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

Games for 1- to 3-Year-Olds
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W
H A T
’
S
B
E I N G
L
E A R N E D
Children are learning the properties of metal by seeing the similarities
among objects to which the magnet will adhere.
They are learning how to scan their environment to look for the clues
that tell them which objects are metal and therefore attracted to the
magnet.
They are also focusing in on the properties of magnets themselves and
how some sides will be attracted to each other and other sides will repel.
This can be a fascinating discovery and can elicit long periods of concen-
tration.
Put a Lid on It
When my godchild Nolan was fifteen months old, he was fascinated with
the experience of putting the lid back on a plastic water bottle. He would
fumble, drop, and persevere until he got it on right. This could be frustrat-
ing for the rest of us when he’d want to stop and practice in the middle of a
vigorous hike. Still, his mother and I couldn’t begrudge him his experimen-
tal learning time. For a new learner, putting lids on bottles is pretty inter-
esting stuff that captures his attention.
Plastic bottles are almost inescapable in our lives, and whether we save
them for recycling or toss them in the wastebasket, we can still get this good
use out of them.
T
Y P E O F
A
T T E N T I O N
E
N C O U R A G E D
Focused
M
A T E R I A L S
Plastic bottles in different sizes and their lids
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Attention Games
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