May

Fun activities for you and your preschool child

Hang posters of the alphabet on bedroom walls or make an alphabet poster with your child. Print the letters in large type. Capital letters are usually easier for young children to learn first.
Take a walk with your child today. Ask him to draw a picture of what he sees. Place his picture on the refrigerator.
Have your child help you put the groceries away. At the same time, give her practice with counting. For example, ask: How many carrots did I buy? How many bars of soap? How many cans of soup? How many boxes of cereal?
Involve your child in a sorting chore. Have him sort the clean forks and spoons before putting them away. Help him match clean socks in pairs before putting them away.
Create a dress-up box for your child. Take a cardboard box and a roll of wrapping paper to decorate, both inside and out. Fill the box with old shoes, hats, jewelry, gloves, etc., and let your child's imagination do the rest.
Play an animal cracker game. Have your child choose one cracker, look at it, then eat it. Your child will then pretend to become that animal for one minute.
Help your child make a bouquet of paper flowers for Mother's Day. Display them as a centerpiece on the dinner table.
Play the alphabet game with your child. Use the letters of the alphabet - "A is for armadillo, B is for bear," etc. Take turns going through the alphabet naming animals whose name begins with A, B, C, and so forth. When she runs out of ideas, switch from animals to another category, e.g., colours.
Ask your child to point out items in the home that have handles. What are handles used for?
Make soap bubbles. Add 3/4 cup of liquid dish soap to 2 quarts of water. Have your child blow bubbles with small plastic (frozen juice) containers open at both ends. He can also use straws or green plastic berry baskets. Also, let him help wash dishes.
Create a bird feeder with your child. Roll a pine-cone in peanut butter and sprinkle with birdseed. Tie a piece of string to your new bird feeder and hang it outside.
Teach your child her phone number and address today.
Watch for ducks the next time you're in the park. Why do ducks have webbed feet?
Explain to your child how opposites work. Say a word and ask him to say the opposite.
Take your child to the library and choose ABC, counting and concept books to reinforce basic skills being taught in school. Read each book at least three times before taking it back to the library.
Here's a tip for children who enjoy painting: Fasten a plastic trash bag on a table with tape and then tape down a large piece of white or construction paper for your child to paint. Yogurt cups or egg containers are also great resources to hold paint.
Help your child become familiar with colours by playing I Spy. Ask her to identify something that's green, for example.
Create sensory bottles. Have your child fill a clean plastic pop bottle with various colours of glitter, beads, confetti or anything that looks interesting to your child. Have him then pour water into the bottle about 1/4 of the way, then add a few ounces of baby or cooking oil. Seal the top and watch him manipulate the bottle to create wonderful floating pictures.
Have a picnic in the park today. Ask your child to help prepare the lunch.
Visit your local community centre to find out about activities offered for your child’s age group. Consider enrolling her in swimming lessons or a reading group this summer.
Take a walk with your child today. Ask him to describe his favourite things about nature.
Ask your child to point out objects that have wheels. How many can she find?
Hide ten small objects, such as blocks, or toy cars, around the house. Send your child on a treasure hunt to see if he can find them.
Talk to your child about rain. Why do we need rain? What do we wear when it rains?
Help your child make new napkin rings with a spring theme. Cut a paper towel tube into four pieces. Paint flowers on each section. Use the new napkin rings at dinner tonight.
Play a favorite CD or tape. Sing along with your child and dance to the music.
Take turns with your child making different animal sounds (dog, cat, cow, pig, chicken, rooster, horse). Hand out paper, markers or crayons and have her draw the animals whose sounds she just made. Talk about the animals - where they live, what they eat, how they move around, etc.
Show your child how to make a banana split. Enjoy your treat outside.
Create a puzzle using a photograph of your family. Make a colour copy of the photo and attach it to a piece of cardboard. Then, draw and cut the puzzle. Encourage your child to put the pieces together.
Plan a visit to a museum or the zoo. Afterwards, encourage him to draw a picture of his favourite exhibit.
Find an object in your house that begins with each letter of the alphabet.

