Activities

Create a boat out of a laundry basket in. Have the children use it to act out a voyage across the ocean similar to Max in Where the Wild Things Are.

Provide each child with logos of several local businesses. Make sure the logos cover specific kinds of merchandise such as fast food, car accessories or pet supplies. Try to avoid logos from “big box” stores that sell a wide variety of merchandise.

Demonstrate directionality using a stuffed animal such as a bunny. Place it in various places in relation to a child such as next to, behind, or in front of. Say the words as you move the bunny. "The bunny is next to Avery.

Demonstrate directionality using a stuffed animal such as a bunny. Place it in various places in relation to a child such as next to, behind, or in front of. Say the words as you move the bunny. “The bunny is next to Avery.

Sit while holding the infant in your arms. Create a bumble-bee finger puppet to fly around the infant as you make a buzzing sound. Tie a short length of wired ribbon around your finger and pull the ends apart to resemble wings.

Sit while holding the infant in your arms. Hold your finger in the air and make a buzzing sound. Move your finger around as you buzz. The infant's eyes will follow the "bee." Land the "bee" on the infant with a slight tickle. Repeat many times.

Sit while holding the infant in your arms. Hold your finger in the air and make a buzzing sound. Move your finger around as you buzz. The infant's eyes will follow the “bee.” Land the “bee” on the infant with a slight tickle. Repeat many times.

Use a small, stuffed bunny and a scarf. Put the bunny under the scarf, and pull the scarf off as you say, “Where did the bunny go?” then, “Here it is.

Use a small, stuffed bunny and a scarf. Put the bunny under the scarf, and pull the scarf off as you say, "Where did the bunny go?" then, "Here it is.

Beginning at about six months, infants can begin pointing to familiar objects.

Hide the infant's toes with a blanket as you sing “Where, Oh, Where?” to the tune of “Pawpaw Patch”:
Where, oh, where are Alex's toes?

Where, oh, where are Alex's toes?

Where, oh, where are Alex's toes?

Add new/different food items to the dramatic play area. Ask the children if they recognize any of the new foods. Name the foods for the children and pretend to eat them, telling the children how yummy the food is.

Place cups of assorted sizes in the water table. Encourage the children to fill cups with varying amounts of water and pour water from one cup to the other. Talk with the children about which cups have "more" and which have "less.

Write numerals, in order, on the bottom of muffin tins and again on the inside. A one-dozen tin will be numbered 1–12.

Provide blocks with numerals in the block center, and encourage the children to place them in order. Once they are in order, remove a block and ask which numeral block is missing.

Choose two food items, such as a saltine cracker and a banana. Have the children guess which one will be salty.

Provide two or more examples of art, such as Andy Warhol's “Campbell's Soup” and Vincent Van Gogh's “Sunflowers.” Ask the children which one they prefer and why.

Show three “consonant-vowel-consonant” words with a picture, such as cat, log and dog. Ask the children, “Two of these words rhyme, one does not rhyme. Can you tell me which one does not rhyme with the others?” This could be done in large group.

Read the book Do You Know Which One Will Grow? by Susan Shea and Tom Slaughter. Ask the children to compare the living and nonliving things in the book. Reread and have them give a thumbs up to the "Yes to..." items.

Give the children two choices during a specific activity throughout the day. Say, "Would you like a blue one or a green one," or "Do you want a book or a truck?" Have them select one.