Family Forum / Parenting / Parenting / July 2004

Mary Willston <MaryWillston@gmail.com> wrote...

Thanks Mary, browsing through the archive I've found several that look
interesting:

Pebble Mice
We all like pets, and what child wouldn't like a pet mouse—or even a
whole family of them!

We often collect smooth, round pebbles or stones, and you should see
the creatures they can become! From lady bugs to guinea pigs or even
toads, depending on size, shape and our mood. But pebble mice are our
favorite. By adding little felt ears and tail, and marking on bright
button-eyes, whiskers, and little feet, the pebble suddenly becomes
alive!

Then the fun begins: a shoe box makes an excellent mouse-house, all
lined with grass with a little hole cut in it for a door. Sometimes we
make cozy beds of cottonwool, or save up crumbs of food or birdseed in
a little dish for Mousie's lunch. A kindergarten group can be absorbed
in this project for a long while, occupying their growing mouse family
and tending to their needs.


Concentration for Toddlers
Collect a lot of sturdy drinking cups or empty yogurt cups. Show your
one-year-olds and two-year-olds how to put plastic animals in the
cups, or let them find other toys and trinkets to add to the
collection. Children this age will spend a long time arranging the
cups on the table or floor, filling and emptying the cups, and looking
for other interesting "treasures" to add. Be sure to have lots of
variety so the children can mix and match. Remember small objects can
be a choking hazard.


Red Light, Green Light
This is a good outdoor family game. All the players stand on the
baseline while the one chosen to be "It" stands across the field or
room facing them. The It turns his back and says "green light." Then
all the players try to move forward until the It says "red light" and
turns around again. If the It sees anyone's feet moving he calls their
name and they have to return to the baseline. The object is to be the
first one to reach the It without being caught. If you are caught you
can start over again as soon as you return to the baseline. The
players are allowed to sneak ahead even during "red light" but must go
back when caught. The It can vary the length of the "green light"
period. The first person to tag the It without being caught becomes
the new It.

Friend in a Box
Children love to have their own little treasures and pets they can
keep in their pockets. Three-year-olds will clap their hands with
delight when you show them how to make a "special friend" and a house
for it. The children can give their "friend" a name and feed it
pebbles or grass.

Materials needed for each child:
- 1 empty matchbox
- Colored paper to cover matchbox
- Colored paper strips ½ inch wide

Glue two paper strips together at right angles, as shown. Fold strip A
over strip B, then fold strip B over strip A so that B is on top.
Repeat until strips are all folded. Draw a smiley face, glue on a hat,
attach feelers for a worm, or come up with a new idea!

Glue this new creation to the bottom of the box. Be sure to press down
the new friend when you close the lid.