B a r b a r a s h e r I l L u s t r a t I o n s b y r a L p h

D
I R E C T I O N S
Hang a ball from a low tree branch so that it’s at the right height for your
child to hit with a bat. If it’s a plastic Wiffle ball with holes in it, it will be
easy to hang with a piece of rope or clothesline. If it’s a regular ball, put it
inside a torn pair of panty hose and hang that.
Games for 3- to 6-Year-Olds
77
08_736546 ch03.qxp 5/26/06 11:57 AM Page 77

---

Show your child how to bat at the hanging ball—though chances are,
she’ll be batting away before you even get a chance to demonstrate.
V
A R I A T I O N
It doesn’t have to be a ball hanging. It could be a stuffed toy of any kind.
How do you think piñatas got their start?
W
H A T
’
S
B
E I N G
L
E A R N E D
Focusing on and hitting something that’s swinging enhances eye-hand
coordination. Watching the trajectory of the ball when hit with different
amounts of energy also elicits awareness of patterns and causality.
The Happening Book
One of the ways to help children focus on what is happening in their lives is
to keep an ongoing Happening Book that records the daily, weekly, or spo-
radic events they’ve experienced.
When I was a young girl, my Happening Book was my scrapbook.
Collecting for it made me notice my experiences as I was having them.
Looking through it made me remember and appreciate the good moments
I was having in my life.
T
Y P E S O F
A
T T E N T I O N
E
N C O U R A G E D
Open and focused
M
A T E R I A L S
Loose-leaf paper
3-ring binder
Pens
Crayons
Tape or glue
Items from the event