Activity: Letter of the day

This activity is very simple and can be done any way you like. Simple choose a letter (Let's start at the very beginning...it's a very good place to start....), and focus on that letter throughout the day. You could also choose to focus on a number instead. As an example, let's choose the letter A.

1. Eat apples, avocados, artichokes, etc. for a snack.
2. Read books about Johnny Appleseed, Anne of Green Gables, Alice in Wonderland, etc.
3. Be an Acrobat for the day
4. Eat at Arby's for dinner
5. Learn about Anteaters, aardvarks, etc. at your local zoo
6. As you drive around town, look for the letter A on different signs or restaurants.
7. Look for the letter A at the grocery store
8. Make A shaped pancakes or biscuits, and drink apple juice with dinner.
9. Learn about Airplanes and what makes them fly. If possible, find an airplane graveyard or somewhere close to the airport where you can watch planes take off and land.
10. And any other activities you can think of beginning with the letter of the day.

For more alphabet ideas, check out this website that I found by clicking here.

Activity: I want to be like Mommy!

I've noticed that as Mia gets closer to turning 2, she wants to be mommy's helper more and more. That means that I'm constantly on the lookout for things she can do to help and feel "big and strong". If any of you are experiencing the same thing, you might find some good ideas on the following list:

Help pick up items at the grocery store and put them in the cart
Wipe up spills (Especially their own - this will help them learn responsibility)
Tear up lettuce, spinach, etc. for salad
Clean up toys (Mia has a little space on a shelf where she knows her books go, but she doesn't yet put them there on her own. We have to remind her.)
Water the garden (Mia's loved this since she was 15 months old!)
Help make cookies (Have them add the flour, chocolate chips, oats etc. - Even if they are really young, let them help with the poring)
Let them work along side you (Use a play tool set if Daddy is working with tools, give them their own gardening tools (play ones), etc.)
Sorting the laundry (Have your child find all of the socks, etc.)

I know that there are a lot of other great ideas out there. Just be sure to complement your child for trying, even when they make mistakes. And make sure that the activity is more about fun than about doing it perfectly.

What activities do you let your child help with?

Activity: When you are at the Grocery Store

I am happy to say that this activity can go MANY different ways for MANY different ages. You can teach kids anything from colors (apples are red, grapes are purple, etc), organization (milk go here, flour goes there...), meal planning (I want to make spaghetti - do I have what I need?) and even as far as cost analysis (How do I get the best value for my money? How can I stay on budget?). I studied many aspects of food and budgeting in college and actually still use a lot of my old assignments in real life. With all this in mind, let me share with you some fun ideas of things that I have done in the store with kids.

I have asked them to...

Find things that are a certain color
Find a specific food (cucumbers, apples, etc. - Mia is learning how to do this).
Count how many jars of peanut butter they see
Help me pick out the biggest (or smallest, prettiest, etc.) piece of food
If you have $1.00 and a donut costs $0.50, can you afford it? Will you have any money left over?
I have $10.00 and need to get these 4 things. Can you find the best price?

 There are lots of  other things that you can do, and as always, the questions you ask will depend on the age and understanding of the child. In our family, I want to have Mia involved in all sorts of things, from cooking, to planning, to shopping, and even storing food (canning, drying, freezing, etc.). I'm hoping that by the time she is 10, she can at least make Spaghetti all by herself (she may need help lifting the pot full of water and noodles), and by the time she's 14 (if not earlier) I want her to be able to plan a week long menu of dinners, and make a grocery list. When she's 16, I want her to understand how to find the best value at the grocery store. This kind of knowledge will help her a lot in college, as well as in her adult life. She will be able to use these skills as well as her budgeting skills to be able to save money and live well below her means.

Have any of you done something like this? At what age did you start? What activities or concepts with you focus on?