3.Match objects with their uses

   4.Name objects in a picture book

   5.Respond to simple directions from parents and caregivers

   6.Sort objects by category such as animals, flowers, and vehicles

   7.Stack rings on a peg from largest to smallest

At the age of three, most kids are able to: 
 
    1.Ask "why" questions to gain information as they become curious about everything
    2.Demonstrate awareness of the past and present 
    3.Learn by observing and listening to instructions
    4.Maintain a longer attention span of around 5 to 15 minutes
    5.Organize objects by size and shape
    6.Seek answers to questions 
    7.Understand how to group and match object according to color such as classing their toys with different colors in different boxes.

 

 

Most one-year-old begin to:

Children pick up different types of seeds with tweezers and sort them by type into the cups.

Children squeeze the clothespins and clip them to the sides of the box. To make the activity more interesting, I wrote letters on dot stickers and placed the dot stickers around the sides of the boxes. I wrote letters on the clothespins so the children would match the letters on the clothespins to the letters on the boxes. Other skills could be used, e.g. colors, numbers, beginning sounds. This is similar to activities where children clip clothespins to a paper plate or cardstock circle; however, in my experience, those were flimsy and awkward to use, which is why I like the box better. Any sturdy box could be used (shoe box, postal box). The boxes in this picture were stacking gift boxes that held chocolate covered nuts (a Christmas gift), and they worked out perfectly.

Cut plastic drinking straws into small pieces, about 1-inch. (Cutting the straws is another great fine motor activity for kids.) Tie yarn to a plastic needle, or use plastic laces, and knot the end. Children string the straws onto the yarn or lace. For teachers or parents who supervise this activity, they can include multi-coloured straws to make it more interesting. Children also can learn to differentiate colours and this will help their eyes coordination.

Tie lengths of yarn to plastic yarn needles, and knot the end. Children “sew” the yarn on a styrofoam plate by pushing the needle in and out through the plate.

These can be purchased or made with poster board and a hole puncher. Use shoe laces or plastic lacing. Tie one end of the lace to one hole of the card. Children lace the string through each hole. These can be made to match different themes or holidays.