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SUMMER LEARNING FUN WEEKLY PLANS

INFANT

GET MOVING

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SUMMER LEARNING SUMMER LEARNING FUN WEEKLY PLANSINFANT • GET MOVING

ACTIVITY Sit with your little one lying on his or her back on the floor. Hold a ball or a rattle over your baby, moving it a little to catch his or her attention. Encourage your little one to reach for the item.

LEARNING SKILLS Social-Emotional Learning

Materials Ball or rattle

Get movingGet Moving activities are designed to either engage your child’s full body in a physical activity to start the day with a jump, OR to start the day planning for play, a critical area of development in organizational thinking.

ACTIVITY Provide your mobile little one with a variety of boxes, baskets, etc. Encourage your baby to crawl through or climb in and out of the boxes. Cut one box open to make a tunnel so your baby can crawl through it.

LEARNING SKILLS Gross Motor Skills

Materials Laundry basket(s), large cardboard box(es), play tent or tunnel

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SUMMER LEARNING SUMMER LEARNING FUN WEEKLY PLANSINFANT • GET MOVING

ACTIVITY Explore “stop” and “go.” Sing or play a song and hold your little one before you start the music, saying something like “Go. The music is starting.” When the song is over, stop dancing and say, “Stop. The music is over.”

LEARNING SKILLS Cognitive and Mathematics

Materials Music player

ACTIVITY Lie on the floor and encourage your little athlete to crawl over you like an obstacle course. Once he or she completes this, give him or her a big hug! You can always add another person to create an even more complex human obstacle course.

LEARNING SKILLS Gross Motor Skills

Materials Home items such as pillows or blocks

ACTIVITY Using a beach ball or exercise ball, deflate it slightly and place your baby on top of the ball, tummy-side down. Support your baby by holding his or her hips or thighs, and gently and carefully roll and rock your baby from front to back and side to side. With practice, your baby will strengthen his or her arms, legs, neck and tummy.

LEARNING SKILLS Gross Motor Skills

Materials Beach ball or exercise ball

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SUMMER LEARNING FUN WEEKLY PLANS

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GET MESSY

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SUMMER LEARNING SUMMER LEARNING FUN WEEKLY PLANSINFANT • GET MESSY

Get mESSYGet Messy is a section designed for your child to engage in sensory play. Sensory play allows learners to make sense of the world around them by taking in as much information as possible from an experience by using as many intake receptors as possible on their bodies. It allows information to absorb better and with more meaning.

ACTIVITY While outside with your baby, explore items with different textures that you would see on a sporting field such as grass, dirt and concrete. Allow your little one to touch and explore as you talk about which sport would be played on each type of field. If you have a ball to associate with your description, bring it out to deepen the learning.

LEARNING SKILLS Science and Nature

Materials Grass, dirt, concrete, sports balls (optional)

ACTIVITY Poke or punch some holes in the lid of an empty food or another type of recyclable container. Fill it with water and “make it rain” either in a small tub of water or during bath time.

LEARNING SKILLS Science and Nature

Materials Empty plastic container, needle or skewer, water

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SUMMER LEARNING SUMMER LEARNING FUN WEEKLY PLANSINFANT • GET MESSY

ACTIVITY Use an empty cardboard box and tape a piece of paper to the bottom. Use some small balls that are easily cleaned and dip them in paint. With your baby, shift the box from side to side, moving the balls around and observing what the paint does when the balls roll. Talk about the colors you are using and the motion of the balls.

LEARNING SKILLS Creativity and Discovery

Materials Small balls, paint, cardboard box, tape

ACTIVITY Blow bubbles for your child. Place the bubble wand near your child’s mouth and encourage him or her to blow a bubble. Say, “Blow bubbles” or “Blow a big bubble.”

LEARNING SKILLS Creativity and Discovery

Materials Bubbles

ACTIVITY Create mud pies with your little one by making some messy mud by combining soil and water. Use plastic containers to experiment with the mud.

LEARNING SKILLS Science and Nature

Materials Soil, water, bin, recycled containers, plastic kitchen utensils

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SUMMER LEARNING FUN WEEKLY PLANS

INFANT

GET FOCUSED

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SUMMER LEARNING SUMMER LEARNING FUN WEEKLY PLANSINFANT • GET FOCUSED

ACTIVITY Place a few balls in a plastic tub near your little one. Take the balls out one-by-one and hold them in front of your baby. Count them as you go. “One, two, three balls.” Roll them toward your baby and count again. “One, two, three balls.”

LEARNING SKILLS Cognitive and Mathematics

Materials Three balls, plastic tub

Get FocusedGet Focused is a time of day devoted to learning a specific skill. It is a time that is best for children to engage independently or with their parent to fully concentrate and build new skills through hands-on lessons.

ACTIVITY Secure adhesive paper to a flat surface, with the sticky side facing out. Place objects, such as balls, rattles or rings, on the sticky paper and have your little one explore cause and effect by pulling the objects off and sticking them back on the paper.

