Educational Play

One park district class a day, and preschool the other days. The classes are all FUN. All about play. That's how they learn. :)

Right now they need mommy's attention more than any kind of formalized training. As a mom that has two *gulp* generations of kids, I can tell you I have seen an alarming trend, moms being so focused on education that they forget to let their kids BE kids! Kids under 5 learn just as much (more actually) playing with water and measuring cups. PLAY with them. Talk to them. Give them one on one attention. It's one of the few times in our lives that we get 100 percent of someone's attention...give it to them. =) There is plenty of time before you have to concentrate on ABC's and 123's....
Actually, the best thing you can do at this age is read, read READ!

I agree that reading to them and playing with them is the best approach at this point. Keep the TV off for now. When my son was little and up through toddlerhood, he loved a cardboard book called Baby Faces which was just pictures of babies showing different emotions - happy, sad, tired, angry, etc. We read that one over and over - he'd always bring it to me to read to him again. The little books you read to them now they eventually memorize how you read it and will pretend they are 'reading' by reciting how you tell them the story with your voice inflections and everything. They'll even be able to tell you if you are making a mistake if you alter from your usual pattern - "That's not how it goes, Mommy" or if someone else reads the same story to them "That's not how Mommy does it". You are going to get tired reading the same favorite stories over and over, but they really love the routine and repetition and it's comforting to them.

I began selling educational toys when my son was an infant so I'd be sure to have great books, toys and games on hand for him to play with (and for me to engage with him). It helped us, but I've also earned money, and been able to help thousands of other parents, teachers, occupational therapists and others who work with young children to "change the world, one child at a time." Please take a look at www.toysofdiscovery.com, visit my blog, too, and email me for more info.

I mostly took the kids out to different parks. I didn't like being housebound. There were always other moms and kids there. Just play with them, talk to them, read to them, give them books and toys, expose them to other kids -- they will learn plenty.

You don't need to worry much about things being "educational" in preschool. My youngest two kids, whom I didn't try to "educate" when they were toddlers, do the best in school. They are top 10 and top 2 percent in high school, respectively.

Reading and talking to your kids are the most important things you can do. Playing is always great but the more words you use while doing it the better and make sure they are talking to you as well.Everyday life expereinces teach young kids more than "formal education" can. I do use a schedule and try to incorperate some kind of fun learning into each and every day but that is not the focus of our days. My youngest loves to "do homework" when her older siblings are doing theirs so she has a PreK workbook that she writes in does basic math skills ext. we also spend some time looking for a certain letter throughout the books we are reading and then try to come up with things that start with that letter. She can educational play by herself on the computer and her "cool-school" computer... as well as just writting, coloring, building with blocks, etc. It is amazing the things kids just pick up when not really being "taught". If you want my daily schedule as a guide I will gladly send you a private message with it. Just let me know. I don't know the age of your kids so I'm not even sure exactly what you would be traching them... shapes and colors and talking, letters and sounds, etc. So let me know if you want some more info, just send me a personal message. Hope this helps.

another vote for reading and a big vote of confidence to the stay at home parent's best friend, your local public library! We were fortunate to have public libraries with awesome children's librarians who had regular baby lapsit and toddler story times with age-appropriate stories, rhymes, bounces, finger plays, etc. - they're also awesome at giving recommendations for books that your LO's will love.

At your kids' age, *life* is educational IMO. When you go out on walks, point out different things you see ("do you see the little gray cat in front of the big yellow house?"), whether you think your child notices or not - I found that with my kids, they were absorbing a lot of information even if it didn't look like they were paying attention. My favorite toys are things like blocks, cardboard boxes, etc., that give kids plenty of room to imagine and create.

HI R.!
Good for you for wanting to have a good routine for you and your kiddos! Even though we love being home with kids, it can also be difficult and sometimes isolating. The thing that seems to be most helpful is to have activities throughout the day that are mixed to keep interest. Do active play like dancing, music and outside play and then quieter play like reading, creative play, coloring, and alternate when they seem to be bored...Hopefully, your 2 year old and 10 mo old are napping at the same time during the day so you get a break too!

In our schedule we have snack at 10am everyday, lunch at noon, nap at 1pm, afternoon snack at 4pm and dinner at between 6 and 6:30, bath, story time, teeth brushing and bed by 8pm.

I agree with the other posters who said that at this age your kids are learning through play. And wonderfully, you get to be the one to guide them through things! Use stuffed animals or puppets to role play situations that your two year old might struggle with such as sharing, taking turns, Mommy spending time with baby, helping Mommy... kids love when you use funny voices to act out situations. And the things that you can help teach through this kind of play are endless.

Play with tactile objects... spread shaving cream on a cookie sheet and let your two year old play in it. Finger paint, Play dough, clay, sand... all good things for developing sensory and fine motor skills. Cutting play dough with the plastic play dough scissors is good practice for cutting paper later on. Painting with a brush helps them develop the skills they need for writing later. Use primary colors and mix them to show what new colors can be made with 2 primary ones are mixed. Have your 10 mo old be near by in a high chair or walker and give him the play dough cups or some other toy so he can play and listen with you and your 2 year old.

Get outside everyday!!! This make such a huge difference in kid's moods (and yours!) Even if it's just 20 minutes for a walk in the stroller on a drizzly day. When the weather gets better see if you can frequent the same couple of parks and make some park friends that way.

Play music each day... there are lots of music CD's that are kid and parent friendly. If you don't know songs that incorporate hand movements like (counting songs), five brown buns, crocodile song etc... you can look for books that can help you learn them.

Read every day! Check out the local library for story hour or just go for a change of environment and free books!

Family Fun Magazine (you can get online or by mail) is a great resource for fun things to do with kids. Check out the dollar store for cute posters to show colors and shapes.

Most of all enjoy your kids and have fun with them! They grow so fast!!

Good luck!!