Play School with Jack~ Letter Cc

Play School for 1-Year-Old (12MO) Jack

Week Three

Letter Cc

Letter-of-the-week box~ Letter Cc

This letter Cc box was filled with cottonballs, checkers, a cone, a crocodile, a chameleon, a stuffed cat, a wooden cow, metal and wooden cars, a cat bath toy, and "c" cards.

 Surprisingly, Jack's first instinct was not to taste everything first! He carefully pulled out and explored nearly every object in this week's box.

This week, he loved exploring his box. I used fewer cards and opted for more hands-on objects.

Books~

 

 

We read Click, Clack, 123 by Doreen Cronin and A Color of His Own by Leo Lionni, but Jack wasn't very interested this week in boards books, which is completely okay! I introduced them and read them once, and he never initiated looking through them again, so I didn't force it. (Both are beautiful, fun books, regardless!)

We continued reading Charlotte's Web (Trophy Newbery) during most of our nursing sessions. Jack seems to enjoy it. He murmurs, keeping his eyes right on mine and my mouth as I read. Once, when I asked him if he wanted to have milk and a book, he clapped his hands eagerly.

More language activities~

Music (classical)-

 I introduced Jack to Beethoven's Wig 3: Many More Sing-Along Symphonies, a favorite of Aidyn's for its zany lyrics and familiar classical works. Jack seemed unimpressed, but Aidyn loved it!

 I also: 

•  narrated many activities, feelings, and sensations with Jack
• held him up to watch me cook (C is for cooking!)
• sang lullabies to him
• sang silly songs and the ABC song during meals
• counted the stairs as we descended
• counted finger foods as I lay them on his tray
• used "math language" as I cut his grapes in halves and fourths

Physical and sensory activities~

 

Jack's favorite thing to do with his cottonball box was to climb inside it. He hoisted himself in several times throughout the week and just played and practiced pouring cottonballs into cups.

 

Jack enjoyed a very active week with many opportunities for movement:

• climbing in and out of his cottonball box
• climbing onto and swaying in his rocking chair (with no assistance)
• crawling (and tripod crawling)
• standing and taking steps
• traversing the playground equipment (with spotting)
• crawling all over the Great Valley Museum
• perfecting his pincer grip while eating
• playing in the trampoline several times
• drawing with Bob Ross
• pouring cups of water during bathtime

Exploring the world

Jack joined us all on a tour of the Great Valley Museum and had just as much fun as Aidyn.

 

 

Jack also went trick-or-treating for the first time!

 

 

And on one beautiful morning, the full moon still hung in the sky, so I swooped Jack up to go take a look at it. Ever since we "moongazed," Jack has been extra fascinated with the sky.

 

Healthy Foods~

C is for cantaloupe! We implemented this tasty and healthy orange fruit into our foods all week. Taking pictures during mealtimes is difficult, so I don't have any this week!

Some healthy foods Jack enjoyed this week include:

• quinoa with banana and cinnamon (a favorite!)
• wild caught salmon
• turkey pieces
• peas and carrots (diced up small enough for him to pick up)
• scrambled eggs with spinach
• red grapes
• kiwi
• organic yogurt with mix-ins (like pumpkin and banana)
• orange and cranberry flavored water (slices of oranges and cranberries in a jug of water. No added sweeteners)

Take-Aways:
 We had a fun and exploratory week! Jack seemed the happiest crawling around in open spaces, like the playground and museum. His curiosity is insatiable, so it's fun to just let him go and explore. Now that the weather is beginning to turn, I need to find more open-spaced museums for him to discover!

Things that worked:

• fun, hands-on objects in his letter box
• less talking, more observing
• trusting Jack to explore
• only spotting his physical movements (no forcing or propping him up)
• understanding his feelings when upset and reflecting them back with words ("I see that you're angry that I did not give you grapes first. After dinner, you may have some. I know it's hard to wait sometimes.") and allowing him to cry if he needed to.

I am having so much fun witnessing Jack explore the world! All he needs me to really do is provide the opportunities and be present. I don't direct his activities; it's much more enjoyable to see him experiment and discover on his own, in his own time.