Play School with Jack~ Letter Ff

Play School for One-Year-Old (13M) Jack

Week Six

Letter Ff

Letter-of-the-week box~ Letter Ff

This week's letter box is filled with a frog puppet, a plush frog toy, a jumping frog toy and plastic frog toy, footballs, a fish, two books about farms, a fire truck book with wheels, a picture of a fox, foam letter F, and a foam number 5.

Jack enjoyed exploring his letter-of-the-week box, especially the footballs and the frog puppet. I made the puppet croak and talk to him, much to his delight.

Music~

This week, we listened to French children's songs and forest sounds on YouTube. His favorite, by far, was the video below, which simply consists of a frog singing French songs in a Chipmunk-pitched voice.

On Thursday, we played this relaxing forest sounds video and listened to the gentle sounds of forest animals, rivers, and brooks. It really mellowed the atmosphere in our home.

Other language activities~

We read Forest Babies (Animal Babies) together a few times this week. Jack enjoyed "petting" and giving kisses to all the animal babies. We talked about each animal and the sounds they make, and when he was open to it, I read him the actual text.

• lots of talking, listening, and signing (still working on "more" and "banana")
• ABC song and counting
• talking about pain (he was dealing with some terrible teething pain, so we talked a lot about pain, where it was coming from, and medicine to help relieve it)

Physical/Sensory activities~

Jack is still mastering the skill of walking. He certainly walks more than ever but still relies on crawling to get him places fast. He's also still climbing up and down stairs and has become quite adept at it. Rocking in his little red rocking chair is one of his favorite activities.

 

Exploring the world~

We went hiking along the Tuolumne River in Modesto, and though I mostly carried Jack in the wrap, he enjoyed looking up at the trees and pointing whenever a bird flew overhead. He held branches, acorns, oak leaves, and other nature treasures.

His favorite part was crawling and walking in the dirt and leaves. He mucked through it all, picking up tiny sticks and throwing acorns, until his pants and socks were full of crunched-up leaves. When we got home, he took the longest nap he's ever taken.

Now that the weather is cooling down, it's hard to get outdoors as often, but the payoff is worth it!

Take-Aways~

• We need more outdoor/nature time, even if the weather is terrible
• I really enjoyed playing nature sounds instead of only traditional music
• I would like to incorporate Jack into more of homeschooling activities, especially poetry teatime and P.E. class (as just an observer, of course.)

There will not be a play school post next Sunday because we are taking the week off to enjoy the Thanksgiving holiday. But we'll be back with letter Gg!

Play School with Jack~ Letter Ee

Play School for 1-Year-Old (13M) Jack

Week Five

Letter Ee

(Pictures/comments for this week are sparse because Jack is busy mastering how to walk and he is cutting a tooth, so I have been busy observing and healing his jaw pain)

Letter-of-the-Week box~ Letter Ee

Letter Ee box is filled with egg cartons, letter Es, an elephant finger puppet, an egg and chick stencil, a large elephant card, envelopes, cards with an eagle and elephant, and the book Green Eggs and Ham.

Again, this week, Jack showed disinterest in his letter box. I'm assuming it's because he's busy with walking! Still, I left it out for him to explore but never forced him to play with it. 

Music~

We lovingly flooded our home with the King of Rock 'n' Roll: Elvis Presley. I played YouTube playlists of Elvis music and sang and danced along with them. Jack seemed to enjoy the new music.

Other language activities~

• lots of talking, listening, and conversing
• continued sign language exposure (mostly "more" and "banana")
• singing the ABCS
• counting (steps, buttons, fingers, and toes)

Physical and sensory activities~

As I mentioned, Jack is focused on walking right now. He constantly practices pulling himself up (on furniture and without assistance) and takes many steps. Pulling himself on a riding toy is his latest victory. He's also been working on his pincer grasp.

Take-Aways:

When Jack is more consumed with a emerging gross motor skill, I have learned he is less interested in other activities, which is okay. My only goal for this stage is exposure (not mastery). 99% of what I'm doing is strewing and allowing him to explore on his own timetable. Meanwhile I am learning him, what he likes and doesn't care for right now and his personality.

Play School with Jack~ Letter Dd

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

Week Four

Letter Dd

Letter-of-the-week box~ Letter Dd

This week's letter box was filled with dominoes, dinosaurs, a dolphin, an orange die, a duck, a picture of a dragonfly, cards (duck, doll, the letter D, the word "dog," donkey), and foam letter Ds.

Jack wasn't very interested in his Dd box this week with the exception of the dinosaurs. He loved playing with the little toy dinos!

He explored it on the first day, and maybe once during the week, but nothing except the dinosaurs grabbed his attention.

D is for dump your toys!

Music~

This week, we listened to Disneyland music. I searched YouTube for baby-friendly Disneyland music and found several playlists of Disney songs on piano (with usually a single image) and Disneyland music loops (again with a single image until the "land" or mood changed).

 

 Here are two, but there are many more available on YouTube. My goal was to immerse ourselves in Disneyland music (mostly instrumental) without  all the flashing images. While the music played, Jack typically played with his toys, crawled around, and practiced walking.

Other language activities~
 Throughout the week:

• I sang songs to Jack
• I talked with him during nursing sessions
• I talked with him during diaper changes and other caregiving activities
• I sang the alphabet song
• I counted stairs we descended or fruit pieces I served
• I used "math" language when serving halves and fourths of fruit pieces
• Jack said, "I done!" after eating breakfast one morning
• Jack practiced his babbling and baby talk
• We started a sign language "program" (very loosely), focusing on signs for "more," "banana," "grapes," and "milk." I practice them with him every day during meal time, only concerned with exposure, but he has signed back "more" a couple times!
We have been using Sign With Your Baby: How to Communicate With Infants Before They Can Speak .

Physical and sensory activities~

 Jack was fascinated with taking his foam letters out of this tub and putting them back.

 Watching rain fall outside.

 Playing with crayons.

  He loves grabbing Adyn's light-saber and standing with it. He walks well if he's holding one.

Jack enjoys climbing onto his little red rocking chair. Although I never help him up into it, he crawls onto it, stands, and sometimes rocks himself on it.

Take-Aways:
We had a very simple week. Jack is right at the precipice of being a full-fledged walking child, so it's been fun just watching him work his leg muscles and test his balance. I still do not assist him with walking or coax him into doing it. I trust that he will walk as he wishes on his own timetable.

We decided not to go on any field trips this week because we are saving for two very important D activities: Disneyland in December! 
Despite the more chill environment, I've enjoyed simply observing his independent play.   

 

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.