Theme for the Week - Telephone
Telephones! In 1915 Alexander Graham Bell in New York and Thomas Watson in San Francisco make a record telephone transmission. So this week we'll have some fun with saying "telephone" and "hello" in Spanish and sign language, learn our phone number, eat apple "rings" and much more.
Although your toddler is probably a little young to actually use the phone - maybe to say "hi" to Grandma - we thought it would be fun to do some activities around the phone - things having to do with ringing, saying hello, learning a phone number rhyme and so on. Have a great week!
Letter of the Week: T - for telephone. Point out things that start with "T" - tooth, toy, train, table. Show your toddler a picture of both a capital T and a lower case t. Draw a T 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. I've been showing my toddler letters in the bathtub - he has started recognizing them now; he's got almost half the alphabet now. You can even use flashcards a little at a time. We recently saw a link about how to teach your toddler the alphabet on Twitter, brought to you by the website www.toddlerinterpreting.com
Number of the Week: 15 - When you show your child anything say "15 toys" (or whatever you are counting). Count to 15. Write the number 15 on paper or show your toddler a flash card. Show your child 15 things at a time and count them - "one, two, three, etc" - so your child gets used to the pattern. When I have been counting to my son, he now points to things and makes sounds like he's trying to count and he can identify 1-9 now. Don't worry about talking about 2-digit numbers; your toddler needs to learn them sometime! I caught a few minutes of Sesame Street the other day and their number of the day was 19.
Songs of the Week: A Ring O Roses - This is the old "Ring Around the Roses" with a little bit different words we found the words and music on Kididdles. We thought you might like to see a new version of this old traditional children's song.
Story of the Week: Hello Hello - by Fumiko Takeshita. This is a cute simple book about the telephone. It's a 32-page paperback, versus a board book so you may need to simplify when you are reading if your child won't sit still. If you can't find this book at your local library, you can click the link and find it at Amazon.com.
Snack of the Week: Apple Rings - This link takes you to a recipe for making a "Shake a Sack Apple Snack" from Reader's Digest. We thought if you want to elaborate on the Apple Rings, you can try making this version of trail mix that might be fun for your toddler to shake up.
Spanish Words of the Week: telephone = el teléfono, hello = ¡Hola!, to wave = agitar, bell = la campana. Also check out the BBC's Muzzy from Early Advantage for teaching Spanish (or many other languages) to your child. They are fabulous!
Do It Myself: Dial 911 - While you wouldn't try this on the home phone (or do so with the phone unplugged) it is a good time to teach your child that if you are ever hurt or sick, they can call for help. It's a little bit of a nebulous concept so you will need to gauge how you talk about this. Here is a link from Teach Kids How about how to teach your child about dialing 911 although it's more for preschoolers. For your toddler, you can at least show him/her the numbers on the phone and show them how to dial 9-1-1. They may not understand why but at least you have started the conversation.
Activity of the Week: Learning Phone Number - Here is link to a fun activity that helps to start teaching your child their address and phone number by making a placemat for when they're at the table.
Yoga Pose: Easy Pose - (Since phones make our lives easier). Thanks to Yoga Journal for this link. PS - Our 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: Telephone, Hello, Bell. 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. Hope you have a wonderful week!
