Babies Weekly Challenges

Week 6-Kings and Queens

Complete 2 of the following activities to achieve your Week 6 activity quest badge in Beanstack.

Sing

Sing | Noble Duke of York For this song, parents and caregivers should place their baby on their knees or lap and bounce along to the song. Oh, the noble duke of York, (bounce baby on your knee) He had ten thousand men. He marched them up to the top of the hill, (lift baby up high) And marched them down again. (bring baby back down) Oh, and when they’re up, they’re up. (lift baby up high) And when they’re down, they’re down. (bring baby back down) And when they’re only half way up, (hold baby only half as high) They’re neither up nor down. (hold baby up, bring baby down) He marched them to the left. (lean baby to the left) He marched them to the right. (lean baby to the right) He even marched them upside down. (gently turn baby upside down) Now wasn’t that a sight! (bring baby back up) Early Literacy Tip: Doing bouncing or clapping rhymes helps babies, toddlers and young children feel the rhythm of the rhyme. This skill will help them pick up on syllables in words, which will help them learn to read.

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To see the actions and listen to the song, visit http://bit.ly/2srOVfD

Play

Play | Princess and the Pea Mattress Game After you have shared the story of the Princess and the Pea with your child (below), play this game that encourages colors and taking turns. Use the templates attached to play this game or create your own: 1. Use masking tape or Scotch tape to put the mattresses on top of the bed on a board or a cookie sheet. 2. Make several different colors of mattresses. 3. Place the bed and mattresses on the board. 4. Show the children the pea and then ask them to close their eyes tight. 5. Hide the pea under one of the mattresses. 6. Say the chant below and then have the children say what mattress the pea is under. The pea is under the mattress, the mattress, the mattress. The pea is under the mattress, which one can it be? 7. Remove that mattress and see if that is where the pea is hidden. 8. Repeat until the pea is found. The Princess and the Pea Share this simple tale with the children. Once upon a time, there was a prince who was looking for a princess to marry. One stormy evening, there was a knock on the castle door. When the prince opened the door, he saw a girl all wet from the rain. Her clothes and hair were a mess. She told them that she was a princess who had gotten caught in the storm and needed a place to stay. The queen didn’t believe that she was a true princess and decided to make a test to see if she was who she claimed to be. As the bed for the princess was prepared, a tiny pea was placed under several mattresses. Only a true princess would be able to feel that pea under all of those mattresses. When the princess awoke the next morning, it looked as if she hadn’t slept a wink. She complained that she had a terrible pain in her back. When the queen, king, and prince heard this, they knew that she truly was a princess. The prince and princess got married and lived happily ever after.

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Write

Write | Crown Lacing Cards In this simple activity, children will practice weaving a piece of yarn through the holes in the card. Supplies: 1. Card Stock 2. Crown Shape 3. Yarn or Shoelaces 4. Single Hole Punch Print out the crown and trace on cardstock (or draw your own crown). An empty cereal box also works well for this! Color the crown and cut it out. Punch holes around the outside of the crown. Demonstrate how to lace the yarn around the crown.

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Talk

Talk | Five Queens In this wiggle rhyme, parents and caregivers should lay baby on the floor or in their lap facing them. Gently do the actions with the rhyme. Wiggle rhymes can be done using baby’s hands or feet. There were five queens on a quest. (hold up baby’s hand) To see who was the very best. (wiggle baby’s fingers) The first queen went to take a test. (wiggle baby’s thumb) The second queen said, I’ll go out west. (wiggle baby’s index finger) The third queen climbed Mount Everest. (wiggle baby’s middle finger) The fourth queen made a beautiful vest. (wiggle baby’s ring finger) The fifth queen said, I’ll just take a rest. (wiggle baby’s little finger)

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Week 5-Land of Heroes

Complete 2 of the following activities to achieve your Week 5 activity quest badge in Beanstack.