LEARNING SKILLS Science and Nature

Materials Adhesive paper, various small toys, tape

ACTIVITY Place your baby on the floor or a mat. Place bells near your infant’s feet and encourage him or her to kick the bells. Say, “You’re kicking your feet. Do you hear the bells jingle?”

LEARNING SKILLS Music and Movement

Materials Bells, rattles or noisemakers

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SUMMER LEARNING SUMMER LEARNING FUN WEEKLY PLANSINFANT • GET FOCUSED

ACTIVITY Decorate boxes of various sizes with colorful paper or finger paint. Make sure the boxes are large enough for your little one to push or pull. After decorating and drying the boxes, place items such as balls or hollow blocks inside the boxes. Encourage your baby to push the boxes or fit them within each other by pulling or pushing them.

LEARNING SKILLS Creativity and Discovery

Materials Boxes, colorful paper or finger paint

ACTIVITY Create a stack with soft blocks. Demonstrate and encourage your baby to roll a ball to knock over the blocks. Do this lots of times – babies love to knock down block stacks!

LEARNING SKILLS Cognitive and Mathematics

Materials Soft blocks, ball

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SUMMER LEARNING FUN WEEKLY PLANS

INFANT

GET OUTSIDE

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SUMMER LEARNING SUMMER LEARNING FUN WEEKLY PLANSINFANT • GET OUTSIDE

ACTIVITY Take a large blanket or outdoor pad for your baby to sit and lie on while listening to Where Is Baby’s Beach Ball? by Karen Katz as the story is being read.

LEARNING SKILLS Language and Literacy

Materials Book or read-aloud

Get OutsideGet Outside is a time of day designed to do just that—get outside and explore. Exploring offers children new ways to relate to their world and engage in physical activities and inquiry-based learning.

ACTIVITY Take a walk outside. This time, focus on things that are the same or different. For example, find two rocks along your journey, hold them, point them out and say, “These are the same – two rocks.” Then try it with a rock and a stick and say something like, “These are different – a rock and a stick.”

LEARNING SKILLS Science and Nature

Materials Natural objects

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SUMMER LEARNING SUMMER LEARNING FUN WEEKLY PLANSINFANT • GET OUTSIDE

ACTIVITY Sit right next to your little one with a box of sidewalk chalk and enjoy doodling all over your sidewalk next to your little artist. It doesn’t matter if he or she is old enough to help out yet. Your little artist will enjoy watching you create a colorful canvas outside!

LEARNING SKILLS Creativity and Discovery

Materials Sidewalk chalk

ACTIVITY Take your little one outside and place him or her on a blanket. Use yarn to securely tie wind chimes to a structure so the chimes are suspended about six inches from the ground. Encourage your baby to stretch to reach the wind chimes.

LEARNING SKILLS Science and Nature

Materials Wind chimes, string, post or anchor point

ACTIVITY Freeze some of your baby’s favorite toys; depending on the size of the toy, you can do this in a bowl, plastic water pitcher or cup. Take the frozen creations outside on a warm day and talk about what is inside the ice and how the ice is melting. If you want to speed the process up, a bit of warm water could be helpful.

LEARNING SKILLS Science and Nature

Materials Smaller toys that can be frozen, water, ice, bins or cups

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SUMMER LEARNING FUN WEEKLY PLANS

INFANT

GET RELAXED

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SUMMER LEARNING SUMMER LEARNING FUN WEEKLY PLANSINFANT • GET RELAXED

ACTIVITY Place a drop or two of food coloring in an empty water bottle; add water and a bit of cooking oil if you have it, although it’s not necessary. Play some relaxing music and slowly move the bottle for and with your relaxed little one.

LEARNING SKILLS Social-Emotional Learning

Materials Water bottle, food coloring, water, cooking oil (optional)

Get RElaxedGet Relaxed is a time of day to unwind and do something low-key. This allows your child to take a brain-break and rest their bodies so that they can enjoy more active play after they relax or take a rest.

ACTIVITY “Blow the candle out” to relax your little one. Simulate a candle with a flashlight, battery-operated votive or other small light. Turn it on and off, slowly, with a deep breath in and then a deep breath out, and on the breath out, turn off or “blow out” the candle. You can also do this by pretending your fingertip is a candle. Show your child how to gently blow on the tip of your finger as if he or she is blowing out a candle.

LEARNING SKILLS Social-Emotional Learning

Materials Small battery-operated light or candle

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SUMMER LEARNING SUMMER LEARNING FUN WEEKLY PLANSINFANT • GET RELAXED

ACTIVITY Sing your favorite lullaby to your little one and, while doing so, gently tap the rhythm or beat it out on the bottom of your baby’s feet while he or she is on his or her back.

LEARNING SKILLS Music and Movement

Materials N/A

ACTIVITY Get peaceful and relaxed with some special breathing. Sit nice and tall, breathe in through your nose for a count of five if you can and hold for three, then breathe out for a count of five and again hold for three. Try this a few times and see how you feel. You can do this while holding your little yogi close, and if you like you can close your eyes during the process.

