Activity BooK

Do you know an infant or toddler who is not

Moving • Hearing • Seeing • Learning or • Talking like others their age?

Every child deserves a great start and WV Birth to Three supports families to help their children grow and learn.

Our services are provided at NO COST to all families of eligible children. For more information on how we can help call:

1-866-401-8919 or 304-485-2000

Benefits of WV Birth to Three: * There are no income guidelines/ no cost to families

* Services take place in a child's daily natural environment (home or community setting)

* Specialists available: Developmental Specialists/Psychologist, Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Speech and Language Therapy, etc.

WV Birth to Three, Region 2

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March

1. Pig Day- Sing Ten Little Piggies, the reverse the song starting with ten and ending with one muddy piggy (to the tune of “Ten Little Indians) Show your child a picture of a pig and you can even teach them the oink sound.

One Little, two Little, three Little Piggies, Four little, five little, six little piggies, Seven little, eight little, nine little piggies, Ten Little muddy piggies!

WHY PIGS LIKE MUD Your children will love learning about why for pigs, rolling around in the mud is a good thing. First of all, mud is great for the pigs skin. It keeps it from getting sun burned and it also keeps the bugs from biting. Mud also helps keep the pigs cool in the summer. Pigs like to make a “mud hole” a hole in the ground filled with mud, into which they can roll around in or just sink into.

2. Dr. Seuss Birthday and Read Across America

Day is today! Celebrate by reading a Dr. Seuss book and making green eggs by adding green food coloring to your favorite eggs. Dr. Seuss wrote and illustrated 48 children’s books during his lifetime. The book Green Eggs and Ham was written on a bet. A friend bet Dr. Seuss fifty dollars that he could not write a book using just fifty simple words.

You can also eat some goldfish crackers and read the popular Dr. Seuss book. One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish.

3. Green Eggs and Ham In honor of Dr. Seuss Birthday find out if your child likes green eggs and ham by following this simple recipe.

4. Turn the TV off week is the first week in March. Try turning the TV

off for a day. Make cookies, go outside, read a book, play board games, see how much fun you can have without the Television.

5. Nutrition Month Make a Banana Bug

Bananas Pretzel Sticks Peanut Butter Raisins 1. Peel a banana and poke pretzels in the sides for legs. 2. Using a craft stick, make spots with the peanut butter. 3. Stick raisins on the peanut butter. 4. Add pretzel for the “Antennae”

6. Michelangelo’s Birthday In honor of the famouse painter and

sculptor born today in 1475. Have your child use finger paint to paint a pretty picture.

http://theimaginationtree.com/2013/07/edible-jello-finger-paints-recipe-babies.html (Edible Jello Finger Pain Recipe) Art: Homemade Finger Paint Materials: 1/4 cup cornstarch, 1/4 tsp salt, 1 1/2 tbsp sugar, 1 cup cold water, saucepan, containers (like baby food jars), food coloring Directions: Measure cornstarch, salt, sugar, and water into the saucepan. Cook over low heat for about 10 minutes, stirring constantly. The mixture will begin thin, but will thicken. When it thickens, remove the pan from the heat, and cool. Divide into small containers and stir in a few drops of food coloring. Use white butcher wrap, shiny side done, for finger paint paper.

7. Daisy Day Show your child a daisy. Let them observe the colors. Luther Burbanks Birthday is March 7. He created the Shasta daisy. In honor of his Birthday and the daisy: Sing Five Little Flowers to the tune of “Itsy Bitsy Spider

Five little flowers, looking for the sun(child looks up) See their heads nodding bowing one by one (Child nod their heads and bow) Down, Down, Down, falls the gentle rain (child wiggles their fingers and shrinks to the ground) And the five Little Flowers pop their heads again (child pops up)

