The post 10 Tips to Help Babies and Toddlers Happily Play appeared first on Character Ink.

In another Mama Monday Live Video (see Donna Daily post here for all of the Donna Daily broadcast updates), I tackled an important subject in parenting—Majoring on the Majors. Of course, raising seven kids (and having kids “at home” for 35 years!), we have a lot of “real life” examples of everything we teach. And this topic is no exception with our rather humorous (but true life!) story of how our “little boys” came up with the “Ten Second Rule for Food on the Ceiling”!

If you find yourself barking orders to kids for every move they make—and you’re not really feeling like you are getting to the important stuff—you might be right. I hope this video helps!

Love and hope,
Donna

 

Mama Monday: 10 Second Rule for Food on Ceiling—Majoring on the Majors With Behaviors

A. 10 Second Rule for Food on Ceiling

 

 

1. Pizza crust on ceiling
2. What type of behavior is this?

B. Major on the Majors With Behaviors

 

1. We tend to treat all behaviors equally– But are they?

a. Detrimental because kids think everything is the same!
b. We are not showing them the weightiness of 4 D’s when pizza crust on the ceiling is the same weight as lying, cheating, being disrespectful, etc.

2. Childish behaviors

a. Excited children
b. Kids not understanding cause and effect
c. Forgetfulness, incompleteness, messiness, laziness, etc.

3. 4 D Behaviors Disobedience (4 D’s Video 1 and 2: https://characterinkblog.com/video-the-four-ds-of-behavior-poster-pack/\)

a. Disobedience

i. Direct disobedience (as opposed to forgetting or skipping something)
ii. One of the first behaviors to focus on with young children for their safety and wellness

b. Disrespect

i. Disrespectful words, attitudes, and responses
ii. Way more important than pizza crust on the ceiling

c. Deceit

i. Any dishonesty, stealing
ii. Don’t candy coat it with euphemisms—fibs, white lies. Etc.

d. Destruction (purposeful destruction)

i. Not accidents
ii. Purposely destroying or breaking things
iii. Striking/harming another

 

C. Tips for Majoring on Majors

 

1. Don’t say no unless you’ll go https://characterinkblog.com/dont-say-no-unless-youll-go/ 

a. Stop saying something if you will not follow through on it (especially with toddlers and preschoolers)
b. If you’re not moving from your chair, it’s not important enough to call it out

2. Use character training/consequences for routine behaviors—don’t “ground them forever for not doing dishes”—that should be used for 4 D’s

a. Consequence Pies—available HERE at the store
b. Routine misbehaviors like not following through, not staying on schedule, not doing the chore chart, forgetting, etc., should be handled with training and consequences

3. Teach your littles what obedience really is (Obedience Math Posters https://characterinkstore.com/product/obedience-math-printable-poster-pack/)

a. Article: https://characterinkblog.com/day-eighty-six-obedience-math-childishness-versus-willfulness-part-ii-of-iv/ 
b. Consider age of child and repeat, repeat, repeat!

4. When you want to work on direct obedience, make your commands direct too!

a. Eye contact
b. Explanation
c. Response

5. Make systems, routines, and schedules for anything that is repeatable/routine

a. Kids will know what to expect
b. You will need to train and follow up forever

6. Stop making big deals out of little deals!
7. Use Expectation Explanations to set things up for their behaviors (first Donna Daily/Mama Monday video: https://characterinkblog.com/using-expectation-explanations-in-your-parenting-live-video-training/)

The post Mama Monday: 10 Second Rule for Food on Ceiling—Majoring on the Majors With Behaviors appeared first on Character Ink.

“I would be most content if my children grew up to be the kind of people who think decorating consists mostly of building enough bookshelves.” ~Anna Quindlen, “Enough Bookshelves”

During my graduate studies (in Reading Specialist) at Ball State University, I did a master’s thesis about children who learn to read without any reading instruction. That is, the kids just suddenly started reading books without ever having phonics lessons, basal readers, or other “formal instruction.” It was a challenging thesis simply because there is so little data about it because of our “early school attendance age.” Seldom does a child learn to read “naturally” before age six or seven, and with kids going to school at age five (and often beginning reading instruction in kindergarten), the research was sparse concerning these “instruction-less” readers.

