Dandy Dandelions

Activity: The Dandelion Game

Take your child on a dandelion walk. Pick a dandelion to hold. See how many more dandelions you can find along your walk. Examine the dandelion with your child. Look at it through a magnifying glass. Use words such as “delicately” and “gently” to describe how to hold a dandelion. Pick a bouquet of dandelions to put in a vase at home. Compare the dandelions to other yellow things.

Activity: Free Like the Wind

It feels wonderful to hold a scarf in your hand as you move freely to music. It also gives you a sense of balance and control.

Play some instrumental music as you and your child dance with scarves. Swoop the scarf high into the air and then low to the ground. Hold the scarf out as you turn in a circle. You and your child can each hold one end of the scarf and dance together. Whatever you do, your child will copy you. This is a very creative game and your child will want to play it again and again.

Activity: Smells

Your child has a fully developed sense of smell at birth. You may have memories associated with smells.

Think of several objects with easily identifiable smells, such as flowers or grass, or spices. Say, “Let’s smell the flowers.” Hold a flower up to her nose and show her how to smell it. After you have smelled two things (for example, cinnamon and flowers), put a flower and some cinnamon on a table. Ask your child to point to the flower. Help her point if she doesn’t know how and then smell it together. Repeat the same thing with the cinnamon. Take advantage of the seasons to smell things outdoors.