8. Make a traditional light box is used with children to explore objects with the added dimension of upward facing light, and can be brilliant for investigating silhouettes, color mixing, x-rays and patterns, amongst many other things. Kids love this. To make our light box I used: a large, opaque, under bed storage tub 2 strings of Christmas lights

large sheets of tracing paper and sticky tape

To assemble: Line the inside of the box lid with sheets of tracing paper and stick down with sticky tape. This will dull the light and help it to be dispersed more evenly. Put the Christmas lights into the box and spread them out evenly. I let the leads come out at one corner and the lid still fit over the top without a problem. If that doesn’t work for you then simply make a small hole in the corner of the box and thread the leads through. I want to be able to use this box for more sensory play in the future so need it to remain leak-proof! Put the lid on, turn the lights on, turn off the lights in the room and PLAY!! http://theimaginationtree.com/2013/01/diy-light-box-for-sensory-play.html 9. Make Pretzels into numbers, letters, or shapes. This is a wonderful

motor skills activity. ~1 packet of active dry yeast ~ 4 cups of flour (we used gluten free) ~ 1 1/2 cup of warm water ~ 1 teaspoon of salt ~ melted butter or 1 egg ~ coarse salt or sugar and cinnamon (optional for sprinkling on top) Step 1: Mix all the dry ingredients together in a bowl, except the coarse salt, sugar, and cinnamon if using. Step 2: Add the warm water to the bowl and mix together. I personally found that it was easier to mix with our hands rather than with a spoon Step 3: Separate the dough into small balls. Mine made about 11-12 small balls Step 4: Give your child a small ball of dough and ask them to make a number, letter, or shape. I gave the girls free range of what they wanted to do, but it had to be one of those three things. You could also place alphabet, number, or

shape cards in front of your child so that they can visualize what they are making. Step 5: Help your child roll out their dough into long ropes so that they can create their pretzels. Step 6: Once finished you can spread some beaten egg or melted butter over the pretzels and either sprinkle with a bit of sugar or coarse salt. Step 7: Bake on 350 degrees for about 12-15 minutes or until pretzels are golden brown. Step 8: If you decide to do a cinnamon and sugar pretzel add more butter on top and sprinkle with a bit of sugar and cinnamon. Step 9: Enjoy your delicious creations 10. Telephone Day On this date in 1876 Alexander Graham Bell

transmitted the first telephone message to his assistant. Celebrate telephone day by having your child call someone special.

11. Lucky Day is meant to bring smiles, success and the “luck o’ the

Irish” to an ordinary day. Take your child outside and look for a four-leaf clover. To ensure success you could cut out a four-leaf clover or print a copy of one.

12. Busy Hands Let your toddler use sidewalk chalk, play with finger

paint, play with play dough or squeeze water out of a sponge. Young toddlers love to make things work have them push buttons, open boxes, or turn pages to their favorite books.

13. Planet Uranus discovered today in 1731. Take your child outside

and look at the stars. You can talk about the planets as well. Sing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star with your toddler. You can also wish on a star.

Starlight, star bright, First star I see tonight,

I wish I may, I wish I might Have this wish, I wish tonight.

Solar System Cut circular slices of banana, pear, kiwi, orange and cheese, and cut a long, thin

rectangle of the cheese for Saturn's rings. Place the circles and a grape, blueberry, chickpea and one slice of pepperoni on a

plate. Place them in the order of the planets and the sun: Sun (orange), Mercury

(chickpea), Venus (banana), Earth (kiwi), Mars (grape), Jupiter (pepperoni), Saturn (cheese), Uranus (pear) and Neptune (blueberry). Place tiny dollops of plain Greek yogurt between the planets to make

stars. 14. Pizza Day Pizza originated in Italy in the early 16th century. What you need: 1 English muffin or bagel, split and toasted

4 teaspoons pizza sauce or tomato puree

3 tablespoons shredded part- skim mozzarella cheese

What you do: Place English muffins on clean work surface. Spread

each toasted muffin with 2 teaspoons pizza sauce and 1-1/2

tablespoons cheese. Spread with topping choices. Place on baking sheet

or place in toaster oven and bake at 350°F, about 10 minutes or until

hot and cheese has melted.

15. Pasta Day Pasta noodles make for a great sensory activity for toddlers to explore with their sense or touch and even sound.

~ Macaroni [or other small dry pasta] ~ Measuring cups and scoops ~ Bottles with lids [several sizes would be great!] Set these items out on a blanket or plastic shower curtain for easy clean up. The bottles make great Maracas!

