Following directions is an important skill that children must master as they heads into their school-age years. Teachers give directions to students all throughout the day. (Of course, it wouldn’t hurt if children were able to follow the directions given by their parents as well, but that is wholly another story.) However, no one said that learning to follow directions has to be a boring task that involves stiff consequences if the directions are not followed to the letter of the law. Instead, try this treasure hunt game to pique your child’s interest. She probably will not even realize she is practicing such an important skill.
Create a simple treasure hunt inside or in the area around your house. Keep the clues simple, such as, “The next clue is hidden inside the place where you take a bath.” You know your child best, so create some of the clues so that they are a bit challenging, but keep some of them easy so your child does not get frustrated. Use as many of the rooms in your home as possible, and try to include directional words, such as “over”, “under”, and “above”.
When creating the last clue, be sure it leads to a “treasure” of some sort. This could be a small bag of a favorite snack or a few trinket toys. In our house, television time is very limited so being able to watch an extra half-hour show that I borrowed from the local library would be an especially great treasure.
Be creative and have fun leading your child from one place to the next. Before you know it, she will be creating directions for you to follow. And don’t worry, I’m sure she will have a treasure at the end. My own boys have made treasures out of stuffed animals, drawings, and even rocks!
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Written by Laura on October 14, 2011
One of the local radio stations where I live plays a game each day called, “Mystery Box.” In this game, the DJs will shake a box with an object in it, allowing listeners to hear the sound the object makes. The DJs will also give two or three clues about the mystery object. Listeners then call in to the station to announce their guess.
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Written by Laura on June 15, 2011
Have you ever tried to think of the words to a song and realized that something is wrong? Some word or phrase just doesn’t sound right. (If you are like me, this would irritate you to know end, and you would either go find the song to listen to or you would search for the lyrics on the web.) Trish Kuffner, author of The Preschooler’s Busy Book, has come up with a cute activity where
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Written by Laura on December 1, 2010
As you sit down with your child to read her a story, there are several things you can do to help your child get the most out of her storytelling experience. Children at this young age are typically willing to sit and listen to a story from start to finish. However, you want to actively engage them in the story in order to get them thinking about what they are hearing. Here are some simple sugge
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Written by BRWI Staff on November 10, 2010
Most people have taken a class in high school or maybe even college where they learned how to properly give a speech. However, were you ever taught how to listen to someone giving a speech or even in everyday conversation? Young children also need to be taught how to have good listening skills. I am not suggesting you sit your child with an elaborate PowerPoint presentation complete with bullet
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Written by BRWI Staff on September 10, 2010
If you speak Italian or if you were a music major, then you would know that the words “da capo” mean to repeat “from the beginning”. In music, the words are used to tell the musician that either a part of or the entire score of music is to be played again. Although your child probably cannot read music at this young age, the concept can still be applied to help your child
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Written by Laura on May 14, 2010
If someone were to read a complicated recipe to you, do you think you could complete all of the steps correctly in order to make the food being described? Probably not. Our brains can only handle so much information at once, and it can be very difficult to listen, understand, and then carry out so many steps. This is exactly the issue young children face when parents or teachers say too many di
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Written by BRWI Staff on April 2, 2010
Most people are familiar with Robert Munsch’s book Love You Forever. However, he is also the author of a long list of other books, many of which will make you chuckle at the least. One such book is Alligator Baby. A few weeks ago, I downloaded a free mp3 of the author reading this book. (Go to http://www.robertmunsch.com/ ) Yesterday, I loaded it onto my iPod Shuffle, loaded my kids in t
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Written by Laura on March 26, 2010
If you are anything like me, you have had your fair share of days as a parent wondering if your child is purposefully not listening to a word you say. Sometimes, of course, they are soengrossed in what they are doing that they really do not hear you. At other times, however, they may simply be confused by your instructions. It takes practice for your child to understand how to follow directions
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Written by Laura on February 13, 2010
Most adults are at least vaguely familiar with the song “Flight of the Bumblebee”. Children also enjoy this particular piece of music because it is so fast. It makes you want to get up and move, which is exactly what you want them to do.
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Written by BRWI Staff on November 27, 2009
Our goal is to give you the tools and confidence to teach your preschooler the joy of reading and writing.
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