Fun Activities Archives - Wonder Mom Blog

Speech Therapy – Activities for Early Speech

Months back, I shared my experience of meeting moms who are worried over their kids’ delayed milestone achievements. I firmly believe in the fact that every child is different, however, if a child doesn’t start speaking at 2 years of age, it might be a reason to worry. In that scenario, you might want to opt for Speech Therapy for your child.

Speech therapy helps with using the voice properly and using the muscles to make the right sounds. It helps people understand language and express themselves.
https://intermountainhealthcare.org/services/ear-nose-throat/treatment-and-detection-methods/speech-therapy/

I am not a speech therapy expert, yet would like to share some basic fun activities, which I tried with Kreesha. Kreesha started speaking only after 2^nd birthday. She used to say words earlier like Ma, Pa, dada, dadi, ice, rice, dudu, juice, and a few more. So, I playfully involved her in these activities and she started speaking phrases and now she is 2.5 years old and is able to speak long sentences with 10-12 words also.

Activities till 2 years:

Kreesha started her eye contact with us at an early age of 3 months. So, I started talking to her. She would respond with her eyes and expressions. For example, if she was happy, she would move her legs and if she is sad then she would simply ignore the situation.
Sharing small details of her daily routine with her like, “now its time to take bath, we are going to sit in bathtub and enjoy the bath”. Verbally explaining your child about their daily routine helps them build vocabulary but develop good habbit also.
Talk about things baby see in their room, house. Explain what is it and why is it in the house.
Talk about family and family members.
Talk about body parts and help them point their body parts.
Read them stories, rhymes sing them fun songs.
Show them colours and various objects, wait for them to respond.

Activities after 2 years:

Speak clearly to your child. Make them aware of the importance of clear speech.
Do not speak in their language, even if you do, do repeat the correct pronunciation or word also.
Repeat what they say, so that they are assured you understand what they want to say.
Show them pictures of various objects found in house, classroom, playground and get them talking about it.
Play yes or no game. Ask your kids simple questions like, “Do crow fly? Are you hungry?” Let kids respond to your question in a yes or no. Play vice versa – get your child ask questions to you.
Have a conversation where a child has to make choice like, “Do you want juice or milk?” or “Do you want to go out or play in the house?”
Talk about various body parts and what it does
Place some toys in a box and ask your child to pick one-by-one and tell what is it

Exercises to Try:

Paper Blowing is one of the Exercises to boost your kids’ Oral Motor Skills

Blow a balloon – Blowing a balloon helps the child develop facial muscles, which enable the child to speak easily.
Paper Blowing – A fun activity that will enhance your kid’s oral motor skills and concentration.

PS: I will soon be sharing a video on my youtube channel with other fun activities to help your kids develop their oral motor skills and enhance their speech.

Love,

Wonder Mom

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February 22

Easy Activities for early walk

Weeks back I shared my concern over parental worries for delayed milestone achievements by their kids. I have met moms who are worried about their kids’ development, and I always mention that every child is different. I also mentioned that I would share some easy activities for early walk and speech development, which I have used with my own kid. However, I would also mention here that, don’t force your child into these activities, if s/he is not comfortable. Also, connect with your pediatrician, if you have any doubts about your kid’s developmental delays.

Easy Activities for early walk

Tummy Time is good exercise to boost your child’s motor skills and muscle development. You can start the tummy time of your child at as early as at 2 months of age. I have earlier shared the detailed article for tummy time mentioning how it is to be done and the benefits of the same. Tummy time helps your child strengthen thigh muscles to hold body weight.
Crawl with your child and show them their favorite toy above eye level for them to make an effort to reach out. The curiosity to catch the toy will enable the child to make extra effort, this will help them boost their strength.
Regular Massage with baby oil or desi ghee boosts the muscle strength and also provides energy to kids. Massage relaxes the muscles of your kid and offers them a soothing feeling. Kids feel pampered and loved.
Massage when your child starts standing while holding onto an object. When your child stands up holding a table or chair, try and massage their legs at that time. This massage helps their calf muscles to gain more strength and kids respond to it while making a move.
Assist your child in taking first steps by holding hands. Let your kids take first steps with your support.

PS: Avoid Wheeled walkers for your kid as it might affect their muscle development. (My Paediatrician advised)

Love,

Wonder Mom

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December 3

Hop Along Your Child

“Hop a little, jump a little, skip a little, slide a little” a nursery rhyme almost every toddler loves to dance on. So, why not hop along your child and be a child again? Hopping helps kids to develop stronger leg muscles and enhance dynamic balance among kids.

What is hopping?

A rhythmic skill in continuity which needs body balancing while taking off and landing on feet / foot repeatedly.

What age should your toddler start hopping?

The ideal age for hopping is considered to be 3+. However, some kids might start hopping as soon as they start jumping. Hopping is slightly difficult than jumping as it involves more muscle strength and body balancing skill.

How to train your child to hop?