Sing

Sing | You Are My Sunshine We all admire our heroes, as we admire our children. You are my sunshine. My only sunshine. You make me happy When skies are grey. You’ll never know, dear, How much I love you. Please don’t take my sunshine away. The other night, dear While I lay sleeping I dreamt I held you in my arms When I awoke, dear I was mistaken So, I lay my head down & cried

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Sing and listen to this classic song at http://bit.ly/2MbAcik

Play

Play | Colored Feather Matching Many of our folktales and myths have birds featured as part of the story. In this game, children work on color skills. You can pre-color the feathers (attached or create your own) or have your child color them. You may wish to cut them out. Have your child match the feathers by color. You can add variations on this as well, counting how many feathers there are and incorporating letter knowledge by asking them what letter makes the beginning sound of each color.

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Write

Write | Mix It Up Playing with wooden spoons is a great way for children to work on grasp and other fine motor skills. In this activity, let your child grab a spoon and mix up something good to eat. Supplies: • Large Bowls/Boxes/pot • Wooden Spoons • Large Pom Poms or shredded paper Instructions: Demonstrate to your child how to hold the spoon and stir. Let them have fun mixing up their own recipe.

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Talk

Talk | Two Little Eyes In this rhyme, parents and caregivers are introducing concepts of the senses to their baby with simple language and tapping. The rhyme can be done with your baby lying on the ground or sitting in a lap facing parent or caregiver. For older children, have them point to where the body parts are. Two little eyes to look around, (gently tap near baby’s eyes) Two little ears to hear each sound, (gently tap on baby’s ears) One little nose to smell what’s sweet (gently tap on baby’s nose) One little mouth that likes to eat (gently tap on baby’s mouth)

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Week 4-Land of Make Believe

Complete 2 of the following activities to achieve your Week 4 activity quest badge in Beanstack.

Sing

SING | Hippity Hop (to the tune of “Row, Row, Row Your Boat”) This is a fun song that can be done sitting with baby in parent and caregiver’s lap or a child hopping. Hip, hip, hippity hop (bounce baby) Hippity, hippity, hop (bounce baby) We’ll hop around the room today (bounce baby) Until it’s time to stop. (stop bouncing baby)

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Play

PLAY | There Was a Crooked Man Supplies: ● Masking or painters tape, chalk, yarn, or string Make a crooked tape line on the floor (you can also make a chalk line outside or create one with yarn or a string. Have children walk the crooked line. Have them walk on the line backward, sideways, and jumping on it. Modify it for your child’s abilities. An adult can walk the baby on the line. A toddler might walk backwards and forward, etc.

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Write

Put together a small bowl that has cotton balls, marshmallows and beans in it. Talk with your child about what they feel like: squishy, soft, sticky, smooth, etc. Then have them sort by what they are. For babies, you can use cotton balls and large marshmallows and have the baby feel each one before sorting them.

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Talk

TALK | Five Little Gingerbread Men Counting Game Have fun counting down the gingerbread men in this repetitive rhyme. Use the templates of the gingerbread man (or make your own) to help tell the rhyme. For additional hands-on participation and talking opportunity, let the children color and decorate one of the gingerbread men for the rhyme. 5 little gingerbread men lying on the tray. 1 jumped up and ran away! Catch me, catch me, if you can. I run really fast. I’m the gingerbread man! Additional Verses 4 little gingerbread men. . . 3 little gingerbread men . . . 2 little gingerbread men . . . 1 little gingerbread man . . .

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Week 3-Land of Mother Goose

Complete 2 of the following activities to achieve your Week 3 activity quest badge in Beanstack.

Sing

SING | Where is Thumbkin? (sung to the tune of “Frere Jacques”) In this song, we’re showing children the fingers on their hands and how to move them from being in a fist to being straight. Infants hold their hands in fists most often. Using songs like this encourage them to exercise their hands and fingers in a playful way. For a twist on the rhyme actions, use a marker to draw faces on the pads of fingers and thumbs. Sing the extra verse for added fun. Where is Thumbkin? Where is Thumbkin? (hands in fists in front of you) Here I am. Here I am. (bring out one thumb and then the other) How are you today, sir? (make one thumb bow) Very well, I thank you. (make the other thumb bow) Run away. Run away. (put one hand, then the other behind back) Repeat the song replacing “Thumbkin” with the following: Pointer (index finger) Tallman (middle finger) Ringman (ring finger) Pinkie (little finger) Family (wave all fingers) The final verse, instead of “run away” sing : Here to stay. Here to stay. (give baby a little tickle with hands)

