The Living Room Environment

Setting Up the Environment

The living room’s purpose is to include all family members. Make a small corner in the living room just for your child. Include a low shelf. On the shelf, place baskets with work or books in them. You can rotate the work out when you see your child has an interest in something else or isn’t interested in what is on the shelf anymore. Place a child size comfortable chair or beanbag where the child can sit and look at books or just rest. Your child will often prefer to sit on the floor when doing work. Use a small basket to hold area rugs. Your child will use these rugs to designate his own space. Having music in the living room is a great way to release energy, develop tone and pitch and receive the brain stimulation needed for cognitive thinking. Other opportunities for the living room set up are care

Suggested Items:

Large Area for Gross Motor

Fire Place Screens

Quiet Area to Play or Dance of the environment lessons, plant care, dusting, window washing, sweeping, and vacuuming. It is very important that your child be allowed to participate in the everyday life of the family. It is through this participation that crucial aspects of his personality and intellect will develop. As your child becomes skillful at carrying out everyday household tasks, he discovers the joy of learning and of purposeful activity. He feels that he too, has something useful to contribute to the family. Through working at and eventually mastering these tasks, he develops a sense of order or sequence; as he grows in independence and self-control, and his sense of self-respect is strengthened.

Activities

Plant Care

Make sure there are plenty of plants throughout the house on your child’s level. Be careful that they are not poisonous. The plant care activity can be placed on a small tray or basket containing a small paintbrush for dusting leaves, a sponge for cleaning leaves, and a mister. Show your child how to carefully hold the leaves in his hand as he brushes it from stem to tip. Then wet the sponge and wipe each leaf clean. After that, mist the plant about three times. You can also show your child how to test the soil’s moisture with his finger and use a small watering can to water each plant.

Window Washing

You can set up this activity by putting a mister, squeegee, and washcloth in a small tray or basket. Allow your child to spray one spray of the mister then wipe the water away with the squeegee. Use the washcloth for any drips.

Low Shelf Books

Blanket Block

Stool to Get Up On the Couch Baskets

Quiet Place to Talk or Read Together

Child-Sized Chair Music