I did find enough, however, and I was also blessed to find a family who had a natural reader to compare the printed data with. My observations, coupled with the studies in teaching journals, etc., led me to find what I called the “environment” in which natural readers are raised. This led me to other lines of thinking—if a child can learn to read with absolutely no instruction in a literary-saturated environment, wouldn’t this environment be conducive to helping those who DO receive instruction learn to read better, more easily, and more naturally?

The answer, of course, was yes. Study after study shows the type of environment that causes kids to learn better. Duplicating the “natural reader’s” environment can only help our kids learn better. Maybe our creating this “literary atmosphere” will not automatically make our six year old pick up a book and begin reading, but if it makes the learning process (actually any/all learning processes) easier, more enjoyable, and less stressful, why wouldn’t we want to duplicate it in our homes for all of our kids?

So what were the commonalities I found in studying the environment of “natural readers”?

Common Characteristics of Natural Readers

1. Interaction with adults—these kids were with adults a lot—and definitely not around peers more than adults. They had adults on hand to discuss things with, to answer their questions, and to provide examples of proper speech patterns, etc.

2. Much book handling by the child—these children were surrounded with books that they were permitted to interact with. They were often found at very young ages with stacks of books around them, just looking at the pictures, making stories in their minds from the pictures, etc.

3. Print abounds and interest in print is evident by itself—not only did the homes of natural readers contain books themselves, but they also contained all type of print. The parents of these children read magazines, journals, newspapers, etc. I think the “interest in print” part probably began with something like a parent saying, “Honey, look at this whale they found beached on the coast of Florida,” as he or she brought the little one up on to her lap to see the picture that was provided with the article in today’s newspaper, etc. This type of activity causes a child to become interested in print.

4. Audios and books are used—This is the reason why I began using book and tape sets a few times a week for my preschoolers and elementary children—and why we have used audios (talking books, radio dramas, etc.) every week of our lives since our oldest was one year old. Audios and books show our children the benefits and “fun” that reading provides.

5. Memorization takes place—these natural readers often followed a certain pattern—they memorized a picture book (usually many), then through the memorization, they began making print-sound-word connections. That is, when they turned the page and recited, “If you give a mouse a cookie,” they began to understand that i-f says if and y-o-u says you. Natural readers were experts at memorizing large portions of text.

6. Interest in writing words and “language experience” activities—many years ago, there was a movement in education to replace phonics instruction with “language experience” activities (also called a “whole language approach”). Phonics proponents everywhere were up in arms at the thought of “activities” of writing what the child said (dictation) for him, making little homemade books, etc. taking the place of phonics instruction. While I am a strong phonics proponent, I believe that these “language experiences” and “whole language” activities augment reading instruction greatly. And, of course, the natural readers in the research were exposed to these types of activities early and often. These kids were the ones who dictated thank-you notes to Mom to go to grandparents and colored a picture to send along with it; they were the ones who had a chalk board in the kitchen in which Mom or Dad wrote the day of the week each morning; they were those who “said” stories aloud and parents copied it in little “journal” books for the child. And on and on. Why wouldn’t these types of experiences and activities increase a child’s relationship with print and love for learning?

7. Experiences related to literacy and books—these obviously include the types of activities listed in number six, but these kids knew from birth that books and reading were important. They were the ones in a double stroller at the library lawn sale as toddlers—child in front seat with back seat full of picture books. They were the ones who had their own “book basket” in the corner of the nursery almost from birth. In other words, they were immersed in literacy and books from an early age.

8. Self-regulated behavior and risk taking—This characteristic related to how they “organize” their little lives. These kids would pull all of the Curious George books off the shelf and stack them up to look at after lunch. They often had little learning systems in place at ages four and five. And they were not afraid to be wrong. This, of course, stems from not being talked down to or made fun of when they did ask questions. These kids were risk takers because taking risks in learning (“Mommy, is this word (dapper) ‘Daddy’?”) yielded information that helped them in their quest to learn. The questions did not yield put downs or “you should already know this.”

9. Read to often—Obviously, a link has to be made from the squiggles on the page to the sounds that those squiggles make in order for a young child to teach himself to read. Thus, a child must be read to (or follow along with books and tapes) in order to learn to read without formal instruction. Now, this is not to say that a child who is read to will automatically learn to read early and on his own. I read aloud to our first three kids three to five hours everyday for years and years—and not one of the three was a natural, or early, reader! But it certainly created a love for print and learning in my children!

Children who learn to read naturally, without reading instruction, are raised in an environment that is conducive to learning to read naturally—an environment that creates a love for learning and a very perceived need to learn.

