beats and rhythms.

•

Make sure you are always positively engaging your • Pre-writing skills - not every child will be at this stage child in an activity - there is no right and wrong way to however you can you baking paper or parchment paper do something - your child is learning! Using positive to trace over letters to support letter formation. Use sentences such as “Wow I can see you have tried really your child’s name to support them using phonics. For hard … well done!” , “Great Practising”. Avoid using those who are already forming letter, beginning to form negative such as “no it doesn’t look like that”. labels for other things such as toys.

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