activities for 3 year olds Archives - Minds On Music

5 fun things for kids to do that teach sustainability

(Source: makingmulticulturalmusic.wordpress.com/)

This time of year we all seem to be on the lookout for family activities and fun things for kids to do. After all, with the holiday season upon us who doesn’t need ideas for activities for 2 year olds, 3 year olds, or the whole family? Let’s be honest, though. It probably never hurts to have a few extra ideas for fun things for kids to do—at any time of the year.
So, we pulled together a few ideas from Pinterest that we thought the rest of the Kindermusik community would enjoy. These family activities are not only fun but they also include the added benefit of teaching sustainability for kids. Go ahead and pin this post and consider it like that extra change of clothes for your children you always keep in the car—you might need them today or next week—but you know you will need them!

5 family activities that support the environment for kids

14 world instruments that can be made from recycled materials. Looking for something to do with that roasting pan? Try transforming it into a gong. Instead of taking that old cardboard box or milk container to the recycle bin, let your child use it for a drum or a shaker.
Go on a nature scavenger hunt. Playing outside and noticing the world around us teaches young children about the importance of caring for our planet. Try this nature scavenger hunt with the whole family. The pictures make it easy even for non-readers to join in on the fun.
Make a Ball Maze from recycled materials Paper towel and toiler paper tubs can work for this fun activity for kids. To extend the activity, you can even encourage your children to decorate the tubes with paint or crayons.
Turn artwork into, well, artwork. Put on music from Kindermusik class, give your children white paper and crayons, and encourage them to draw what they hear. Then, use this blogger’s idea to turn their artwork into something new.
Read about the earth. Sometimes a trip to the library can be just the adventure a baby, toddler, or preschooler needs. While there, grab a few of these books about the earth and snuggle up to read together.

Did you like these ideas for fun things for kids to do? Then try: 5 ideas to involve the whole family in being green. It feels good to be prepared with creative family activities and take care of the environment for kids at the same time!

FOL Fridays – Explore and Discover

The preschool-aged child always seems to be curious, ready to find out more or explore and discover. And they have a big imagination to go along with it! These are some of the great delights of enjoying all kinds of activities with 3 year olds and 4 year olds, but especially the kinds of playful, creative, learning-oriented music activities we do in our Kindermusik classes for this age group.
For example, asking your child to broaden his or her understanding and experience of moving a ball in a way other than bouncing or throwing it opens up new play possibilities. Through repeated exploration experiences, the child can develop the concept that every object has unlimited possibilities for exploration. Becoming aware that an object can be used in many ways allows the child to problem solve – trying new things, making errors and learning from the total process. The child can then transfer this explorer attitude to other activities. This is true ownership of learning and becomes a lifetime tool.
Tips for parents (and fun for kids!): Kindermusik teachers love GERTIE balls for all kinds of ball play, even for toddlers. Gertie balls are easy to grasp and are safer for indoor play than regular balls.
Shared by Theresa Case, whose Kindermusik program at Piano Central Studios in Greenville, SC, is proudly among the top 1% of Kindermusik programs worldwide.

Child's Play

We call it play, the work children do all the day long. From rolling a ball to tasting it, from building with blocks to knocking them down, a child’s job is to play.

Activities for Kids at Home

Children learn and grow through play. Toys that mimic everyday objects, like kitchen appliances and gardening tools help a child to act out what he sees the grown-ups doing. Toys that specifically encourage creativity, like blocks, scarves, and Legos equip children as they use their ever-amazing minds to construct and pretend. Other simple things that inspire open-ended play include cardboard boxes, dress-up clothes, and Lincoln logs. Read here for more open-ended play ideas.

The most important play-thing

As parents, we want our children to have the best toys to help with their development. After

all, creating a stimulating home environment is the least we can do. But the most important play-thing that your child can have does not come in a box or from a store. Children need loving parents and caregivers to not only provide them with quality tools for their work, but they need adults to stop, sit, and become co-workers at play. This is one of the best educational activities for 2 year olds, 3 year olds, and beyond. It’s easy to delight a child with a new toy and walk away. But a child needs personal interaction with the adults in her life as she learns and grows.

It’s hard to take a break from what we view as important: work-related issues, financial problems, the upkeep of a home. But investing daily in the lives of our children by sitting down with them, allowing them the freedom to choose what to play, following them and labeling their actions, resisting the urge to organize and perfect their play, is the most important work that you can do as a parent.

Inspiring play through music and movement

In our Kindermusik classes you’ll find lots of inspiration for play, both musical and non-musical. Though our classes are music-based, we’ll give you lots of tips and ideas for playing with your child in class and at home – tips and ideas that come from an understanding of the concept of scaffolding, from learning more about your child’s developmental stage, and from the child-centered way that we approach our classes. There’s nothing like a Kindermusik class to give you a reason for playing with your child – once a week in class and throughout the week at home.

The simple act of investing time in play with your child is one of the very best investments you can make. Take a few minutes to play today!

Edited and revised by Theresa Case, whose Kindermusik program at Piano Central Studios in Greenville, SC, is proudly among the top 1% of Kindermusik programs worldwide.