LEARNING SKILLS Social-Emotional Learning

Materials N/A

ACTIVITY Lay your little one on a blanket or other soft surface. Take your baby’s legs and bend them gently so the knees come close to the stomach. Stretch the legs out again. Quietly sing this song to the tune of “London Bridge Is Falling Down.” Bend your knees and stretch your legs, stretch your legs, stretch your legs. Bend your knees and stretch your legs, I see a happy boy (girl).

LEARNING SKILLS Music and Movement

Materials Tune for reference

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SUMMER LEARNING FUN WEEKLY PLANS

INFANT

GET CREATIVE

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SUMMER LEARNING SUMMER LEARNING FUN WEEKLY PLANSINFANT • GET CREATIVE

ACTIVITY Collect various sizes of soft balls and place them in a basket on the floor. Place the basket within arm’s reach. Model and encourage your little one to put the balls in the basket, saying, “Ball in? Ball in basket.”

LEARNING SKILLS Cognitive and Mathematics

Materials Soft balls, basket

Get CreativeGet Creative is a time of day designed for your child to have open-ended experiences with a variety of mediums. By giving them opportunities to create with no specific outcome in mind it exercises their creative thinking skills allowing them to be better communicators and problem solvers.

ACTIVITY Try this “We Can” chant and encourage your little one to do the actions with you.

We can jump, jump, jump. We can hop, hop, hop. We can clap, clap, clap. We can stop, stop, stop. We can nod our heads for yes, We can shake our heads for no, We can bend our knees a tiny bit And sit down slow.

LEARNING SKILLS Gross Motor Skills

Materials Chant

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SUMMER LEARNING SUMMER LEARNING FUN WEEKLY PLANSINFANT • GET CREATIVE

ACTIVITY Give your baby soft balls with a rattle inside, balls that are easy to squish or balls that light up when touched. Encourage your little one to play with the balls. Say, “What’s that funny noise you are making when you squish the ball?”

LEARNING SKILLS Cognitive and Mathematics

Materials Soft balls, balls with a rattle, light-up balls

ACTIVITY At snack time, teach your little one to nod “yes” or “no” in response to wanting more food. Ask your baby, “Would you like more cheese?” Wait for a response and model by shaking your head and responding, “[Lily] says ‘No more cheese.’”

LEARNING SKILLS Language and Literacy

Materials Snack items

ACTIVITY Sit on the floor across from your little one. Roll a ball slowly toward your little one and say, “I’m rolling the ball slowly. Can you roll the ball slowly?” Acknowledge the speed of the ball as you roll it back and forth with your child.

LEARNING SKILLS Gross Motor Skills

Materials Ball

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SUMMER LEARNING FUN WEEKLY PLANS

INFANT

GET CONNECTED

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SUMMER LEARNING SUMMER LEARNING FUN WEEKLY PLANSINFANT • GET CONNECTED

ACTIVITY Place your baby close to you in your arms and swing him or her gently back and forth, then bring the infant close to you for snuggle time. While doing this, sing “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” softly to your little baseballer.

LEARNING SKILLS Social-Emotional Learning

Materials Song for reference

Get ConnectedGet Connected is a time of day to connect with family members or loved ones in a variety of ways. Social and emotional connections are imperative to all learning. If a child does not feel secure and connected, they cannot engage appropriately and cannot learn effectively. So, have fun with these ideas for both virtual and personal connections!

ACTIVITY Sing this song to the tune of “I’m a Little Teapot” and point to your face while showing the emotion. Try this one with a loved one over video chat! I have a happy face, Just watch me grin. I have a great big smile from my forehead to my chin. When I’m upset and things are bad, Then my happy face turns to sad.

LEARNING SKILLS Music and Movement

Materials Lyrics and song for reference, video-chat device

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SUMMER LEARNING SUMMER LEARNING FUN WEEKLY PLANSINFANT • GET CONNECTED

ACTIVITY Bounce your baby on your knees as you say this chant. Holding him or her securely, let your child “slip” partway between your legs when you say “Kerplop!” Down by the banks of the hanky panky Where the bullfrogs jump from bank to banky, They went oops, opps, belly flops One missed the lily pad and went...kerplop!

LEARNING SKILLS Music and Movement

Materials Chant

ACTIVITY When talking to your baby today, try repeating his or her sounds and following his or her intonations. Parent-ese, also known as baby talk, is delivered with a cooing pattern of intonation, different from standard adult speech. It is high in pitch, with many variations. Use baby talk when speaking your little one.

LEARNING SKILLS Language and Literacy

Materials N/A

ACTIVITY As you video chat with family members, help foster a strong, trusting relationship. Encourage your baby to raise his or her head at the sound of the familiar family member’s voice. Say, “[Matthew], I see you.Can you look at me? You did it!”

LEARNING SKILLS Social-Emotional Learning

Materials Video-chat device