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

W
H A T
’
S
B
E I N G
L
E A R N E D
Children are getting an opportunity to
practice focused attention in a nonchal-
lenging activity. Even though the task of
putting straws into a bottle or chips into
a container is very simple, parents are
continually amazed at how absorbing this
activity can be, even for very little ones. I’m often
also amazed at how much even much older
children enjoy doing this activity. It must
be that dusting-off-your-hands satisfac-
tion of getting a job finished.
Children are also enhancing their dex-
terity skills, and if you have them
count the number of objects as
they put them in the container,
they can work on their counting
skills, too.
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Attention Games
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Being a Radio
Here is a game to capture your child’s attention if you are stuck waiting in
a car. It gives both you and your child something enjoyable to do to ease
the boredom of waiting.
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
Car radio
D
I R E C T I O N S
Keep the motor off so that the radio doesn’t work, then pretend to be differ-
ent stations. When your child turns the knob up, your singing gets louder.
When she turns it down, your singing gets softer. When she presses a but-
ton, you sing a different song, give the weather, say the news, and so on.
Take turns being the radio and being the knob turner.
V
A R I A T I O N S
⽧ Play this at home with a radio that is not plugged in and turn it into a
guessing game. Pretend to turn on the radio and hum a tune that your
child knows, such as “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star” or “Itsy Bitsy
Spider,” and see if she can guess the song.
⽧ If you have a piano or keyboard, pretend to be playing a song by strik-
ing the keys using both hands and singing a song. You don’t really have
to know how to play, just pretend and make sure you are singing louder
than you are playing.