16. Rainbow Salad Make a Rainbow Salad for snack time. Red- Strawberry Slices, Orange- Orange Slices, Yellow- Pineapple Chunks or Banana Slices, Green- Sliced Kiwi or Green Grapes, Blue- Blueberries, Indigo and violet- Purple Grapes

17. St. Patrick’s Day- Activity Find the pot of Gold.

Print off or color a picture of a pot of gold for your child to find. Let them in return be the Leprechauns and find a safe place to hide the gold. You can even make your own gold by painting a rock with gold paint, gluing gold sequins to a rock, or cover a rock with glue and drop it into a bag with gold glitter. Let the glue dry completely then remove the gold.

Make a shamrock out of your child’s finger prints Make three green fingerprints in the shape of a shamrock. Draw on a stem with a green crayon or marker. 18. Rainbow Pudding Parfait 1 Box instant vanilla pudding ~ Milk ~ food coloring Whipped Topping ~ Rainbow Sprinkles ( if desired) Mix the pudding according to the package directions and let chill. Divide the pudding into four equal portions in separate bowls. Use food coloring to dye each portion a different rainbow color. Layer the pudding in 2 clear glasses or cups. Add whipped topping clouds and rainbow sprinkles. Rainbow facts: Every rainbow is a full circle. The full circle cannot be seen from

the ground but may be observed from an airplane. The human eye can see 7 million colors Scientist have discovered that the appropriate use of color can

maximize productivity, minimize visual fatigue, and relax the body. Red, orange, and yellow are thought to be simulating; while pale green, light yellow, and off-white are thought to be soothing.

19. Green Day Green is the color do Saint Patrick’s Day because it is the color of spring, Ireland, and the shamrock. Find as many items as you can that are green while you are out today. You can even get creative by eating green vegetables, fruit (melon or Kiwi), put green food coloring in eggs or mashed potatoes, etc… Drink Add a couple of green food coloring drops to a glass of milk and share with your child

20. Big Bird’s Birthday is celebrated the first day of spring. To help

celebrate Big Bird’s Birthday color the picture at the bottom of the packet and teach your child the letter B sound.

21. Flower Day Try this science experiment. Color Changing Carnations You will need: ~Scissors ~ Knife (Optional) ~ Water ~ Food Coloring ~White carnations (daisies and other white flowers may work, too!) ~Clear, plastic cups or vases What to Do: 1. Fill each cup ¾ full with water. 2. Add 20 to 30 drops of food coloring to each glass. Lots of color is better! 3. Have an adult cut the stems of the carnations on a diagonal. The cut must be fresh to allow for maximum water absorption. 4. Place one carnation in each colored water glass and one in the plain water. 5. Watch what happens! The carnations will soak up the water and take on the new colors. This can show in only hours, but may also need a few days. 22. National Sing Out Day Sing your favorite song to your child.

10 Ways Babies Learn When We Sing To Them! By Cathy Fink and Marcy Marxer

1. Bonding – When you sing to your baby, they bond with you and your voice. Singing makes yours the first and most important voice in her life. Your baby learns that you LOVE him!

2. Transitions – Babies feel safe when life is predictable. A song for waking up, sleeping, and other routine transitions and activities helps them know what comes next.

3. Language – Language is in itself musical, and when you sing and speak, your baby learns about words, language, and communication. Through your singing, baby’s language comprehension begins.

4. New words – While you sing and hold your baby, you introduce new vocabulary. When you hold up a stuffed dog as you sing about a dog, baby learns to associate the name of that toy with the words you sing. When you sing about parts of the body and kiss your baby’s feet or tickle his tummy, he learns new words.

5. Rhythm and rhyme – Music includes rhythm and rhyme, again, part of our language. In time, babies will recognize rhymes and rhythms.

6. Play – Singing is one of many methods of play and “sing-play” is a fun way to interact with babies.

7. Family fun – Singing is a great way to involve older siblings in welcoming a new baby to the home. Singing to and playing with the baby builds a bond between siblings. Make singing a family activity.

8. Singing names – A baby can learn his name by hearing it in songs. Try substituting your baby’s name for other words in songs so he hears his name sung over and over again.