While I have never had a natural reader myself, I tried all throughout my children’s learning days to create this type of environment. It has created outstanding learners and avid readers in the Reish home.

One of the “rules” that Ray and I had for our children’s early education was that if something could be taught informally (and painlessly), we would teach it that way (as opposed to using workbooks or “curriculum” for something that can just as easily be learned while driving down the road or snuggling on the sofa).

That is one thing that I truly loved about the “natural reader learning environment.” Why get a workbook to teach capital letters when you can teach them while you are running errands (from all of the store signs)? Why get a program for rhyming words when nursery rhymes, silly songs, and I spy games on the road can do the job without the stress? The “natural reader learning environment” fit how we thought young children should be taught—regardless of whether our kids truly became natural readers or not.

Here are just a few of the skills that the research on natural readers indicated are learned/enjoyed by kids in this environment:

1. Contact with print

2. Thinking skills

3. Comprehension (especially when a wide variety of materials is presented and discussion follows)

4. Expanded vocabulary

5. Enunciation and pronunciation

6. Love of and need for reading

7. Sentence patterns

8. Relationship between parent and child—the most important one of all, of course!

Create a “natural reader learning environment” in your home—regardless of your kids’ ages….and watch the interaction with print increase; the love for learning grow; and the positive relationships bloom.

Whether you have a five year old who taught herself to read or an eight year old still struggling with primers, I encourage you to create a reading environment–and build life-long readers and learners! Blessings on your teaching and children!

The post Back to School Tip III of XII: Create Reading Environment appeared first on Character Ink.

Heading towards retirement and with a job change in his immediate future, Ray is leaning towards fulfilling a long-time request of us by homeschooling families: Starting a “school” in our home (as an extension of your homeschool) that takes 3.5 hours a day to do all academic teaching and instruction.

Please read on if you….

~Want your kids home with the family flexibility of homeschooling but are overwhelmed with all of the daily teaching, record keeping, grading, and prodding (smile…)

~Love the flexibility and freedom for afternoon homeschool activities but need to do other things (i.e. toddlers and preschoolers, work, caring for aging parents, home business, etc.) during the mornings

~Wish you could have all of the benefits of homeschooling without being the “bad guy” to make your students complete all of their work each day

~Desire to have someone who has homeschooled for 32 years and has taught/overseen subjects for over 2,000 students do the academics of homeschooling for you

~Want to have your students led, taught, and kept accountable by a wise, godly man who has already done this successfully with his own seven children

Character Ink Half-Day Homeschool Will Offer the Following:

1. Small group classes, block teaching, daily class meetings, one-on-one tutoring, and independent studies all in our home four mornings a week (Tuesday-Friday 8:30-12:00)
2. Responsible for teaching, assigning, overseeing, grading, and record keeping for ALL academic subjects for 2nd-12th grade students 
3. 180 days of instruction (and record keeping and accountability) (e-learning will be utilized for inclement weather)
4. Daily lesson plans, checksheets, and accountability (that Mr. Ray checks–not you!)
5. Curriculum found and laid out for each subject (in the form of daily checksheets)
6. Math, language arts, and reading  taught by/planned by specialists in these areas (All academics will be covered in various tutoring sessions, block teaching, independent learning, etc.)
7. Grading sheets every 9 weeks for all high school subjects and major subjects for 2nd-8th grades
8. Thorough, safe, and fun environment to learn

Schedule

Academic Year

Tentatively 2nd week of August through the end of May with Christmas and spring breaks (will work around already-scheduled trips for families enrolling)

Monday

-Junior High through High Schoolers take up to two classes at First Assembly in FW from CI teachers as part of Half Day tuition and book fees (See example at end for what this could look like.)

-More than two classes at First Assembly will be billed separately

-Elementary students may take middle school speech and science at First Assembly or will work at home on Mondays (See complete Character Ink Cottage Class Schedule.)

Tuesday-Friday

-8:30-12:00 at Reishes’ home in SW Fort Wayne

Monthly

Student 1-1 review meetings with Ray 12:00-12:30 (alternating students)

Parents’ Responsibilities

1) Have students in class daily on time (Tuesday-Friday mornings)

2) Provide time in afternoon or evening for older students to complete a subject or two if needed

3) Read daily with elementary students (in addition to their daily reading lessons here)

4) Provide a final transcript for your student from your own private school (We will help with this.)

