MI and Sensory Games for Kids

Gardner's Multiple Intelligences (MI) target all the different needs of a child. These skills are particularly helpful for teachers/educators/parents, who plan their lessons around the MI of their students. There are mainly eight MIs: verbal/linguistic, bodily/kinesthetic, interpersonal (people-smart), musical, logical/mathematical, intrapersonal (self-smart), visual/spatial, and naturalistic. Sensory activities help your child understand and explore the world around them by using the five senses (sight, hear, taste, smell, and touch). Both the MIs' & the senses are important aspects of early learning.  Keeping that in mind, I do activities with my toddler and preschooler that target the MIs' and the five senses.  

Here is a mix of those activities that incorporate the MIs and Senses:

1. Water Play - We do water play everyday during bath time. I have a basket of fun supplies that we use during this time from bubble baths, bathtub markers, fizzy color balls, and a variety of bathtub toys. (MI: Kinesthetic, Visual & Naturalistic. Senses: touch, hear, sight).
2. Sensory Rice - My kids love to play with the colored Sensory rice. Sensory rice can be made using various colors dyes and flavors/smells. I usually add small toys to the bin that he can discover, scoop out, or transfer from one bin to another, using a variety of tools (i.e. shovel, plastic cups, spoons, jugs). (MI: Visual, Kinesthetic, & Naturalistic. Senses: touch, sight, hear, smell).
3. Homemade Play dough - I use white flour, food color, salt, vegetable oil, water, flavor/essence (optional) to make homemade play dough. Sometimes I use a stand mixer so that the colors are incorporated well or we mix with our hands.  Sometimes I do the mixing and dough making to avoid messy situations or let my kids participate by adding some of the ingredients.  Homemade play dough is a healthier alternative to store bought play dough (God knows what hidden chemicals or secret ingredients they add to their products). (MI: Kinesthetic, Naturalistic, and Visual. Senses: sight, smell, and touch).
4. Body Massage - This by the far is the best sensory activity for your kids. I massaged both my children everyday for a whole year and they enjoyed that a lot as babies.  As my kids have grown into a toddler and a preschooler, I still give them body massages once in a while as a treat. Usually a body massage is done using an oil of some kind (I use ones that my kids are not allergic to such as olive oil and baby oil). I sometimes give them a massage before a bath.  This helps them stay calm and soothes their muscles. For my preschooler, I often give him a head, foot or leg massage (as he is a growing child and his legs ache sometimes from running all the time and the head massage is to simulate healthy hair growth). For my toddler, I often give him a whole body massage before a bath particularly focusing on the hair, back/hips, the shoulders, the legs/feet, and the tummy. Massage allows your children to relax after a hectic day or just helps them start their day calmly. You can also plug-in some classical or nature music for an added soothing effect. One more thing, the massage is always given with a gentle and loving touch. (MI: Naturalistic, Kinesthetic, Musical, & Intrapersonal. Senses: touch).
5. Movement Games/Relay Race - Movement games are a great way to fit physical activity in your child's life. Children nowadays are glued to their TV screens or Ipads and are reluctant to get up/move around. The best way for them to move around and have fun at the same time is by playing movement games as a team or small group (i.e. your family, friends, playgroups friends, relatives, neighbors, etc.) This usually require little to no setup time and is great fun that keeps you and your kids engaged for a long period of time (i.e. anywhere from 20-30 minutes).  Examples of movement games include tag, chase/run, chase/catch, ball throw/catch, kicking/passing the ball, jumping jacks, skipping, relay races, musical chairs, etc. You can also add music to the games, especially the relay races to make them more exciting and fun. (MI: Kinesthetic, Musical. Senses: hear, touch, sight).
6. Vocabulary Games - Vocabulary games can be a fun for learning and also be a sensory experience. Some types of vocabulary games can be matching objects, finding and naming objects, hearing and naming objects, sight words, etc. Other games like "I Spy" are also fun to play with your kids and can be about anything to include all the senses(this is my favorite game and my kids never get bored of it ever!). (MI: Kinesthetic, Interpersonal, Visual. Senses: hear, sight, touch).
7. Pretend Play - This is the type of game that can incorporate all types of MIs and the senses. It can be about anything from playing house to going shopping. Common themes for little ones include shopping, cooking, dress-up, action figures, dolls, sleepover, camping/tents, outdoors, role-playing, etc.
8. Let's Explore Nature - This can involve taste/smell testing in the kitchen (products that are safe and non-allergic for kids like cinnamon, sugars, flavors, etc). The kitchen can provide great sensory and MI experiences for your child. Other natural places to explore would be parks, supermarket, bakery, ocean/beach, etc.). (MI: Kinesthetic, Intrapersonal, Naturalistic. Senses: can include all senses depending on the type of play).