9. Listening skills – Like reading, singing is an activity that requires listening. It's another opportunity for your baby to begin to understand language and feelings expressed through language and sing-play.

10. LOVE – All of the above boils down to using your singing voice as a way to express love. Babies don't care if you are a great singer. They only care that you are singing to THEM! In their eyes (and their ears), you'll be a star!

23. Fly a Kite today with your little one. The windy days of March are perfect for flying beautiful kites. This may be too difficult for your child so a good alternative to a kite is a balloon tied to a string. Did you know the world record for the highest wind gust (other than those associated with tornadoes) is held by the Mount Washington Observatory in New Hampshire. On April 12, 1934, a wind guest was measured at 231 miles per hour.

Kite Safety: Fly kites in open areas, away from cars and groups of people. Do not fly kites when the weather is story or around power lines. Always check the ground for holes, stickers and rocks before you fly your kite.

24. National Peanut Month

Peanut Butter Play Dough ~2 cups peanut butter ~1 cup powdered sugar ~1 cup flour

Mix sugar and flour. Add peanut butter and mix well. Can be played with then eaten! *Note that some children may have a severe allergic reaction to peanuts, and peanut products so use caution.

25. Waffle Day- Try Miniature PB&J Waffle Sandwiches: Make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich made with two whole-grain toaster waffles. Grab some miniature waffles for your kids and serve them this tasty treat as well. The mini waffles are not as thick as their full-size counterparts, and are the perfect size for your toddlers to pick up on their own.

26. Rainbows Everywhere Try these easy ways to make your very

own rainbow.

Put a mirror in a glass of water with the mirror tilted at the angle of the sun

Put a glass of water in a window on a sunny day

Put a few drops of vegetable oil in a bowl of water

Blow bubbles in the sunlight

Put a prism near a light source. 27. Chicks Chicks are associated with Spring, Easter, and the farm

yard. Children love them because they are so cute. Fun fact: An egg shell is porous, allowing baby chicks can breathe before they hatch! DO THE CHICKEN POKEY! Sung to: "Hokey Pokey" You put your RIGHT WING IN (put right fist under right arm-pit) You take your right wing out… You put your right wing in…. And you shake it all about. You do the Chicken Pokey And STRUT yourself around, That's what it's all about! Choice of additional verses: "You put your left wing in… , You put your chicken leg in… , You put your chicken beak in, You put your tail feathers in…” CHICKEN DANCE --to the chicken dance music! To the beat of the music: 1. Hold up your hands and make them do a TAKING MOTION-four times... 2. Flap arms like WINGS four times 3. WIGGLE BOTTOMS four times 4. CLAP four times

28. Merry Music Month Sing “This Little Light of Mine” to your child.

This little light of mine, I’m going to let it shine, This little light of mine, I’m going to let it shine, This little light of mine, I’m going to let it shine, Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine!

29. National Craft Month- Make your favorite Craft with your child. What You'll Need: 1 sheet white drawing paper, sheet pan, paint (1 color), superfine glitter, small container Make It: Place the paper on a sheet pan and cover with 1 Tbs. of paint. Have your child use her hands to squiggle and move the paint around, making interesting lines and dots. Add more paint as necessary to cover the paper. Pour a bit of superfine glitter in a small container and help your child pinch and sprinkle the glitter all around the paper to create a glittering effect. Make sure your child doesn't ingest the paint or glitter or get any in her eyes. 30. Doctor’s Day Encourage your child to like your doctor. Do

something special for your child’s pediatrician today. Good Health Habits:

Get Plenty of Rest

Get Plenty of Exercise

Eat Healthy Foods

Cover your mouth and nose when you sneeze.

Wash your hands with soap and warm water before preparing food and before you eat.

31. National Umbrella Month Create an edible umbrella Set out apple slices, banana slices, chocolate chips, miniature marshmallows, and cheese sticks. Try to use the snack materials to make an umbrella. WE PUT OUR UMBRELLAS UP

We put our umbrellas up. (Circle arms overhead.) We close our umbrellas down. (Lower arms to sides.) We give our umbrellas A shake, shake, shake, (Shake pretend umbrellas.) And turn them all around. (Twirl pretend umbrellas.) Heather McPhail