We have some refreching suggestions for fun and rewarding activities you can share with infants, toddlers, or school-aged children. 

Infant Activities
Toddler Activities
Age 3 & Up Activities

Infant

Seeing is believing
Baby learns to read by being surrounded by language, seeing others read, and being read to. At first, baby will lie or sit on your lap, enjoying the closeness and sound of your voice. Then baby will become actively interested in the books themselves: touching, smelling and tasting as well as looking at them. Baby may hit the pages in excitement, then point at pictures, turn the pages and eventually babble about the pictures. Let baby “read” you their favorite story. Your attention and enthusiasm will make reading and sharing books so rewarding for baby that they will learn to truly love books!

Pa-Ba-Da-Ba
As baby grows, his or her ability to vocalize new sounds increases, especially if they have been spoken and sung to by a sensitive caregiver. When baby engages you in conversation by making sounds, repeat the sound back to baby in a familiar word; for example, baby says “pa,” and you say “Papa,” ba…bottle, ma…mama, be…baby, and so on. Older siblings are good at coming up with creative words.  Baby reaches out in many ways to communicate. Paying attention and responding encourages language development.

Toddler

Moving Story
As baby starts to move around, stories that invite acting out and participation are great fun. When it’s hard for baby to sit still, choose a book that really moves. Something with a character that is doing something baby could do. Remember, a book doesn’t have to be read non-stop from cover to cover to be enjoyed. It’s OK to set it down and roll, jump, hide, crawl, giggle, clap, stomp and chomp. Make your own moving story with pictures from magazines. For instance, a picture of a puppy, the beach, some children, a bus or a train could be made into a story about a puppy looking for mischief who leaves its yard, follows some children who get on a bus that happens to be going to the beach and so on. The possibilities are endless. 

Some Float, Some Don’t
Materials Needed
1.  Clear Plastic container or tub
2.  Variety of household items: sponge, clothespin, spoon, key, plastic toy, cup, wood block, comb, shell, etc.
3.  Beach towel

Spread towel out on the floor over a low table, or outside if the weather is warm. Fill the container two-thirds full with water and place it on the towel. Set the items you have chosen on the towel next to the container. Baby will probably begin putting the items into the water without much prompting from you. Say, “Let’s see which things stay on top of the water and which things fall to the bottom.” Use the words “float” and “sink” as you notice where each item is, and talk about what they’re made of: wood, metal, plastic, sponge, etc. Remember, the questions you ask out loud are to encourage baby to think scientifically and develop observation skills; don’t worry whether the answer is right or wrong. Encourage observation of life! 
**Warning: Never leave a child unattended around water**

Age 3 & Up

Who Am I?
The child is going to ask questions that require a YES or NO answer in order to find out who or what you are thinking of. Your job is to choose a person, place or thing within your child’s environment or knowledge range and keep it secret until the child has guessed correctly. He or she asks questions such as: Is it real? Is it in my bedroom? Can I eat it? 

Action Words
Introduce these words to your child and both of you do the actions together – STRETCH, LEAP, SLIDE, RUN, CRAWL, FALL, SPIN, and TURN. Now make dances using 2 or 3 of the words. Vary the directions and levels-do the action word backwards or sideways or on the floor.

Maraca March
Materials Needed
1.  Plastic bottles with long necks
2.  Rice, beans, birdseed, or macaroni
3.  Masking tape

Partly fill the bottles with rice, beans, birdseed or macaroni. Seal the bottles with masking tape. Wrap additional tape around necks to make a comfortable handle. Make a pair for each child. Now encourage the child to move and shake the “maracas” either to music or clapping or no sounds at all. Marching is a good activity, which can be developed into other motions as the child becomes more creative and comfortable with the handheld rhythmic instruments. 

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