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Harvest Time -
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Surfing the Internet for a free toddler game your child will enjoy… now that's an exhausting task!
Much less, a free toddler game that will help his development.
Since your time is limited and valuable, here's an idea that'll help your toddler's development in various areas, while saving you time.
Harvest Time...
A toddler game that improves hand-eye coordination, improves sorting abilities, and increases personal responsibility.
Get three paper shopping bags with handles.
Cut out from a magazine or draw a picture on each bag that represents one of these words "Books", "Animals or Dolls", and "Blocks or Building Toys".
These are your child's crop baskets... the only necessities for this learning activity for toddlers.
When you are ready to teach your child how to play this game, begin by reading him a book or telling him a story about how farmers harvest their crops.
As you read or tell the story, emphasize how the farmer places his crops into baskets for the market. While you're doing it, you're stressing an important part of this toddler learning game which is the personal responsibility aspect.
When you've finished the story, offer to show him how he can be a farmer by gathering his own toys and books.
Now... show him the produce baskets asking him to identify the pictures on each. Once you're sure that he associates each basket with specific toys and playthings, ask him if he can pick out one of each for his basket.
Keep this toddler learning game simple.
If your child returns with only one item, let him place that in the appropriate produce bag. He doesn't have to bring an item for each bag in one trip. Praise his good work and tell him he's the best farmer you've ever seen.
Once you're sure your child has a good understanding of what to do, offer a hat to wear while he is harvesting his crops. He'll really feel like a farmer while playing this toddler game… no self-respecting farmer would be caught without his hat.
When your child plays, play along. Comment on his crops and encourage him to place them carefully into the baskets.
By now you've probably realized that this learning activity for toddlers also teaches the importance of taking care of personal belongings.
Once your child has gathered all his crops, it's time to take them to the market.
Here's where this free toddler game teaches numbers.
Naturally, you're the buyer at the market. Let your child take each of his crop bags and present it one at a time.
He'll need to reach inside the bag and take out each item, counting it as he removes it. It's your job as the buyer to count along with him.
To confirm that his crop count is accurate, help him count the items as he places them back into the bag. This reinforces the counting.
Most important of all is payment for the crops.
Consider "paying" for each item in his crop basket. Payment can be a hug for each item, an extra minute of story time for each item, a sticker he can place on a special sheet of paper for display, or anything else you many fancy.
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