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FUN THINGS TO DO WITH YOUR CHILD

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FUN THINGS TO DO WITH YOUR CHILD

General aims of these sessions:

Sample a number of craft activities that can be used in the home Use everyday items to create games, crafts and other activities Experience the fun of creating something for children Gain confidence and unlock their own potential

Topic	Content
1. Sock puppet animals	Parents choose an animal their child would like. Make the puppet using coloured felt on sock. Group creates an animal zoo/farm. Sounds, songs, rhymes and stories can be created.
2. Tell me the game	Parents remember games from their childhood, seen on television. Share. Act out/ play games.
3. Choose a book, make a puppet	Parents choose a book for their child. Discuss. Read books and decide who is main character. Make character as puppet. Retell story with prop.
4. Make a book	Parents choose topic their child likes. Use a spidergram to create story. Write story and decorate. Share with group.
5. Make a map of your area	Parents focus on child friendly/useful places locally and create a colourful map of the area. Share with the group.
6. Matching pairs game	Parents create an age appropriate game using numbers, items or images. Share games.
7. Time telling	Parents create an age appropriate game using analogue and digital methods of telling the time.
8. Make a blackboard	Using plywood and blackboard paint, parents make a blackboard for their child. Tutor gives chalk to parents. Discuss learning possibilities.
9. Make a jigsaw	Use old calendar images to make age appropriate jigsaws. Discuss the learning skills needed to put a jigsaw together.

Websites

http://justjigsawpuzzles.com/
http://www.creativekidsathome.com/activities/activity_105.shtml

Topic 6: Make a map of your local area

Materials:

Selection of paper, coloured tissue
Coloured markers
Flipchart pages
Black markers
Roll of old wallpaper
Sticky wall adhesive
Scrap paper for rough work

Task	Suggested Activities
List what is available for children locally	Work in pairs and create list of places to visit that are, e.g., free, child friendly, buggy accessible, etc. Share with the group. Discuss why these are good places to visit. Ask parents to rank their favourite/least favourite locations.
Create a map of local area	Parents roughly sketch map of their local area. Encourage parents to identify reference points for estimating distance, proportion, orientation, etc. Share and adjust as necessary.
Develop a key to the map	Parents add symbols for various places, e.g., playgrounds, friend’s house.
Draw map on large flipboard page	Each parent draws a map, adds symbols and a key and decorates.
Display maps on wall	Display maps on wall with adhesive. Each parent brings the group on a tour of his/her local area.
Parent and child connections	Ask parents to suggest ideas for using their maps with their children, e.g., learning about their community, find places marked on the map, ‘tell a story’ about places they have visited, raise awareness of environmental print. Parents try out activities at home and report back to the group in the following sessions.

Literacy Links:

Using background knowledge to create a visual representation
Designing symbols and a key for the map
Writing familiar words (street names, locations)
Reading the map/explaining the map to their child
Listening to and expressing opinions
Participating in a group discussion
Gathering information
Interpreting signs and symbols

Numeracy Links:

Using maths vocabulary
Using numbers
Using measuring tools Ordering/sequencing information Estimating distance/proportion
Making comparisons
Drawing shapes/lines
Representing proportion
Interpreting simple scaled drawings