Overall, these games are a great start for incorporating the MIs' and the senses. Most of these games cater to the needs of young children between the ages of two to eight. The main aim of playing these games with your child is to provide him/her with a wide variety of learning experiences. It will also help you see what type of learner your child is.  This way you can cater your lessons to fit the needs of your pre-K, home-schooled or school-going child. I found this really cool site where you can take a test that will tell you what type of learner you are based on the answers you provide. 

What are some sensory games that you play with your child that targets the senses or the multiple intelligences?

Annie

Snowflake Art

It's been snowing like crazy and the temperatures are steadily dropping here in our city, so we have shifted our Preschool focus to winter crafts and activities.  We did this particular art project in various steps. Here is what we did...

Prep: we collected blue water color paint, paint brush, white paper x2, scissors, and blue bingo dauber

Step 1: Firstly, we wanted to capture a winter scene outside of our window in our minds. We discussed a snowy sky and decided to use blue paint to represent the snow and the sky. My preschooler painted a paper blue with straight lines and another one blue with light blue dots using the Bingo dauber. We let our art work air dry by laying it on a flat surface (so that it dries up flat instead of hanging it to dry which sometimes causes the painting to shrivel up or curl around the edges).

© Everything Family Guide

© Everything Family Guide

Step 2: Once it was dried, I helped my preschooler fold the paintings into various folds until I had a small square in my hand. Then I let him cut the edges for snowflake deco design.

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This was the end result:

 

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What are some unique winter art projects you do with your kids?

Annie

Preschool Science - My Body Unit (Lesson 2)

We are learning about healthy foods in the "My Body" preschool science unit. In our very first lesson, we painted and cut our body outline on art paper. So for the next lesson, we focused on a healthy body image. Teaching my child to eat healthy and then reflecting on those options regularly is very important to me. I have also been using this lesson to talk about why we must eat our veggies or proteins. I have been talking about what is healthy versus unhealthy for our body. We have been discussing, identifying and learning about new objects at the supermarket. Overall, this is a good unit that reinforces a healthy body image and teaches about good/bad food choices.

Brainstorming Discussion: we looked at the Food guide to discuss, identify and compare food objects. I let my preschooler ask questions about the food guide and its contents.

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Prep: I pre-made a rainbow chart that represented the colors of the food guide (green, yellow, blue and red). I labelled each paper with their corresponding names. For example, the color red represented 'Meats & Alternatives'.

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Activity #1: We collected all the spare grocery store flyers at our home. We talked about all the items that we might need and got to work by cutting out grocery items. I also let my preschooler help me with the cutting. We collected all grocery item pictures in a ziploc baggie for the next activity.

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Activity # 2: Next, I placed the chart and the ziploc bag on a table and demonstrated by finding and placing a picture on the right colored chart paper. I told him that he had to place the objects in their category and leave out the ones he didn't understand. Then I let my preschooler sort and name objects aloud as he placed them on the right colored chart paper. 

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Informal Assessment: When he was done, we checked for errors and discussed why certain objects belong in a category even if they dont resemble meat or grain. For example, nuts are an excellent source of protein and will fit in the meats category even though it is not a meat product. We also talked about objects he didn't know or recognize.

Overall, this project is going well. For the next few lessons, we will explore healthy versus unhealthy food items through food graphing/counting, treasure hunts, designing a healthy/unhealthy meal plan and plate, and identifying/matching food items.

