Even before the formal schooling can begin for the elementary grades, there are some fun ways to ensure that learning continues for your toddlers. Basic knowledge of colours, numbers, letters, textures, and shapes can be reinforced in a simple scavenger hunt. Here is how to organize this.
Have a List Ready
Put pen to paper and write out a reference list for the scavenger hunt for yourself. Items that can be added include – something blue, something pink, something that has four sides, something round, something shorter than a toothbrush, something smooth, something with the number 5, something starting with the better B, something bigger than your shoe, something soft and squishy.
Practice Makes Perfect
There’s no end of interesting items that can go on to the scavenger hunt list. Although it may be a good idea to start with just five things to help them understand the game. Once they get the idea, you can increase the number of items on the list. They will become much faster to retrieve whatever they asked to, and the game will be quite popular as a short break from the homeschool classes.
Have Matching Items at the Child’s Level
The items that you have added to the scavenger list need to be easily identified, and easily accessible to the child. Do remember that the line of sight of your toddler is at about two and a half feet. Ensure that whatever you need them to find and retrieve is placed on low tables, or is in a location that they can reach without difficulty. The set up needs to be good so that the game is more fun for both the toddlers and the homeschool parent.
Expect the Unexpected
The world view of a child is very different from the world view of an adult. You may be expecting a cookie lying on the plate in the room when you ask for something round, but be prepared for you toddler to run to the playroom and fish out the frizbee. The idea is to roll with whatever they bring and gently correct the mistakes, so that the learning continues.