To train your child to hop, you have to hop along your child. Seeing you hopping around the child would make efforts to try hopping and moving out of their comfort zone. You can start training your 2+ old toddler for hopping.

Start with basic skills required:

Bending leg upon landing
Take off requires straight legs
Landing and take off to be on the ball of the foot
Maintaining body rhythm
Head and back to be stable
Arms to bent and swing in forward direction
Hopping on both left and right leg

Teaching hopping to your child

Start with one leg balancing. Stand on one leg and get your child to try the same.
Show your child the ball of foot and practice along the skill to push off while taking off for a hop.
Make sure your child has focused and stable upper body
Bend the arms and swing forward

Signs to know your kid is ready to learn hopping

Your child has started balancing on one leg
Swinging arms backwards while trying to take off in forward direction
Use of toes while taking off

Benefits of Hopping

Age appropriate physical and motor development.
Development of advanced sense of balance.
Effective co-ordination between your kid’s brain and muscles.
Development of good body control.

Love,

Wonder Mom

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November 20

Introducing Weaving to Kids

Introducing weaving to your toddler is a lot more fun. It brings excitement among kids and helps boost their concentration power. When I introduced weaving to Kreesha, she started placing beads to her fingers to get the grip and gradually she learnt the weaving technique. I can directly show you how to introduce weaving to your kids, however, I prefer sharing the benefits and challenges you might face while introducing this new skill to your toddler.

Why is introducing Weaving to kids important?

It helps strengthen fine motor skills (Pincer Grasp)
Eye – Hand Coordination
Pattern and sequencing understanding
Understanding of Spatial Concepts
Enhances visual tracking
Boosts creativity
Keeps the child calm and composed

Stages of Weaving

Introduction – I introduced weaving to Kreesha with straws – basket and thread – beads. Starting with daily household material helps kids to adapt to new development easily. They don’t consider the new activity as some rocket science.
Introducing Patterns – Once Kreesha got used to the method of weaving I introduced patterns to her. Like, Straw colour pattern / Beads colour pattern / Basket pattern.
Ribbon / Yarn weaving – Once the child gets familiar to patterns, we can move ahead one step to ribbon / yarn weaving. All you need is different colour yarn threads / ribbons, threaded frame (can be homemade). The yarn weaving helps kids develop creativity and enhances their imagination.
Paper Plate weaving – Paper plate weaving is a little tricky as it involves a needle. I would not advise paper plate weaving till the child is 4 years old and that too under complete supervision. Paper plate weaving helps build movement understanding among kids.

Fun Weaving Patterns for Preschoolers

Loom Weaving – You can use any material as a loom which has a net pattern.
Paper Weaving – Kids can weave paper strips to a larger paper with pattern cutout.
Branch Weaving – A broken branch of a tree is also good to introduce weaving to kids.
Frame Weaving – A wooden frame or a popsicles frame is also a good option for kids to weave a pattern.
Cardboard Weaving – You can make holes in the cardboard for your kids to weave a beautiful pattern
Window Weaving – If you have grills on your window pane, your kid can enjoy the weaving on the same as well.
Large room weaving – Convert a large room to weaving loom by attaching strings / threads to corners / walls / furniture of the room. This activity is also a fun activity for your child’s friends during birthday parties.
Outdoor weaving – Get your child out in the garden and find a loom for your child to weave various leaves or stems.

Love,

Wonder Mom

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November 5

Tummy Time = Fun Time

It’s fun time for your infant. Kids enjoy this exercise and consider more of a play activity. Tummy time strengthens their muscles and help them grow as a strong individual. The American Academy of Pediatricis suggests that tummy time should be started as the child gets back home from hospital.

What is tummy time?

It is a technique to enable your infant to move their hands and legs. The kids are laid down on their stomach with some toys and playful things around. This helped her in early crawling and walking.

“Tummy Time is one of baby’s first exercises—and the most important! It is the period during the day your baby spends awake and on their stomach. It is a crucial exercise for baby’s visual, motor, and sensory development. Baby can begin Tummy Time as a newborn, and continue throughout baby’s first year.”
Pathways.org

Benefits for your new born:

Develop their core muscles of back, shoulders and neck
Meet developmental milestones easily
Enhanced Motor skills
Prevents flat head

How to do?

The preferred and suggested time by doctors for is after the baby wakes up from a nap or after diaper change
Preferred place: Clean floor with playmat or clean towel
Baby Position: Baby lying on his/her tummy over the mat / towel
Tools: Place some likeable toys for baby to stay motivated
Time: Twice / thrice a day for 4 – 5 minutes each session
Follow up – Increase the time slowly as your baby starts enjoying the sessions.