5) Send morning snack and drink with your student (lunch time will not be included in the schedule since we will release at noon).

6) Pay monthly tuition the first week of each month.

7) Pay for curriculum (consumables, book rentals, and lab fees) up to $400 per year per student upon enrollment.

SAMPLE Breakdowns With Monday or Tuesday Cottage Classes

Elementary– Home on Mondays; all academics taught in blocks, daily meetings, and independent study on Tuesday through Friday mornings

Middle School– Middle school speech and Junior High Science at First Assembly on Mondays and followed up each day; remaining academics taught in blocks, daily meetings, and independent study on Tuesday through Friday mornings (See newest Monday class schedule here!)

High School– Science (biology, chemistry, or physics) and Spanish at First Assembly on Mondays and followed up each day; remaining academics taught in blocks, daily meetings, and independent study on Tuesday through Friday mornings

If this interests you, please call ASAP to discuss as we are looking for immediate feedback–fall school will be here soon!

Sincerely,

Ray Reish

Character Ink

260-450-7063

The post Character Ink Announces Its NEW “Half-Day Homeschool” appeared first on Character Ink.

Earlier I introduced Gregg Harris’ “attachment” principle for doing the many things that are important in our kids’ Christian upbringing. (Read Attaching Important Things To Your Schedule here.)

Today I want to introduce another paradigm that has kept us going in all of the myriad Christian training endeavors: If something is important to you, you will do it more often than you do not.

Simple, really. But it has kept us going when we felt defeated, overwhelmed, or unsuccessful in our parenting. No matter what was happening, we tried to follow that principle. When one of us got discouraged, the other would remind the first that we were, indeed, doing what we were supposed to be doing.

I haven’t done afternoon story time for two days in a row with Kara’s colic. Ray’s answer? All that matters is that you do it more often than you don’t. And I knew that it was true. I am not perfect. Managing a houseful of preschoolers certainly made perfection on a daily basis out of the question!

However, I knew in my heart of hearts what I wanted our home to be. I knew what I wanted my day to look like (and what it needed to look like in order to accomplish all that we wanted to accomplish).

We knew what we wanted in our children’s Christian upbringing. And we knew that as long as we persevered and did those important things “more often than not,” we could make it.

Make that your goal for new disciplines in your family—that if you plan to do devotions every school morning during breakfast, and you make it three of the five—you have done it “more often than not.”

If you want to read aloud to your tweens before bed during the week, and you read three out of the five weeknight bedtimes, you have done it—“more often than not.” And you are well on your way to success in carrying out the things that are important to you in your Christian parenting.

Raising children for the Lord is not a sprint. It is a marathon, or if you are married, a life-long relay. Running fast and hard at the beginning is not what will get you to the finish line. Slow and steady is what will get you there. And reading, praying, singing, talking, choring, playing, teaching, training, etc. “more often than not” will help you cross that finish line someday knowing that have done what you were supposed to do—without regrets for all of the “priorities” that never truly were priorities but just unfulfilled wishes.

How could the “more often than not” principle help you in your parenting? Would it bring freedom? Could it bring more consistency than you get with trying for perfection?

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The post More Often Than Not—The Secret to Consistency Without Defeat appeared first on Character Ink.

So….if you are serious about helping your toddlers and preschoolers love books, learning, simple things, routine, and more, check out the links below!

Wondering Wednesday Video—“Creating a Love for Learning in Littles”

In this video, Donna gives specific tips on book baskets, activity tubs, reducing technology (and using it well), and more.

Room Time Activities Resource List

In this document, Donna details great products to use with toddlers and preschoolers—for Room Time activities and for to you do with your littles.

Timberdoodle

Great place to get age-appropriate “school kits.” Don’t let the homeschool kits aspect scare you. These are amazing kits of the best of the best put together for toddlers and preschoolers!

Creating a Love for Learning in Your Home

In this audio, Donna talks about love for learning in older children.

Turning High Need Preschoolers Into Darling Angels

In this audio, Donna talks about common preschool behavior problems and ways to handle them.

Preparing Your Preschooler to Learn to Read

In this audio, Donna teaches some strategies and habits that will help preschoolers be prepared to learn to read when the time comes.

Tips for Avoiding the Terrible Twos

In this video, Donna talks about strategies to use with your pre-two year old to avoid those “terrible twos” that people always talk about.

