[soImarriedAnerd]

London LOVES this! (so I thought I would share) Adjust for age.



Stringing big 'beads'
Use a short rope or thin scarf. Tie an ice lolly stick or another short rounded stick to one end so it will stop the objects. Sticky tape wrapped around the other end, stops fraying and helps to thread the rope or string through holes.
Show your toddler how to thread cardboard tubes sliced into rings or large wooden curtain rings on them. After practice with this home made toy, an older toddler can thread large beads or pasta tubes on string.


----I use a string with a fat/dull needle (3inches) tied to the end. On the other end of the string I tied wooden peg on it (so it blocks the beads from falling off). Then I found some cheapo beads at the craft store. So london puts the needle through the beads. Great for development and easy to travel with!
I think we may be good enough by Christmas to make our own hanging strings on the tree!

Thermal Blanket
you know those emergency aluminum blankets they sell at REI and stuff. Babies love to crawl and flip and cruise on them! They are shiny and make cool noises! For walkers take some tacky paper (like you line drawers with) and tape to the floor sticky side up! Its a cool feeling and funny noise to run/walk on it!

Matching fabric square games
These home made toys can turn fabric cuts offs from projects and old clothes or rags into educational resources your little one. Textured squares also make excellent toys for blind children.
Collect different types of fabric. Cut out small squares with pinking shears. If you don't have pinking shears, sew the edges so they don't fray. Make sure you cut two squares from each fabric so your toddler can match them up.
There are several games you can make using fabric squares. This may depend on the material you have.

• Colour matching
  1. Start off with two or three pairs of squares then gradually add more
  2. After mastering this game an older toddler could match two different shades of the same colour.
• Matching by sense of touch
  1. Choose one colour that you can find lots of different textured fabric in (e.g. white). And make two squares of each fabric.
  2. Introduce this activity by giving your toddler 4 pieces. (2 pairs of contrasting textures.)
  3. Encourage you child to stroke the pieces to feel the difference in texture.
  4. Ask your toddler to make pairs that feel the same.
  5. Gradually increase the amount of pairs.

[Mars]

Great game ideas!! I've done the first one and Amara does it at preschool too.

I've never done the second or third but I'm gamed for the third. I think it'll be fun since Miss Amara loves puzzles and putting things together.

[LisanAndy]

Great ideas

[**Jenn**]

We do the bead one all the time. When I worked as an early intervention teacher the set was always in my bag so I've had it for a while now. It never gets old and all the kids love it! I use a thick shoelace and big different colors/shaped beads.

Not really a game but we have "proud and happy" posters for the boys. Every time they do something good--good sharing, eating all their food, picking up their toys, playing nicely, etc. they get to put a sticker on their poster and I write down what it was for next to it. We have them hanging in the family room so they can see them all the time. It builds their self esteem, promotes positive discipline, and so they see all the good things they've done and it helps me on those hard days see all the good things about them too. It was great when we were potty training Lochy last year too!