Thanks for reading! Do you have any suggestions or comments about this project? Let me know....

Annie

5 Time-Filler Games

Ever wondered what to do when you have finished all types of play and have free time while you are waiting for hubby or guests to arrive? Or you simply want to keep your kids technology free if boredom strikes! You can play these games with kids of any age but you have to set up the area so that it is safe for moving around and is a clutter-free zone (ideally an open space like a family room or a basement).

1. Act-out and Sing-a-long Poems - this is my best arsenal during a tough or stressful day as it helps me unwind as well and have fun with the kids. The best selection includes, but is not limited to the following; "Itsy Bitsy Spider", "Wheels on the Bus", "Pat-a-Cake", "Heads and Shoulders, Knees and Toes", "I'm a Little Teapot", "Old McDonalds had a Farm", "One, Two, Buckle my Shoe", "Ring-around-the-Rosy", "Five Little Monkeys", "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star", "Row, Row, Row Your Boat", "Humpty Dumpty", and "Hickory Dickory Dock". We sing and act out all the verbs in this song to build our vocabulary skills.
2. "Simon Says" or Follow the Leader Games - this is a favorite game of both my toddler and preschooler. I make this game into a physical activity drill. Focusing on the following physical drills: "Simon says jump up and down", run x number of times, hop like a bunny, twist side to side, stretch up/down, climb the step stool, roll on the floor, follow me while I ride a car/motorbike/train, jumping jacks, skip, etc. You can include actions or facial/behavioral expressions to this game to make it interesting. 
3. "I Spy" - this is another one of our favorites at the house. I use this game as a learning/teaching opportunity about new concepts or details related to everyday household objects. Common themes include colors, patterns, textures, shapes, number of objects, types of objects, names, or descriptive details/adjectives.  Through this game I can test my children's knowledge of a specific topic or put their learned skills into practice. By incorporating this game in our learning activities, I have successfully helped my preschooler master some of the above mentioned topics.
4. Hide and Seek - best game of all times and suitable for all ages. We have so much fun when we play this game as a whole family. Usually, an adult guides a toddler/baby and stays with them/hides together.
5. Tag/Chasing Games - Ideally you will need lots of open space for this (a backyard or a field/park is perfect). There is the usual 'Cat & Mouse' game where one person catches and the others run. Another fun tag game is called "Sly Fox" where everyone stands far away facing one person whose back is turned facing the wall. Then, when the referee says "Go!", the people will start walking towards the person whose back is turned, in a sneaky/quiet way. The person whose back is turned can turn around at any time and the people walking have to freeze because if they are seen moving then they get to stand facing away from everyone to restart the game. There are many variations of Tag games like "Ball Tag" or "Team Tag" that can be played with or without equipment and as a team or in partners.

Overall, the above games work great for our family given that we use a clutter-free area to avoid any accidents when kids get over-excited! Do you have any fun time-filler games that you play with your family and friends?

Annie

Preschool Science - My Body Unit

This month in Preschool Science, we are learning about the theme of healthy foods, healthy bodies and healthy eating/lifestyle habits. For this unit of study, I will be updating and adding projects as we learn and practice new things.

Whole Body Art

We started of by tracing our body on recycled paper. I had my preschooler lay on a large piece of paper that was just a little bit taller than him. I asked him to lay out his hands, and feet flat on the paper, as I traced an outline around his body using a dark colored marker.

After tracing with marker, we did a whole group painting project. All of us (including my nice husband), painted different parts of the whole body outline, using colors of choice. We used watercolor paints and sponge brushes for this painting project.

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After painting, I left the project to air dry.

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Once it dried thoroughly, me and my preschooler cut along the traced line that I had done previously of my preschooler's body. This was the end result:

© Everything Family Guide

I realize that the body outline does not look perfect and it is intended to look like that. For a more child-centered approach, we focus on original art projects and choices made during those projects. I intend on using the front and back of the whole body art, to do some exciting health projects.

