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
This game is an opportunity for a fun connection between the players and
is a chance to be openly creative and spontaneous. It gives children a good
Games for 1- to 3-Year-Olds
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example of how to focus their attention with very few props. It’s also a good
excuse to sing favorite songs. Children don’t seem to mind if you haven’t
got perfect pitch.
If you play the variations, you’re encouraging your child’s awareness of
pitch and patterns, and enhancing her ability to memorize—a lot of bang
for the buck.
Catch a Falling Scarf
Ball playing can be intimidating to a child just learning to coordinate his
movements. It isn’t so much the throwing of the ball as the trying to catch
and missing that can undermine a small one’s growing confidence.
Scarf catching is a great way to start feeling competent. A scarf moves
so much slower than a ball that it gives wiggle room for learning.
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
Scarf
D
I R E C T I O N S
Show your child how to throw the scarf up in the air and catch it out
of the air as it floats down. Let him experiment on his own, then
try tossing the scarf back and forth between you.
V
A R I A T I O N S
⽧ Encourage your child to try different ways of catching. Sometimes let the
scarf fall gently down into his waiting hands. Other times have him try to
snatch it out of the air or jump up to get it while it is still overhead.