This week was our first themed week with a few activities related to our theme sprinkled throughout the day. I chose learning about babies as our first theme because we were getting ready to start babysitting a little boy twice a week. I wanted to provide Carter with opportunities that would prepare him for the baby. I wanted him to be ready to share his toys, his momma, and even be a helper. That's a tall order, but I know it will happen over time and it will be great practice for him plus the little boy will be a good playmate! I'm going to share the activities we did throughout the week, highlighting what area they fit into: field trip/interactive experience, crafts, songs, make believe, movement, and special snack. I will also share our book list for themed-related reading throughout the week. Our week culminated with Jake's first day staying with us.
Carter thought his baby doll needed a friend!
Listed below are the objectives I am focusing on for the themed weeks. The highlighted objectives are ones Carter received exposure to during our theme this week:
Know the names of and be able to point out body parts.
Know names of objects and be able to point to them when asked.
Sort objects based on size or color/Match like objects together, for example match a circle with a circle.
Play make believe.
Speak in short phrases and 2-4 word sentences. (He's done some 2 word sentences already!)
Follow simple instructions.
We started the week off by introducing a new baby doll to Carter. We chose it because it was more the appropriate size and had a more life-like face. We then used the baby for the following activities and experiences.
Activities/Movement:
Carter practiced gentle touches as well as yes and no places to touch the baby. When Carter got too rough with the baby doll I would play a baby crying sound effect on my phone and pick the baby doll up to console her. He was pretty darn skeptical and got distracted trying to figure out what was producing the crying because he knew it wasn't the baby doll so I stopped doing it after the initial test. We also talked about why babies cry. With an older child you could even make an anchor chart titled "Reasons Why Babies Cry" and I was tempted to even though there would be no point as Carter can't read. I thought about making one with pictures, but even then it would be lost on him!
Baby Crying Sound Effect:
We pulled out Carter's old baby clothes and I showed them to him. I let him pick out an outfit for his baby doll, but once we had it all dressed he wanted the original outfit back on.
Ready to put the old outfit back on.
I told Carter he was a big boy and asked him to be my "big boy baby helper". He very seriously shook his head and said "yes", but really who knows what he was thinking!
We played peek-a-boo with each other and also with the baby doll. I told Carter babies like playing peek-a-boo. I also pulled up a baby laughing sound effect on my phone and played it as he played peek-a-boo with the baby, he loved it!
Baby Laughing Soud Effect:
I showed Carter pictures from when he was a baby. He even looked through a special album from when he was born. He loved it and kept pointing at the pictures exclaiming "baby", "daddy", "mommy", "ungy"!
I got back out baby supplies that we had already stored away. I told Carter they were for the baby and he helped me clean them and get them ready. Then I let him try them out next to the baby doll. He even wanted to put the baby doll in his old jumperoo.
Checking out the baby in his Pack N Play.
Checking out his old activity gym.
I would point to the baby doll's body parts and told Carter what it was called. I had him practice as well. We listened to "One Little Finger" and I pointed to the different body parts on the baby while Carter did it on himself. I also used that time to remind Carter which parts were yes and no touch parts.
Craft:
Carter colored a black and white picture for Jake. I colored and cut out a few primary colored shapes. I put glue on the shapes and let Carter put them on the picture. We hung it by the changing table before Jake came so he could look at it.
Coloring a picture for Jake.
Gluing the shapes I made onto the picture.
Ripping one of the shapes off.
The finished product.
My idea for an older child was for him/her to have a picture of a baby and help them color the yes touch body parts of the baby with green and the no touch body parts of the baby with red. Basically just their head and face would be colored red and we'd discuss that kisses on the forehead or cheek are okay. So they could draw a green heart or lips or something to signify that on the baby's head.
I saw an idea here to create crinkle squares for a new baby and have the older sibling(s) decorate them. I loved the idea, but felt like it was a little involved for us to make for Jake. I definitely want to do it with Carter for a new sibling when the time comes.
Special Snack:
Carter had a normal snack and I told him he was eating a big boy snack. I showed him baby food (which was an empty baby food container) and fed the baby doll while he ate his snack. Carter watched with interested and halted his own snack because he wanted to feed the baby himself. I was impressed with how he handled me putting the baby doll in his high chair. He went right over to his booster seat and didn't fuss at all or mind that the baby was in his high chair. We had just purchased the booster seat, so I was afraid he'd be upset.
Make Believe:
After a few of Carter's diaper
changes and other times throughout the day, we checked baby's diaper.
Carter would help me change the diaper. We really just took it off and
put it back on. He did much better than I thought he would although he
wasn't the most gentle when re-attaching the sticky tabs.
Helping change baby's diaper.
The
whole experience of caring for the baby doll and treating it like a
real baby falls into the make believe category in my mind. Feeding the
baby pretend food also falls within the make believe category and Carter
did awesome. He even opened his mouth along with the baby and would
make smacking noises like the baby was eating.
Songs:
Baby Animals Video:
One Little Finger Video:
Field Trip/Interactive Experience:
This week wasn't a field trip in the sense that we didn't go anywhere. I would consider it more of an interactive experience. Carter got to interact with a baby during Baby Jake's first day at our house! He did quite well and I felt our practice throughout the week really helped. Carter got a little bit jealous of Jake getting my attention, but not at all jealous of Jake using his old toys. Read more about our day with Jake here.
Carter reading to Jake.
Carter watching Jake play in the Jumperoo.
Books:
I wanted to get a picture of all the books we read, but Carter crawled over and grabbed one. I decided it was a cuter picture that way!
There were a few books on our list we weren't able to find at the library, but we still had plenty of books to read! Carter's favorite was One Special Day, every time I finished reading it he would hand it back to me to read again. I think we read that book 10 times the first morning we read it. He also really enjoyed Baby Says Peekaboo because it was a touch and feel book. My favorite was The New Baby because it discussed things an older sibling would want to do with a baby which the baby wouldn't like and then gave examples of things to do with the baby that he/she would like. Here's the list of books I came up with for the week. I tried to stick mostly to books we owned and books I'd found at the library closest to us to make it easier. I'm sure there are tons more great books on the topic!
How sweet. I love him playing peek a boo with the baby and the fact that he wanted the baby to have a baby. Remember where the book of his baby pictures came from?
It is interesting for me to read your teacher's mind at work!
ReplyDeleteWe had fun!
DeleteHow sweet. I love him playing peek a boo with the baby and the fact that he wanted the baby to have a baby. Remember where the book of his baby pictures came from?
ReplyDeleteYes, one is from Vicky and I made the other one.
Delete