Great Book: Teaching Through Creative Play
by Lori S. Dickson & Lisa W. Wamsley
from 
JoeUser Forums
JoeUser Forums
I wish I'd found this book sooner!
I've spent the last 3+ years as a stay-at-home mommy. Countless days I've spent wondering what the heck to do with my son...fun activities, mentally stimulating games, interaction with other kids. I've bought books, searched libraries, hunted online, asked other moms what they do with their own kids all day...but only came back with little hints here and there.
One book I bought on Amazon.com without being totally sure of its contents was a Montessori approach to early childhood rearing. It claimed to have lots of activities for children, in age-appropriate categories. While I loved their approach, many of their ideas required having to purchase some pretty obscure, involved games that I've never seen in stores, and they don't tell you where to buy them. So I threw up my arms and carried on with teaching my son about the world through normal interaction, which I find boring.
Well at the library last week I grabbed a book off the shelf in the parenting section and I love it. It was published in 1988 so I'm sure there must be other books like it out there, as well as more recent editions of it. It's just what I've been hunting for THREE SOLID YEARS!! So I'm not going to keep it a secret, in case there are other mommies like me out there who sit at home wondering how to keep their small children mentally engaged. (But somehow it seems to me that every other stay-at-home mommy has had this stuff figured out all along.)
The book is packed with 475 short, to-the-point descriptions of activites for tiny children. It's categorized by age groups and areas of development. Fine motor, gross motor, language-building, and cognitive activities for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers. It's got it all. And they're truly fun, easy-to-prepare activities! Some of the activities require the parent to make simple toys that resemble toys found in stores. This book can save a parent some serious money. Don't give in to spending $5 - $200 on simple things that you can make at home! The child won't notice the difference.
Although children pick up these skills through everyday living anyway, it can be a fun, bonding experience to put some deliberate effort into enjoying constructive activities with them.
I was surprised to find the section for infants in this book. I remember sitting at home with my tiny new son all day wondering, "What the heck am I supposed to do with him?" This book would have saved my sanity and given both my son & I many synapse-creating opportunities. Otherwise, two words that could easily have described my son & me all these years could be "braindead," and "lethargic".
Anyway, I'm glad I found this book. It's what I've needed all along. Our upcoming daughter will hopefully have a huge advantage over the mommy I've been for my son: maybe this book will help me be a FUN, CREATIVE mommy for a change.
So I'm sharing it with anyone who's interested. Pooh-pooh to copyright restrictions. Here are some samples of the book:
I've spent the last 3+ years as a stay-at-home mommy. Countless days I've spent wondering what the heck to do with my son...fun activities, mentally stimulating games, interaction with other kids. I've bought books, searched libraries, hunted online, asked other moms what they do with their own kids all day...but only came back with little hints here and there.
One book I bought on Amazon.com without being totally sure of its contents was a Montessori approach to early childhood rearing. It claimed to have lots of activities for children, in age-appropriate categories. While I loved their approach, many of their ideas required having to purchase some pretty obscure, involved games that I've never seen in stores, and they don't tell you where to buy them. So I threw up my arms and carried on with teaching my son about the world through normal interaction, which I find boring.
Well at the library last week I grabbed a book off the shelf in the parenting section and I love it. It was published in 1988 so I'm sure there must be other books like it out there, as well as more recent editions of it. It's just what I've been hunting for THREE SOLID YEARS!! So I'm not going to keep it a secret, in case there are other mommies like me out there who sit at home wondering how to keep their small children mentally engaged. (But somehow it seems to me that every other stay-at-home mommy has had this stuff figured out all along.)
The book is packed with 475 short, to-the-point descriptions of activites for tiny children. It's categorized by age groups and areas of development. Fine motor, gross motor, language-building, and cognitive activities for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers. It's got it all. And they're truly fun, easy-to-prepare activities! Some of the activities require the parent to make simple toys that resemble toys found in stores. This book can save a parent some serious money. Don't give in to spending $5 - $200 on simple things that you can make at home! The child won't notice the difference.
Although children pick up these skills through everyday living anyway, it can be a fun, bonding experience to put some deliberate effort into enjoying constructive activities with them.
I was surprised to find the section for infants in this book. I remember sitting at home with my tiny new son all day wondering, "What the heck am I supposed to do with him?" This book would have saved my sanity and given both my son & I many synapse-creating opportunities. Otherwise, two words that could easily have described my son & me all these years could be "braindead," and "lethargic".
Anyway, I'm glad I found this book. It's what I've needed all along. Our upcoming daughter will hopefully have a huge advantage over the mommy I've been for my son: maybe this book will help me be a FUN, CREATIVE mommy for a change.
So I'm sharing it with anyone who's interested. Pooh-pooh to copyright restrictions. Here are some samples of the book:
