Demonstrate panting like a dog. Encourage your child to pant like a dog with you. Explain that this type of breathing brings air down into our lungs to help improve thinking and bring a calm feeling.
Gather an empty box and a stuffed dog (another animal can be substituted for the dog). The box is the dog鈥檚 house. Ask your child to place the dog in various locations in relation to the doghouse, such as behind, in front of, over, under, inside and outside.
Play a hiding game with the dog. Hide the dog and provide clues for your child to find it using location words. 鈥淭he dog is behind the couch.鈥� Or they can search for the hidden toy and then tell you where they found it using location words. Give them the chance to be the one hiding the dog, too.
Help your child practice their listening skills by playing 鈥淭rainer Says鈥�. This is played like 鈥淪imon Says鈥�. When you say, 鈥淭rainer says pant like a puppy,鈥� your child would pant. If you say, 鈥淧ant like a puppy鈥�, your child would not pant because you didn鈥檛 say 鈥淭rainer says,鈥� first. Continue playing asking your child to do different dog tricks.
Have your child pretend to be a dog (or another pet) that has gotten away from its owner. You are the owner and chase after your 鈥渄og鈥�. After a few chases, have the dog chase the owner.
Look outside with your child for a potato-sized rock(s). Invite your child to decorate their rock using paint and a paintbrush (crayons will work if you don鈥檛 have paint). Glue on googly eyes, if you have them, or draw and cut eyes from paper and glue on with white glue. Voila! You have a pet rock. Your child could also make their pet rock a home or bed, give it a name and feed it.
- Here is another virtual field trip site to check out. You will find links to art museums, zoos, aquariums and some famous sites around the world.
- This website offers a wide variety of free educational games for Pre-K through grade 6 children.