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Overall, it was a fun family event. I will be hanging it up on a wall for our next project. Check back for updates, thanks!

Annie

Toddler Tantrums

So my toddler is going through his transitory phase...he used to be a very content baby but lately he has been acting up. How so, you may ask? He doesn't sleep well through the night, has excessive amounts of energy (all of the awake hours) and doesn't eat healthy (I have to be very sneaky with the food to make sure he gets all his nutrients). This has been going on since he turned 6 months. So basically, I'm sleep deprived and drained every single day. Most moms are in the same boat!

I am always looking for research, tips and ideas for good parenting. I mean the kind when you feel like you have accomplished a lot during the day and when you see your children learning and growing into healthy individuals (mentally, spiritually, and physically). It's tough and some nights I just want to give up and run away, but I AlWAYS wake up with a new set of mind; ready to face the battleground. I love my kids with all my heart and keep going everyday for them. I want to help and teach them everything (in my power), so that they never ever struggle in life.  Anyhow, I had to get that out of my system. I would like to share some strategies that help me raise my toddler and preschooler:

• Daily Schedule: I keep things consistent by following a schedule. When I was working after I had my first, I found my oldest to be very subdued and relaxed during the weekdays. However, on the weekends his behavior was out of control. So for that reason, I had to come up with creative ways of keeping that negative energy at bay. I started doing a lot of child-led play activities such as play dough, dinosaurs, cars, bath-time, cooking, sports, building blocks, etc. I always tried my best to interact; Bye bye social life! I have successfully integrated my toddler into a similar routine.
• Nap time & Night Sleep: my preschooler does not take a nap since he turned 3 years old. If he does then it's very hard for him to fall asleep at night. My toddler only naps between 12 and 2pm, if he wants to sleep at night. However, for the past year, my toddler always wakes through the night and needs comforting to fall back asleep. This can get very tiring for me and him, as you know interrupted sleep at night can be very exhausting on the mind and body. Also, it is very important for kids to fall asleep that they are well nourished/fed, bathed, and relaxed (Life saver tip).
• Food: it is very hard for me to remember all the nutrients they need for eating healthy. I have a handy magnetic notepad on my fridge where I write all of the fruits and veggies, dairy, proteins, and grain products they need (according to their age). This helps me prepare our meal according to everyone's daily food intake. For example, a 3 & 4 year old needs 2 servings of dairy daily so I make sure that if they are not drinking milk, I give them a grilled cheese sandwich or a milkshake. Usually, the kids eat what the adults eat at the dinner table (sans the spice). On special occasions like birthdays or celebrations, I will make kid-friendly food items. 
• Education/learning: this part of the day is very important for me because I value education and would like my kids to grow up to be well-educated individuals. Education during the day can be anything (i.e. following the preschool schedule or practicing our table manners). Throughout the day, we focus on math, literacy, social, science, art, life skills, manners, cooking, cleaning/organizing, and religion. With the toddler I focus on child-led play.

Overall, I have tried all these strategies with both my kids. Each child is different so keep in mind that some of these strategies may need modifications to suit your child's needs. The pressure of good Parenting can take a toll on one's health but if you find the joy in little things, you can survive. 

That smile or laugh on your child's face when they are having a good time with you is priceless.

Annie

Making Sensory Rice

I have heard so much about Sensory play and we decided to make sensory rice for our tactile/sensory play activities. I only had really good quality rice in the house so I ended up using Orzo (Italian barley; shaped like a grain of rice) for the Sensory table. Here is what we did...

Materials

• Vinegar (I have a bottle set aside for science experiments or crafts)
• An assortment of Liquid food colors
• Orzo or rice
• A Jar with a lid (use plastic if your kids are mixing)
• A tray
• Wax Paper

NOTE: This recipe uses vinegar and food color and instead of rice I used Orzo. The only problem I had with the Orzo was that it was very sticky. So after my kids had mixed the Orzo in a jar with a closed lid, I had to use my gloved hands to mix the colors well and separate the pasta on the tray. I left one set of colors to dry by themselves just to test the results and they were all stuck together. Then I had to break them up with my hands.

