Are you looking for new activity ideas to incorporate into your classroom or program? Vroom is a free resource for parents and early learning professionals that shares tips and activity ideas to support learning with little ones, in everyday situations.
These evidence-based activities support cognitive, language, and social development that can be integrated into birth-5 caregiving routines. Vroom seeks to make these activities accessible during your busy day, by sending tips and reminders through its app and in text messages in English and in Spanish. For more information about Vroom’s resources, click here or check out some of their activities below.
Activity: Find clean and safe household objects like paper towel tubes or empty plastic bottles you and the child(ren) can roll. Invite them to crawl or walk to get the objects as you roll them away. Then give them a turn to roll something to you. Talk about which items roll farthest and why that might be.
Brainy Background: The back and forth with rolling demonstrates the give and take of communication and builds on the child’s abilities to pay attention to where objects go and to control their body to follow them. It is also a fun demonstration of math and science ideas, like cause and effect.
Activity: Show children the world from different points of view. When they’re in your arms, crouch down low or gently lift them up in the air. Describe what you’re doing and respond to their reactions. “You’re as high as the light! Look what you can see up here!”
Brainy Background: Moving children around and talking about what you’re doing helps them learn about important concepts like shape and space. Children learn these concepts through back and forth conversations, where you follow their lead and respond to their reactions.