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Play

PLAY | In and Out This game is one that will introduce beginning concepts such as full and empty, big and small. When playing this game with your child, point out these opposites as they go. Supplies • Small boxes or baskets • Blocks • Soft Toys • Rattles • Measuring Cups • Plastic Bottles (cleaned and empty) Instructions Fill each box or basket with a few items of different sizes, shapes, and colors. Parents and caregivers should help the child pick up the box or basket, turn over, and dump items out. Work together with your child to put the items back in the box or basket. Ask your child to pick up items based on color, shape, or size and place them in the box or basket.

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Write

WRITE | Mary’s Little Sheep In this activity, toddlers will work on fine motor skills by wrapping yarn around their sheep. Building strength and coordination in their hands will help with writing and other skills later. Supplies: ● Image of a sheep ● Scissors ● Card Stock ● Yarn Instructions: Cut out the sheep and fold in the middle to make a tented sheep. Give your child a sheep and some yarn. Have them cover the sheep with the yarn by wrapping it around them.

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Talk

TALK | Two Little Blackbirds Two little blackbirds sitting on a hill (hold up both pointer fingers) One named Jack (hold out right pointer finger) And one named Jill. (hold out left pointer finger) Fly away Jack. (place right hand behind back) Fly away Jill. (place left hand behind back) Come back Jack, (bring right pointer finger back out ) Come back Jill. (bring left pointer finger back out ) Additional verses: One named Early and one named Late, sitting on a gate. One named Fast and one named Slow, sitting on a pole. One named Soft and one named Loud, sitting on a cloud.

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Week 2- Land of the Littles

Complete 2 of the following activities to achieve your Week 2 activity quest badge in Beanstack.

Sing

Sing | Ring Around the Rosy Parents and caregivers can move their child gently from side to side while sitting or standing. On the last part of the song, gently lower the child. For the second verse, lift the child into the air or to their feet. See the actions and listen to the tune here: http://bit.ly/2EUk4Rl Ring around the rosy Pocketful of posy Ashes, ashes We all fall down The cow is in the meadow Eating buttercups Thunder, lightning We all jump up

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See the actions and listen to the tune here: http://bit.ly/2EUk4Rl

Play

Play | The Hiding Gnome Game Use the templates attached (or make your own) to make the pieces for this game. Feel free to have your child color them (good pre-writing activity) To play the game: Hide the gnome underneath one of the houses Recite the rhyme below and ask your child to help find him. As they say their answers, lift up the houses until the gnome is revealed. Oh my, oh dear, where has my little friend gone? Won’t you come out and play along? Where is he hiding, do you know? Let’s take a look under the _______________ (let the children take turns guessing)

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Write

Write | From One to Another Grasping items helps children develop their fine motor skills, which are essential for children learning how to write. For preschoolers: You can put anything in a bowl (beans, marshmallows, cereal, etc.) and ask your child to use their fingers to move it from one plate/bowl to the other. To make it harder, let them use a spoon, tweezers or tongs. For younger children: Put together a box of larger items such as balls, stuffed animals, etc. Have the child grasp on to the items to put them in the box or take them out.

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Talk

Talk | Sensory Activity: Fluttering Fairy Friends Parents and caregivers can flutter a fairy over their child, and to the sides. You can use a washcloth or dish towel as the fairy. The parent or caregiver can lay the child on the ground or in their lap. Flutter the fairy over the child’s face, repeating the following rhyme. Flutter, flutter, here and there (flutter the fairy over the baby) Flying high up in the air (flutter the fairy higher in the air) Closer, closer, right on top (flutter the fairy over the baby) Where will the fairy make a stop (flutter the fairy and then make it stop on baby’s tummy, toes, etc.)

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Week 1-Magical Creatures

Complete 2 of the following activities to achieve your Week 1 activity quest badge in Beanstack.

Sing

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Listen to the song and see the actions at http://bit.ly/2Q35Nmx

Play

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Write

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Talk

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