© Everything Family Guide 

The Process
We put a cup of Orzo in a jar and then added 1 tbsp of Vinegar and a few drops of food color (depends on how dark/light you want your sensory materials to be; more color=brighter result). We repeated the process for all colors, making sure to clean the jar of any residue.  We ended up using a jar with a lid, instead of the cups. My preschooler helped me with all of the mixing process.  After mixing, I used gloved hands to separate the Orzo and then I laid them out on a tray with wax paper, to dry. It dried in a few hours as it's very dry in our city but I would leave it overnight, if your area is humid.  The end result was purposeful!

© Everything Family Guide

© Everything Family Guide

The Final Result
Some of the Orzo did break but they served the purpose of making useful sensory materials. Below is a picture of the final result and my kids playing with the Sensory Orzo!

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© Everything Family Guide

Food Dramatic Play

My toddler just loves food dramatic playtime! What is food dramatic play? We play with food toys, where we pretend to cook, eat, learn table manners, go shopping and pay for our food items. The only guarantee for it to last long, be engaging and fun, is for me and his brother to play with him. We always have fun playing with food toys!

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We play the following types of food play games:

-Cashier and Shopping Center - We set up our food toys and pretend to shop by placing food items in our buckets. We then proceed to the cashier (my preschooler he loves to scan the items and ring up a bill. I use play money bills as opposed to coins; little pieces can cause a choking hazard for kids under the age of three).

© Everything Family Guide

© Everything Family Guide

-Cooking and Serving Food - We pretend to be cooks and/or customers. We cook a meal on the request of the customer at our pretend restaurant. We also practice our speaking and table manners. I have taught my preschooler to set the table and how to eat at a restaurant.

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These skills are really important in real life situations like shopping and eating out at a restaurant. Every child is different when it comes to interest in playing with certain toys. The key is to be involved with your kids to teach them how to play, as you are your child's role model in life.

Be the best you can be for your kids!

Annie

Forming Geometric Shapes with Popsicle Sticks

Since we had our Popsicle sticks out for the Math Color Sorting and Graphing Activity, we decided to make shapes with Popsicle sticks. This is a tactile activity that goes a long way to teach the concept of Shapes.

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For us, this was an introductory activity to learn about "Shapes". We will progress by talking about corners and how many corners does each shape have.  

For the following activity, you will need Colored Popsicle sticks, and a diagram of practice shapes. Here is what we did:

1. I did a demonstration by making a square shape using the Popsicle sticks. We discussed how to do this by placing Popsicle sticks in a similar pattern.

2. Then I let my preschooler experiment. Notice how he is still in the learning process, as he has not joined all of the Popsicle sticks together to form the shape.  At the moment, we are exploring "Shapes" so I let him have the free rein. For the next lesson, which will be the same activity again, I will talk about connecting the Popsicle sticks together and possibly talk about how many corners does each shape have. It is always nice and easy to start off with basic shapes like square, rectangle, or triangle and then move on to other harder shapes. You can use a shape manipulative if you have it or you can always draw it nice and big on a piece of paper.

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3. Activity Extension: you may also incorporate another hands-on activities to teach the concept of Shapes such as "Shapes I SPY" or Form Shapes with your hands or body.

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Early Math practice is crucial in strengthening your child's future math learning.

Annie

Math Color Sorting and Graphing Activity

Preschool Math is so much fun! We are still learning about "Colors" but we are growing and learning as we go on.  We started off with primary colors but now we have moved to secondary colors.  My son is having so much fun learning, by doing! For the following activity, you will need: buckets/bins/boxes, different colored Popsicle sticks, a timer, a pencil and paper.  

Here is what we did:

1. We got the buckets ready by placing a different colored Popsicle stick in each bin. We then discussed each color in the Popsicle bin to review the concept of "Colors".

