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

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