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Fun activities for you and your elementary school child

Play the "What's Missing?" game with your child. Find five to 10 objects inside your home. Arrange them on a tray. Have your child look at them for five seconds and then cover his eyes while you take one of the items away. Can he guess what is missing?
Give your child an apple, pear, banana and plum. Ask her to arrange the fruit in alphabetical order. Try the same with kitchen utensils.
Have a paper airplane contest and see who can make a paper airplane that flies the furthest.
Stretch your child's creative talents by asking him to close his eyes and guess what you have placed in his hands - a piece of foam rubber, a small rock, etc.
Play a guessing game with your child. Have them close her eyes and guess at what she hears - use sounds such as shuffling cards, jingling coins, rubbing sandpaper, ripping paper, etc.
Learn about a new country by searching the internet. If you don't have a computer, visit your local library.
Pretend you're pioneers - no appliances, no electronics, no car. Use books, drawings and homemade musical instruments to spend the morning as a pioneer.
Play music that creates a mood, for example, a lullaby, march, slow and dreamy music or Latin rhythms. Let your child respond by painting, finger painting, using markers or crayons, or shaping play dough.
Pick anywhere in the world and find out more about that place by going to the library or searching on the internet.
Make soap bubbles. Add 3/4 cup of liquid dish soap to 2 quarts of water. Have your child blow bubbles with small plastic (frozen juice) containers open at both ends. He can also use straws or green plastic berry baskets. Also, let him help wash dishes.
Have your child make a list of everything she can find in the house that is the colour red.
Have a no TV night. Put a puzzle together instead.
Investigate community volunteer opportunities and plan something you and your child can do together.
Have your child cut out food pictures from magazines. Make four category cards - Dairy Products, Meat, Fruit and Vegetable, and Bread and Cereal. Arrange the pictures under the correct category.
Teach sorting skills using dinnerware. Ask your child to match and stack dishes of similar sizes and shapes. Also, have him sort flatware - forks with forks, spoons with spoons.
Help your child learn a new big word. Encourage her to use the word in conversation.
Teach your child the alphabet in sign language. Learn how to communicate without words.
Ask your child to list all of the provinces he knows. Look at a map of Canada and ask your child to find them.
On this day in 1856, journalist and playwright Lyman Frank Baum, author of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, was born in New York. Read the book with your child and then treat her to the 1939 classic version of the movie.
Help your child create silly alliterative sentences, for example - Colleen collects caterpillars. Record the sentences in a notebook.
Borrow a book about stars from the library. Learn about the myths behind the constellations.
Have your child draw a picture of a place he would like to visit this summer.
Plan a treasure hunt for today. Place clues around the house. Leave a special treat where "X" marks the spot.
On this day in 1506, the great Italian explorer Christopher Columbus died in Valladolid, Spain. Have your child find Valladolid, Spain on a map. Help your child research Columbus.
Have your child help you with the household chores. Ask her to sort the laundry.
Play a game of role-reversal. Let your child be the parent.
Go to the park and play a sport the whole family can enjoy.
Take your child out for lunch today. Encourage him to pick the restaurant.
A trip to the bank can be a learning opportunity. Discuss with your child the transactions you'll be making and why.
Watch the stars come out tonight. Point out the constellations to your child. Have him point some out to you.
Have your child make a schedule of things to do. Encourage her to follow the schedule.

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Fun activities for you and your middle school child

Encourage lifelong reading. Read with your child by taking roles in stories and acting out dramatic poems. Whenever possible, tape record these sessions. Then listen to and enjoy these performances together.
Develop imagination and creativity. Have your child select four or five pictures from magazines and newspapers, and put them together to tell a story.
Encourage your child to make a list of daily chores and post it on the fridge. Have him check off each chore as it is completed each day.
Go for a bike ride with your child. Use the opportunity to listen and find out what's on her mind.
Encourage your child to make a scrapbook of his favourite sports team. Help him pick out newspaper clippings, magazine articles and other memorabilia to put in the scrapbook.
What is your child's favourite song? Listen to the song together and then make up a song of your own.
Spend one hour after dinner tonight helping your child with her homework.
Help your child plan something special for Mother's Day.
Go for a walk in your community and explore your neighbourhood together.
Take a ride on the subway or a bus with your child. Ask him to write about the experience.
Play a game with your child. Write down the name of your favourite actor and then try to portray that actor while the other person guesses.
Introduce your child to the many kinds of information in the daily newspaper. Ask her to find the pages containing news about government leaders, editor's opinions, weather reports, car sales, house and apartment rentals, and want ads. Discuss how to use this information.
Put math skills to work. Help your child understand living costs by discussing household expenses with him. For example, make a list of monthly bills - heat, electricity, telephone, mortgage or rent. Fold the paper to hide the costs and ask your child to guess the cost of each item. Unfold the paper. How do the estimates compare with the actual costs? Was he close?
Discuss what it was like growing up when you were young and ask your child to write a story based on your description.
Make a healthy snack for you and your child for lunch today. Discuss the importance of a healthy diet.
Visit a retirement home with your child. Discuss the importance of caring for the elderly.
Encourage your child to volunteer this summer. Visit www.charityvillage.com to investigate volunteer opportunities in your area..
Go out for dinner and a movie with your child tonight. Let your child pick the restaurant and the movie.
Take your child to the zoo. Have her write an essay on African animals.
Buy your child a book you enjoyed at his age and discuss his opinion of the book when he has finished reading it.
Play a family game of Monopoly. Ask your child to be the banker.
A trip to the bank is a learning opportunity. Talk to your child about the transactions you'll be making and why.
Have your child take photographs of your family. Ask her to make picture frames for them and display the pictures on a wall in your house.
Encourage your child to start a hobby this summer.
Ask your child to prepare ice cream sundaes for dessert tonight.
Visit a museum today with your child. Let him decide which exhibits he wants to see. Ask him why he finds those exhibits so interesting.
Take your child out for breakfast today. Talk about all the things he is learning at school.
Conduct a spelling-bee at your house. Take turns spelling the list of words your child recorded in his notebook this month. Have a special prize for the winner of the contest.
Start a project with your child. Have her research myths about constellations.
Encourage your child to teach you something new today. Let her brainstorm some ideas.
Ask your child to read a controversial article in today's newspaper. Discuss the issue and ask his opinions.

