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

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A R I A T I O N S
⽧ If your child is learning to read, you might want to use words rather
than pictures.
⽧ This idea can be a good treasure hunt game for a birthday party. Place
the clues outside and a good distance from each other. Children will
gleefully run from clue to clue, burning off that birthday cake sugar!
W
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S
B
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E A R N E D
Children are learning about symbols by matching a picture to a real item.
They are also learning about sequencing and that things need to hap-
pen in a certain order—first this, then this, then this, and so on. This is a
skill that children need every day. For example, whether they are brushing
their teeth or getting dressed or making a mud pie, they need to make
things happen in a certain order to be successful.
Children are also learning to persevere with a task until it is completed
and the reward achieved. Remember, a reward doesn’t have to be material;
it could be a walk to the playground with Daddy.
Mexican Yo-Yo
If you are up for making a toy out of yesterday’s empty bleach bottle, this is
an easy one to make and will give your little one some focused entertainment.
The original Mexican yo-yo is a stick with a cup and a ball on a string
attached to it. The player has to swing the ball into the cup. It’s not always
easy to do.
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Attention Games
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In this easier homemade version for little children, the cup is much big-
ger, and so is the ball.
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Focused