What to Do With a Wonderful One Year Old

In this audio series (two part), Donna talks about the amazing days of one year olds.

Jonathan’s Journal Blog Series

In this blog series, Donna uses her unpublished children’s book, Jonathan’s Journal, to detail a wonderful day it the life of a preschooler—teaching parents every hour of the day!
 

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The post Littles Love Learning appeared first on Character Ink.

The scene was a common one for this “young mama” (then!) of five children ten and under (so far!): I worked my tail off all day long and still felt like a complete failure. My husband came home from a typical twelve hour day to my cries of “I didn’t get anything done today that I needed to do” and “I just don’t understand why I can’t get more done as long as the day is and as hard as I work.”

And once again, he answered with sweet words that pointed me to prioritizing, something that I was still in the process of learning: “Did you rock and feed the baby?” I nodded yes.

“Did you do Bible time this morning?” I nodded yes.

“Did you do read aloud time?” I nodded yes.

“Did you do story time with the littles?” I nodded yes.

“Did you speak words of encouragement to the kids?” I nodded yes.

“Did you make sure everyone did their morning routines and chore sessions?” I nodded yes. (He knew my schedule well!)

“Then you got everything done that you really needed to! You got the PRIORITIES done.” ….And off he went to finish dinner and clean the kitchen.

And somehow, I was encouraged. I was encouraged through completing my priorities.

We had always talked about our priorities. We had agreed on them. We had mechanisms and routines in place to be sure we got to them.

Yet, the grandeur, non-daily, and sometimes exciting eluded me (and oftentimes, some of the dailies still eluded me!).

It would be a couple more years until I grasped the joy of fulfilling my daily priorities. And many more years until I understood that the quote by Aristotle is absolutely, positively true: “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.”’

(Find out how that happened for me in this productivity video)

It’s funny because today, after thirty-two years of homeschooling and now two years of empty nesting, some of my greatest joys come in prioritizing and fulfilling my priorities each day—my dailies first then the “grandeur, non-daily, and exciting”!

So how can you (1) Determine your priorities and do them? AND (2) Find encouragement through doing them?

There is something amazing about sitting down (with spouse, if possible) and writing out your true priorities for the year or the month or the week. And then writing the actions that it will take to make those priorities happen.

But there is something magical about following through on those things during that year, month, or week. Being able to look back and see that you really did the things that you have pre-determined are true priorities is the ultimate encouragement for homeschooling parents.

I know this isn’t the typical “outside encouragement” from a motivating article or moving speaker. (I love those too!)

But I also know that nothing felt as good or brought me as much encouragement as prioritizing and following through on my priorities did. And I so want this for young homeschooling moms.

Of course, it doesn’t just give you encouragement…you are heading towards big goals when you prioritize and follow through. Your preschoolers will learn to obey and sit still and be kind. Your new readers will be reading fluently before you know it. Your pre-teens will become independent with their daily school lists. Your teens will follow through on their assignments.

And you will be encouraged.

So encouraged.

So….some prioritizing and encouragement tips!

1) Prioritize your day.

Put the most important things first. And do those before you do anything else. Only put the things in your schedule for the first part of the day that truly need done every single day.

2) Make a List of Priorities for the Month and Attach Actions to It That Will Help You Fulfill the Priorities

We say something is a priority. A lot. However, we have to understand that a priority is only a priority if we do it. Otherwise, it is a wish or a dream. Many times we are unsuccessful in carrying out our priorities because we have vague, dreamy ideas of what they should be—but we don’t put real actions with them to be sure we DO them.

Priorities are what we do. If you were to pull out your virtual calendar, daytimer, or daily to do lists, anyone could read them and give you a list of your priorities. You might argue about their observations. You might say, “No, that thing is not my priority. My priority is this….” Something loftier, more noble, or more similar to what you would like your priorities to be. However, if we do not do something consistently it is not a priority because priorities are what we do. (Read 5 Influences to Determine Your Priorities)

3) Put the Actions That Help You Meet the Priorities in Your Daily Schedule—and Don’t Do Anything Else Until You’ve Done These

If Priorities Are What We Do, it follows that they are ACTIONS. Therefore, in order to meet priorities, we must DO something. Once my husband and I determined our priorities, we made action lists and put them into the daily, weekly, and monthly schedule. If these are our priorities, they should come ahead of everything else.

I know these steps sound simplistic. But there is nothing simple about following through on priorities. Tyranny of the urgent takes over. Messy diapers and boiling oatmeal take over. Our own lack of diligence takes over sometimes.