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Fun activities for you and your teenager

All grown up and no time to read? Plant books and magazines in the car, bathroom, kitchen or on the microwave for your busy teen and you might just find him reading and instead of talking on the phone.
Encourage your teen to read your favourite book and discuss her opinion of the book.
Teach your teen how to budget. Ask him to make a two-column list of expenses and income. Under expenses, have him list what he would expect to spend for movies, bus tokens, lunches, etc. Then, have him add all the expenses and subtract the total from the income. Ask him to think of ways to reduce his spending. If his income is more than his expenses, talk about a savings plan.
Make your teen's favourite dinner together.
Talk to your teen about getting a summer job. Help your teen with her resume and cover letter.
Discuss future goals with your teen. Ask him to write down what he wants to accomplish in the next five years.
Check out college and university websites with your teen. Discuss the schools she is interested in attending.
Help your teen learn about people from different countries. Suggest talking to neighbours from different countries, reading library books about other cultures, reading newspapers and watching TV specials.
Make today a special one for you and your teen. Spend some time doing things you both enjoy.
Take an aerobics class with your teen. Discuss the importance of exercise.
Does your teen take a lunch to school? Make a healthy lunch together every night before you go to bed
Visit a museum with your teen.
Encourage your teen to make a presentation to your family of what he has learned at school this year.
Talk with your teen about peer pressure and the importance of saying 'no.'
Together, watch your teen's favourite sport. Ask her to write a news report on the outcome of the game.
Talk to your teen about the type of business he would like to own. Have him write a business plan for you and the bank asking for a loan.
Encourage your teen to join a summer sport.
Discuss the importance of safety with your teen, making sure she is always with someone she knows and trusts.
Discuss four significant Canadian events with your teen. Ask him to research these events and write an essay on them.
Talk to your teen about exploring her artistic side. Join a summer painting course together.
Ask your teen to look through the newspaper and pick out a company that's in crisis. Track this company together over the next two months. What is its position on the stock market? How has this changed? What changes, if any, has the company made to overcome its crisis?
Have your teen invite his friends for a day of outdoor activities this weekend. Go hiking, in-line skating and bike riding.
Plan a no TV night. Instead, have your family sit at a table and discuss your favourite books.
Make a cake or cookies from scratch with your teen.
The key to going on outings with your teen is to plan ahead and get her input. Make each outing into a family planning meeting. Get out the trail guides, discuss what food to bring, and review the clothing to carry in backpacks.
Planning a trip this summer? Discuss where you would like to go and have your teen plan the trip. Ask him to make hotel arrangements, calculate the distance, make a list of expenses and approve it with you before confirming the trip.
Have your teen reflect on the time you've spent together this month. Discuss which activities you've enjoyed the most.
Take a walk with your teen tonight and look at the stars. Together, try to identify five constellations.
Visit the grocery store with your teen today. Ask her to select items she can use to prepare a healthy meal for the family this week.
Buy your teen a journal to keep track of vocabulary words. He can write down words that he doesn't understand while reading and later look them up and record their definitions.
Encourage your teen to volunteer for an organization that meets her career interests. Check out the volunteer board in the "Student Stuff" section of the Peel board's website - www.peelschools.org.

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