Placemat Lesson 2

I try to use my toddler's afternoon snack time as a learning time ... rather than giving into her requests for Elmo or George. I also find that she eats healthier if we are engaged in an activity together rather than plopped in front of the tube. If I blog about it, I am more likely to form a habit ... and perhaps it will inspire your own placemat lessons :)

This is a perfect rainy day - can't-get-outside - kind of activity ...

Take a "virtual" walk through your neighborhood using paper, crayons, and whatever drawing abilities (mine are limited) you possess.

I must give credit to the game CandyLand ... and the little man playing pieces included in the game.  NHV loves those little plastic men, so we decided to take them on a walk!

I started by drawing a road/sidewalk.  

I then asked my toddler, what do we SEE when we go for a walk?  

As she answered that question (I asked it over and over), I drew in the details that she mentioned ... a tree, a puddle, sticks, leaves, a car, a house, the sewer grate, our mailboxes, a school bus - to which we added "tudents" and a "diver," ...

Then it was time for the little men to take a walk.  

First, NHV walked them around and told me what each man was looking at - recalling the details we had drawn/discussed.  

Then, I gave her simple requests like, "Put the yellow man near the tree."  "Walk the blue man to his house."  "The red man needs to check his mail."

Simple, fun, ... learning!