Social Skills
If You're Happy and You Know It, Talk about It.
This is a good conversation starter for the dinner table. Pick a feeling and ask, 'What was the most (fun, scary, embarassing, happy, silly, angering) experience this week?' Everyone takes turns telling a true story from the week. Turn it into a friendly competition of feelings and take a family vote to decide the winner in each category.(read more)
Digital P's and Q's
With an easel and a digital camera, you can send thank yous for all the gifts your children receive on their birthdays. Write on the easel..."Thank you for the '.....' " With your child in front of the easel, snap the picture. Then change the item and take the next picture. You can either print the picture to send to relatives/friends or email.(read more)
Good Behavior Turkey
Draw a turkey body without feathers on a piece of construction paper. As your child does good deeds, let your child add a feather to the turkey. When the turkey is complete, your child has earned a special reward. This is a great way to kick off the holiday season!(read more)
Copycat Faces
Cut out magazine pictures depicting various emotions. Glue these images onto cardstock and show them to your child. Have your child mirror the facial expression and discuss what things might lead a person to be happy, sad, angry, scared(read more)
List Your Day
Here is a behavior management strategy that is working well with my almost-5-year-old. After a few episodes of eye rolling and loud sighing on my daughter's part, I decided we needed a way to document our days and how much of them were filled with things she wanted to do, not just my chores. At the beginning of the day, we write a list together of what our ...(read more)
Red Light, Green Light Clean-Up Game
Anything to make clean-up interesting! Make it a "race" using Red Light/Green Light, either between siblings or with your own participation. On the "Green Light" command, put away as many toys as possible before you have to temporarily "freeze" on the Red Light command. (read more)
Potty Training Chart
Having trouble getting your little one started with potty training? Here's an art project that will also offer an incentive to sit on the potty. Get a large piece of paper or posterboard. Write the days of the week across the top with a marker and then draw vertical lines between the days to create a column for each day (you can fit 2 weeks worth of ...(read more)
Sweet Sharing Lesson
This is a fun lesson in sharing. Have your child help you make brownies or cookies. When you are done, make up little plates and deliver them to friends in the neighborhood. Make sure you keep some at home for a treat after your walk. This activity lets kids be creative in the kitchen, learn how sharing can make other people happy, and get a ...(read more)
Clean Up by Color
Get large plastic buckets (or sand buckets if you have lots of really little toys )in a variety of solid colors (red, blue, yellow, green, pink). Ask your child to clean up his/her toys by putting the toys in the bucket corresponding to the color bucket. Great for teaching personal responsibility, color identification, and sorting. (read more)
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