SYNOPSIS: In the party boxes today, a clock and a watch - or is it a measurer and a bug? Meanwhile, Snuffles is bothered by the sound of a tap dripping in his room.

THEME(S): Numbers and telling the time.

1) EXPLORING YOUR BODY    "stop start"
Stand with your child and clap a simple rhythm together (for example 1, 2, 3, 4, 1, 2, 3, 4). Walk, dance, skip, hop or march in rhythm with the clapping. Clap faster and keep time with the clapping. Explore fast and slow. Practice stopping and starting. This is a great way to walk to the letterbox!
Rhythm is a natural way to start your child counting. It is also a relatively easy way to focus your child on getting somewhere, and it makes it fun. You can make this game as difficult or simple as you choose.

2) EXPLORING YOUR MIND    "softloud sounds"
Listen for loud and quiet sounds with your child. Ask them questions and name what they're hearing, for example 'do you hear the clock ticking?' 'do you hear the leaves rustling' 'do you hear the aeroplane?'. Ask them whether the sound is loud or quiet. You can both use loud or quiet voices to illustrate this.
Awareness of different sounds and the strength of the sound is a foundation of early maths. It is developing the ability to classify things into sets. This activity also helps children explore their own vocal range.

3) EXPLORING YOUR SELF
Telling the time is a difficult concept for small children. Start with routine times of the day - lunchtime, dinnertime, and bedtime. Use words like 'before' 'after' and 'now'. This will enable the child to have some concept of time. One good way to phrase this so a child can understand is to use the words 'when' and 'then' (i.e when (you've eaten breakfast), then (it's time to play with the toys)).


Party Animals Parent Teacher Activities created by Elizabeth Donnelly.
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