Your child’s brain develops at an incredible pace during the first five years of life. You can’t get these early years back, so make sure to expose your child to a variety of enriching activities to support brain growth. Read to your child every single day, even if it doesn’t seem like they’re paying attention (they are hearing you and learning, I promise). Narrate your way through your everyday tasks to increase the number of words your child is exposed to. And try out one of the great learning activities below!
1. Make A Rocket With a Balloon
What You’ll Need:
- Plastic straws
- Balloons
- String
- Painter’s tape
- Rubber bands
Make it Happen:
1. Cut a piece of string long enough to run across the room that you will be using for this activity.
2. Use painter’s tape to attach one end of your string to the wall.
3. Run the string through the straw before securing string to the opposite wall.
4. Blow up balloon and pinch the end closed (to keep the air in).
5. Tape the balloon to the straw (way easier with two people). Make sure that the stem of the balloon is pointing in the opposite direction (away from the direction that you want the balloon to travel in).
6. Let go of the balloon and watch your rocket balloon fly!
Other Thoughts:
Try experimenting with different types of string (yarn, dental floss, thread, etc.), different sizes and shapes of balloons, different types of straws, and positioning the string at different angles.
2. Baking Soda & Vinegar Volcano
What You’ll Need:
- A tall glass
- A tray, baking pan with sides (or a sink)
- Baking soda
- Vinegar
Make it Happen:
1. Place glass in the center of a tray, baking pan with sides, or even in your sink.
2. Fill glass around ¼ full of baking soda.
3. Pour in some vinegar and watch the eruption!
3. Make a Milky Rainbow
What You’ll Need:
- Whole milk
- Tray or baking pan with sides
- Food coloring
- Liquid dish soap
Make it Happen:
1. Pour whole milk into a tray or baking pan so that it covers the bottom of the container (around ¼” of milk should be enough).
2. Add about 6-8 drops of different colored food coloring onto the milk in different spots.
3. Add a few drops of liquid soap onto the drops of food coloring and watch the rainbow!
4. Explore Your Sense of Taste
What You’ll Need:
- Various foods from your kitchen. While many foods can work, ones that work well are:
- Lemons
- Chocolate
- Peanut butter
- Candy sprinkles
- Carrots
- Peperoni slices
- Cereal
Make it Happen:
1. Divide foods into bite-sized portions, making sure kids don’t see what you’re preparing.
2. Blindfold kids and give them each a bite of one food. See who can guess what it is first.
3. Repeat for all remaining foods.
5. Make Oobleck
What You’ll Need:
- 1 cup water
- 2 cups cornstarch
- Food coloring (if desired)
Make it Happen:
1. Mix the water, corn starch, and food coloring.
2. Let your children dig their hands in and watch them be amazed to explore this mixture which shows qualities of both a liquid and a solid.
Other Thoughts:
This can get messy, so doing activity in a room with an easy-to-clean floor is recommended. Wearing a smock is also recommended. To encourage the building of text-to-life connections, read “Bartholomew and the Oobleck” by Dr. Seuss and go with green food coloring.