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2. I set the timer before beginning the activity.  When the timer started my preschooler started placing the assigned Popsicle sticks in the assigned bins. My son loves the timer and he likes a little bit of competition once in a while.  So I use a timer for him but it is not necessary during the first few practice runs to set a timer.  Timers in the beginning of an activity can cause a distraction and deviate the learner from the learning process.  So, you may use it after your child has had ample amounts of practice learning a concept. I have used a timer for doing math drills with my little sister back in the old days to help her practice her math operations (addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division). It all depends on how comfortable the learner is with the timer and using it at the appropriate time.

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3. When the timer went off to signal the end of the timed activity, I asked my son to drop the rest of the Popsicle sticks and come forward. Together, we counted how many Popsicle sticks he gathered from each bin. I would drop a Popsicle stick in the bin one at a time while he counted. This helped with number practice as well as color identification.
 
4. Finally, I did up a quick graph for the activity (This idea came while we were counting and discussing colors/numbers, so I'm apologize about the messy lines). I placed each colored Popsicle stick from the bin in different columns of the graph. We then counted again from the bins to record our numbers in the graph. After counting, I asked him which colored Popsicle sticks did we have the most and the least amount. I did this to test his number sense.

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Overall, it was a good learning experience. However, this was our first graphing activity and I will be incorporating more graphs in our learning. I will start off with the Calendar and report back my findings! 

If you have any questions/comments regarding this activity, please let me know,

Annie

Good Foods for Our Teeth

We went to the paediatric dentist this week for my kids routine check-up. We ended up discussing some tips on good vs. bad foods for the teeth. We need to eat foods that are good for our teeth (besides brushing our teeth 2x everyday) and do not hurt the tooth enamel. This way we can prevent cavities or tooth decay. This is equally important for our children's teeth health.  Here is a list of foods that are good for your teeth (everything has to be eaten with moderation according to our daily food guide servings):

• Cereal w/fruit
• Fruit Smoothies
• Yogurt w/fruit or Parfaits
• Cheese (soft, stringy, slices, 
• Grilled sandwiches
• Luncheon meats
• Roast beef or Chicken
• Shelled Nuts
• Salads
• Fresh Fruits or Vegetables w/dips (optional)
• Sugar-free Gum

 

Bulletin Board at the Dentist© Everything Family Guide

Some foods like raisins, chocolates, chewy gelatin snacks (Gummies), and sugary drinks are the worst for your tooth enamel, as they stick to the teeth.  The acid from these things works hard to erode the tooth enamel and discolor your teeth. That being said we may eat these once in a while with moderation and with a meal or water.  

Let's keep our teeth healthy,

Annie

"I Spy" Literacy and Math Activities

I love playing "I Spy" activities with my kids. They can be played with kids of any age and stage. When I was a little kid, I loved exploring and playing with little toys and things. So keeping that in mind, I made "I Spy" activities with an emphasis on little things. Here is how you may incorporate "I Spy" activities in your preschooler/toddler's schedule:

"I Spy" with Picture Books - Books that are great to use for "I Spy" are ones with lots of little pictures or little picture clues. This would be a great time to introduce new vocabulary words. You can also describe things that are found by using simple sentences (This is a ball). 

Shapes "I Spy" - looking for shapes around the house can be a fun activity. I tell my kids that sometimes shapes are hidden around the house (i.e. on the furniture or on any patterns). This will teach them the math concept of 3-d (objects) and 2-d (pictures) shapes.

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Numbers "I Spy" - for this activity we look for a number of things around the house like 3 or 5 of something. This will teach the math concept of counting and sorting.  It can be played with anything around the house like macaroni noodles, books, stripes on the wallpaper, etc. 

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Color "I Spy" - we look for things that are of a particular color like blue or yellow. This will teach the concept of color and you can also make it advanced by using terms like lighter than, darker than, etc.

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Advanced "I Spy" - I do this activity with my preschooler but you can do it with a toddler who has extensive vocabulary. We look for things around the house that I usually name with an added adjective(s).  For example, I would say: "I Spy with my little eyes something that is red with yellow stripes." It is really fun and makes it interesting for your child.

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We always have fun playing "I Spy" games when we are free or as a time filler. And it is ALWAYS fun and exciting!

Annie