What learning activities do you do?

SeaStar430

Starting next week I'm going to be a SAHM, and I'm terrified that I'm not going to be able to give her what daycare does.  She's on such a great schedule there, learns SO much that I would never even think of teaching her, she comes home with new words and dances and concepts every day.  She also gets to play with all her friends there.  I'm going to join a moms group, but I'm afraid that I'm not going to be able to teach her as much.  Do you have lessons that you do?  How do you make sure they are getting socialized enough?  I feel like just her and me in a house for months is going to get really old really quick.

nekorayne

We do all sorts of stuff! We are apart of a moms group and we go to the library and such.

I think our lose based schedule really helps us stay active. So at 9:00 everyday we go outside and do something. Some days it is a walk, some days we play on the porch, water the garden, bubbles, etc... If we can't go outside we do something fun inside. Then 10:00 is nap time, etc....

My blog has an activity index and you can click on the "tot school" tag to see more.

Edited to say that experiences are a big learning thing at this age.  They learn through play and just about everything teaches something.

susanmosley

Don't fret and follow her lead.  

She learns how to socialize by watching you and the world around her.  Actually, at least half of her social development is nature/innate/neurological development, not nurture.  Our brains are wired to be social creatures, to develop relationships, and to observe and assess our surroundings.  Don't worry about the social stuff.  She is fine.  In fact, perhaps there is a benefit to children having more independent/family time as they are little to develop a sense of self and understanding who they are and where/what they are from before having to battle it out in real life and sort through the massive amounts of incoming information.  

Let me step from that soap box to this one over here.

As far as learning goes...again, kids are curious and explorers by nature.  Follow her lead - if she is mesmerized by the big machine cutting down the tree next door, watch it out the window, talk about the people/jobs, the tree, the reason it has to come down, make a construction paper tree, stick a carrot in some water and watch it grow roots, etc.  There is no set curriculum that your child is missing out on as a 1, 2, 3 year old.  Experiences, exposure, conversations and explanations go a long way.  

Enjoy it.   

kcisthebombdotcom

Just talk to her a lot as you go about your day. That is the biggest thing you can do in terms of language development. Read books, take her places, sing her songs. The internet is a great tool to find things like that.

In terms of activities, we have a membership to the children's museum and zoo, which DS loves (DD just doesnt get it yet, lol). We also go to story time at the library twice a week, where they sing songs, read books, and he gets to play with other kids for a few hours.

spiritenergy

At your daughter's age I focus on experiences not teaching. She will learn a lot through exploring and trying new things. Things that you can do:

1. Read to her. I take both kids to the library and both kids get to pick out books. We read daily. Sometimes she will just point to pictures and say, "this" and other times she wants to hear the story.

2. Take her outside and go for a walk. I take my DD for a walk daily. She touches trees, picks dandeloins, and jumps in puddles.

3. Painting. I let DD paint outside.

4. Putting things in and out of boxes or bags. My DD can do this for hours. She loves putting objects inside of something. This helps her eye hand coordination.

5. Coloring. DD loves to color. This also helps her fine motor skils.

6. I let her help me cook. She get flour and water in a little bowl with a spoon when I mix things.

7. Stacking blocks. Again this helps fine motor skills.

8. Kicking and throwing balls. We go outside and kick and throw balls. This helps large motor skills.

9. We talk. I tell her what I plan to do today. I tell her the weather. I tell about random things on my mind.

10. We pretend play. We brush baby doll hair or our own. We brush their teeth. We give them play food.

For socialization I just make sure that she gets to see other kids outside of her brother. You can read about some of the things we do in my homeschool blog.