But I know through my life, prioritizing and following through on my priorities have gotten me where I wanted to go in graduating seven kids from homeschooling and maintaining an amazing marriage.

Blessings and encouragement to you—as you seek to prioritize!

I’ll leave you with some other articles, videos, and podcasts to help you learn to prioritize even more—and encourage yourself in the process:

1) Podcast: Overcoming Obstacles in Parenting

2) Podcast: Foundations for Becoming an Efficiency Expert in Your Home

3) Video: How to Prioritize

The post Finding Encouragement Through Prioritizing appeared first on Character Ink.

It has recently come to my attention that newer readers are not aware of the dozens of free audios and videos that I have at the Character Ink blog! One reader recently told me that she cleaned her entire basement for a weekend while listening to podcasts and videos after she discovered them! So I thought I would re-introduce some of them in the coming months—along with other related posts and products. So let’s start with Story Time—one of my favorite times of the day for twenty-five years! If you have always longed to do a story time in your school day, but you haven’t figured out how to work it with several children, different ages and tastes, busy schedules, etc., this post is the one for you!

Story time (along with having spent every day with my kids for over thirty years) is one of my best accomplishments in life. Seriously. Do you know the dedication and persistence it takes to read aloud to kids for two hours (at least) nearly every day for three decades? But I made it! And I have well-educated, book-loving children and warm memories to prove it! 🙂

First, the podcast! This was one of my very first podcasts, so bear with me as I was learning the tech (and trying to keep it under time limits!).

Secondly, for those who are not listeners but would rather read tips and tricks, here’s a blog post I wrote answering common story time questions:

Third, I have a Q and A post based on a young momma’s questions about story time with very young children. It can be done! And once you start, your kids will love it so much you will wonder why you didn’t work harder on making it happen earlier!

Lastly, I have four readers that you and your children might enjoy. Three of them are beginning readers with children’s text on one page and parent text on the other. The perfect reward trio for when your child reads the children’s part to you—then Mom or Dad reads the “older text” to the child! The fourth reader is a beginning chapter book. All four are about the loveable characters from The Jungle Book.

Read a Chapter, Mowgli!

https://characterinkstore.com/product/sound-it-out-baloo-reader/

https://characterinkstore.com/product/sound-it-out-brother-wolf-reader/

https://characterinkstore.com/product/sound-it-out-mowgli-reader/

Love and hope,

P.S. What are your read aloud struggles? How can I help you incorporate this amazing time in your school days?

The post Storytime Round Up! appeared first on Character Ink.

Welcome to Wondering Wednesday, a podcast by Donna Reish where she answers readers’ questions about homeschooling, home management, child training, and more!  Have a question for Donna?  Email her at characterinklady@gmail.com.

 

Click on the pictures below to go to the podcasts you want to listen to, or click here to see a list and listen to all of the podcasts right here on this page 🙂

 

Subscribe to our Podcasts in iTunes!

 

Click on the podcast you want to listen to below.  A free printable handout will pop up after a few seconds into the podcast.

 

 

 

 

The post Podcasts appeared first on Character Ink.

Filling an entire day with activities and fun and learning and peace and rest and nutrition and, and, and for toddlers and preschoolers can be a bit overwhelming.

This is, in large part, why I recommend having Room Time for these kids. I talk about that extensively in this post, podcast, and link round up.

Regardless of whether you choose to have a Room Time for your littles each day (or a story time or a Bible Time or an Activity Time or a Preschool Time or any other time!), I recommend that you have an arsenal of activities and fun that you pull out for them—toys and activities that are not available all the time but that you get out for them to do as a “special.”

And I have just the list for this time! My Toddler and Preschool Activities list. It is a freebie to friends of Character Ink (that’s you!), and it goes a long way in providing educational, focusing, fun, and boredom busting times for these sweet littles.

I recommend that you pin this list and use it for Christmas and birthday lists for grandparents, garage sale and thrift store shopping trips, and more.

Put these activities and toys in tubs, bins, or baskets up on high shelves and make a big deal out of them when you use them.

Play with your kids! They will learn so much from the interaction that you have with them as you use these toys and activities.

Get your free Toddler and Preschool Activities List here!

Question: What are your favorite activities for this age group? And how do you utilize that activity?

The post Toddler & Preschool Activities List appeared first on Character Ink.