Theme for the Week - Public Television
Public Television - Public Broadcasting System (PBS) began broadcasting this week in 1970. Now, besides amazing programming geared to adults, PBS has many many kid-friendly shows. The best part is that they are all non-violent and have a positive message. While we don't recommend a ton of television for such a young age, if you are going to let them watch, PBS is a great place to go.
This week we look at all the wonderful resources that PBS offers to toddlers and their parents. There are SO many shows, besides the ground-breaking Sesame Street, to choose from - Angelina Ballerina, Arthur, Between the Lions, Sagwa The Chinese Siamese Cat, Caillou and the old favorites Barney and TeleTubbies. Now, with the internet, there are many other resources like games, songs, activities and many other fun things.
Also, there is a parents' website as well called PBS Parents for grown-ups that includes a really interesting child development calendar you might want to check out. Likewise, the Sesame Street website has an interesting development article for 2-Years olds. Again, the best part about PBS is that the shows are non-violent, positive in message and educational so while we recommend limited tv time, when you do allow for tv, PBS is a great choice. So this week we'll use some of the shows as inspiration for our activities.
Letter of the Week: S - for Sesame Street - point out things that start with "S" - sky, street, silly, scarf, socks. Show your toddler a picture of both a capital S and a lower case s. Draw an S on paper, or use your child's finger to draw it in the sandbox or dirt. Use bath tub or refrigerator letters to show him/her this letter as well. You can even use flashcards a little at a time. We recently saw this link on Twitter about how to teach your toddler the alphabet, brought to you by the website www.toddlerinterpreting.com
Number of the Week: 10 - When you show your child anything say "10 socks" (or whatever you are counting). Count to 10. Write the number 10 on paper. Show your child 10 things at a time and count them - "one" "two" "three" etc - so your child gets used to the pattern. Since they have 10 fingers, have them count their fingers to start to equate objects with a number.
Songs of the Week: Sesame Street Theme - This website link is from the 70's theme. Here are the words too. The Sesame Street website has a ton of video links for songs and clips from the show.
Story of the Week: Elmo Board Books and Angelina Ballerina by Katherine Holabird - The illustrations in the Angelina books are so beautiful but the stories have a lot of works. We included the Elmo books because this specific series are "lift-the-flap" books - my 18-month-old just LOVES reading these and lifting the flaps. He wants me to read them over and over. If you can't find these at the library this week, you can click the links above to go to Amazon.
Snack of the Week: Animal Crackers - Since SO many of the shows on PBS are about animals, we chose this simple, low-sugar snack that kids love. You can dip them in yogurt or nut butter to make them more appealing. There are several organic versions as well.
Spanish Words of the Week: el ratón = mouse, el monstruo = monster, la calle = street
Do It Myself: Sesame Street Exercise Video - We thought this would be a fun way to get some exercise with your toddler and they'll enjoy the videos too.
Activity of the Week: Dinosaur Train- this is the cutest show. The link is for a game to play on the computer. If you aren't inclined to have your toddler sit at the computer, the link also has printables you can print for them to color and decorate.
Yoga Pose: Cat Pose - This pose is a great stretch for your back and can be fun if you meow with your toddler. We chose this in honor of Sagwa The Chinese Siamese Cat, which is just a wonderful show! PS - My kids always liked the Yoga Kids series if you'd like more ideas for doing yoga with your toddler.
Sign Language Sign of the Week: Mouse and Dinosaur and Lion. If your toddler is still learning how to talk, sign language can be a great way for them to communicate. And as they get older, they'll pick up signs faster and it can be more of a fun thing versus a way to communicate.
Like we say every week - don't forget to give your toddler a hug and say "I love you" as many times a day as you can think of! You can never give them enough love. Talk to them, even though they may not talk back and read to them everyday - even if it's the cereal box at breakfast. Enjoy!