“Always Remember: Back to Sleep, Tummy to Play!”
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP)

Activities for kid

Get down with your baby
Place interesting toys
Chat with your kid
Place a mirror to let baby watch him / her making moves
Encourage your child by clapping, pointing fingers for them to hold

Love,

Wonder Mom

Category: Fun Activities | 1 Comment

October 30

Introducing Colors

Colors fascinate all of us, isn’t it? Introducing colors to your kids can be fun as well as challenging also. Colors attract kids more than anything else. With my own experience, I can say that colors in any form are the best tools to entertain kids. Today, I will share some of the ways you can introduce colours to your kids.

Water Colors in Plastic Sleeve: When I introduced colors to Kreesha, I started with water colors in a plastic sleeve, so she could play around with colors without creating a mess. It’s a great way to let your child play with colors and explore their creative side. No mess, only fun!
Wax Crayons and Paper: Next, I moved to wax crayons. But, before handing over colors to Kreesha, I made sure she understood that these are colors and nothing edible. For that, I showed her some pictures which demonstrated the use of crayons. She started using the colors, her imagination. With this, I started telling her color names also, and started referring to her favorite things around.
Watercolors and paper: Introducing water colors to kids to be able to use them is fun. I demonstrated Kreesha, how to use colors with brush and how to paint on paper. After that, she mastered the art to create some magical artworks. I will be sharing some of her drawings on my Instagram channel.

Kreesha is 23 months old and already has her hands on with watercolours, crayons, wax colours and colored pencils. Introducing colours has helped me understand her creative side. Colours have become an indispensable part of her daily routine. She loves to paint, and this has also initiated her learning skills.

Another thing to remember is, there is no particular age for introducing colors to your child. I did that, because I noticed her inclination towards colors. However, I also believe that handing colors to your child at an early age makes them learn things quickly.

Love,

Wonder Mom

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October 21

Basic House activities for kids to involve in

So, here I am with a significant post about Various House Activities for kids. As parents, we believe or understand, that we should not let our kids work or participate in daily house activities. But trust me, by doing this, you are only deteriorating your kid. Involving kids in some of the house activities is not only good for them, but also, makes you more comfortable around your kid. You as parents / guardians get more time to spend with your kids. In return, your kids start respecting every household chore and understand the value of co-working in family.

These activities are your basic daily house chores, but, as a mother I believe, if you engage your child (girl / boy), it enables them to be:

Independent
Confident about themselves
Future ready for life struggles
Empathetic towards others

Organizing room and house

When we wake up, Kreesha and her dad take the responsibility of organizing bed back to perfection. They fold up the blankets, straighten the sheets and put those unorganized pillows back to their places. Involving Kreesha in this basic activity, is all to teach her basic etiquettes of cleaning and organizing. This daily routine of hers has helped me a lot. She puts back her toys in the closet on her own, once she is done playing. She never leaves her toys scattered around the house. This habit has also ensured that she understands the value of co-working in a family.

Feeding Pets

Yes, the second daily activity we involve our child in feeding our pet. We have a pug at our place, and whenever we its his food time, we ensure Kreesha feeds him or sits with us while feeding him. Initially, I wasn’t sure of this but I have witnessed a good and gradual change in her behavior. Kreesha now asks everyone for food in the family. If we have a guest at home, she makes sure they are fed properly. She would try to serve them with her small hands, in every possible way, just to ensure they are eating. She never leaves her food wasted. Now, infact, she has started feeding to birds, water plants as she is slowly understanding they are living beings.

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October 12

Parent Child Bond – Activities to strengthen

So, here I am with my post for some fun activities. Continuing, the theme of the week, Parent Child bond; this post is about the basic activities, we as parents can carry out with our kids to strengthen our bond with them. My poem was about Mother-daughter bond, my article focused upon the father’s bond with their child. Now, in this Fun Activity segment, I am listing out two basic activities that we as parents carry out and strengthen our bond with Kreesha. These activities are very basic and some of you might even know about them. But I am sharing my experience as a mother of a toddler, what these activities have done for me to strengthen our parent child bond.

Watching TV Together

Watch Television Together

Yes, watching television together encourages child to express more. By television, I don’t mean entertainment channels or movies. But, I mean nursery rhymes, cartoons and news. Yes, this will ensure your child expresses more and is able to communicate her / his feeling way before they start speaking. With nursery rhymes and cartoons, their vocabulary is enhanced and additionally, they learn importance of gestures, facial expressions and body language. And next time, before you even utter a word your child knows, if you are happy or sad about something. 👀 Isn’t it amazing!!! Trust me you gotta try this once.

Cooking Together

Cook Together

Yes you heard me right! Cooking together isn’t only good for couples, but for parent child bond also. My 23 months old toddler loves cooking with me. 🤦‍♀️ She would run towards me as soon as she knows, I am cooking or doing some chores in kitchen. She expresses, she wants to be with me when I am cooking. She even tries her hands on making roti or sometimes just helping me organize kitchen after cooking. So, if you both are cooking together, this strengthens the bond and your kids only learn something interesting in their early years.

So, readers do try one of these and share your experiences with me. Happy reading !

Love,

Wonder Mom

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