Showing posts with label Activities For Toddlers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Activities For Toddlers. Show all posts

Apr 9, 2018

Importance & Benefits Of Pretend Play For Kids

pretend play importance benefits kids

Pretend plays are so much fun! Kids learn a lot while pretending to be someone else. Read on to know the importance & benefits of pretend play. And look at what my 2 year old son did when he pretended to become a farmer & vegetable vendor.


Vegetable shopping anyone? My toddler has become a farmer and has got some fresh veggies from his farm. The rates are very reasonable, 2 or 3 Rs for each vegetable. Rush before the stock ends!




He sold all the veggies to me, strictly after weighing them, and put all of them into the jute bag except baby corn. That is for him exclusively, he said.


During pretend play, a child uses objects to represent something else while giving it action and motion. But this pretend play is not as simple as it may seem. 

The process of pretending builds skills in many essential developmental areas.

Social and Emotional Skills
A child experiments with social roles & relationships of life while pretending to be someone else. He has conversation to himself and others. He learns how to take turns, share responsibility, and creatively problem-solve. When your child pretends to be different characters, he has the experience of "walking in someone else's shoes," which helps teach the important moral development skill of empathy. The child begins to understand the feelings of others. The child also builds self-esteem when he discovers he can be anything just by pretending!

Language Skills
It is hilarious sometimes to listen when a child engages in imaginary play with his toys or friends? I many times hear some words and phrases I never thought he knew! In fact, I often hear my own words & phrases when my son does some kind of pretend play. Pretend play helps your child understand the power of language. 

Thinking Skills
If you think only mazes or puzzles give your child something to think about, then that is not right. Setting up a pretend play scene requires some real thinking & planning skills. They try out new ideas, new ways to solve problems, new ways to resolve conflicts and a whole variety of life skills.

Pretend plays are so much fun & enriching too!!!

What kinds of pretend play does your child involve in? Do share in the comments below.


Do not forget to follow "The K Junction" on Facebook page & closed Facebook group, Twitter and Instagram for day to day updates that might not always find a place on this blog. Subscribe to our YouTube channel to know more about our early learning journey, DIY & Montessori & Waldorf inspired activities for kids, kids books & toys reviews and much more!


Hope to see you around. Happy Parenting!


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Nov 20, 2017

Idli Making - Montessori Inspired Practical Life Activity & Importance For Toddlers (VLOG)

Practical Life Activities are of great importance in Montessori philosophy, specially for young children of 2 - 6 years. We love practical life activities in our home. My toddler is always ready to help me in the kitchen & other household chores. Read on to know what is practical life activity & its importance in early life.



What is Practical Life & Practical Life Activities In A Montessori Environment For Toddlers?

Practical : means basic, useful, purposeful
Life : means the way of living

Practical life exercises are exercises for the child to learn how to do daily routine chores & activities in a purposeful way.
Children, specially toddlers & kindergartners are naturally interested in daily chores. Hence, Dr. Montessori began to use practical life exercises to allow the child to do activities of daily life & therefore adjust himself in his culture & society.

All the materials & supplies of practical life activities should be real, familiar to the child, breakable (if applicable) & functional.

Involving you child in the kitchen is a great practical life activity!

Are you trying to find a way to peacefully cook and also engage your toddler constructively without iPads, TV and screens?

Involve your toddler in the kitchen! It's a great fine motor skill and teaches them life skills. This indirectly also helps in preparing those little fingers for writing, a great pre-writing activity.

We are a great fan of practical life activities and my son loves them.

Watch my 32 month old son making idlis out of the batter. 



You might also like 

Toddler making Omelette
Baking with toddlers
Doing laundry with toddlers
Toddler cutting potatoes for French Fries


Benefits & Importance Of Practical Life Activities In Montessori

The practical life exercises are a beginning point in the Montessori environment. They help the child in his whole development - physical, mental and moral.
  • To develop the child's concentration
  • To develop fine and gross motor skills
  • To help children towards independence
  • To establish order
  • To develop a good self-esteem
  • To appreciate and understand the limits of his environment
  • To develop a sense of responsibility
  • To aid the child in his construction
  • To appreciate culture
Read more about practical life activities in Montessori HERE.

Do not forget to follow us on Facebook page & closed Facebook group, Twitter and Instagram for day to day updates that might not always find a place on this blog. Subscribe to our YouTube channel to know more about our early learning journey, DIY & Montessori-inspired activities for kids, kids books & toys reviews and much more!


Hope to see you around. Happy Parenting!


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Jul 14, 2017

Preparing Snacks - Montessori Inspired Practical Life Activity & Importance For Toddlers (VLOG)


What is Practical Life & Practical Life Activities In A Montessori Environment For Toddlers?

Practical : means basic, useful, purposeful
Life : means the way of living

Practical life exercises are exercises for the child to learn how to do daily routine chores & activities in a purposeful way. 

Children, specially toddlers & kindergartners are naturally interested in daily chores. Hence, Dr. Montessori began to use practical life exercises to allow the child to do activities of daily life & therefore adjust himself in his culture & society. 

All the materials & supplies of practical life activities should be real, familiar to the child, breakable (if applicable) & functional.

Preparing snacks for yourself is a great practical life activity!

Are you trying to find a way to peacefully cook and also engage your toddler constructively without iPads, TV and screens?
Involve your toddler in the kitchen! It's a great fine motor skill and teaches them life skills. This indirectly also helps in preparing those little fingers for writing, a great pre-writing activity.
We are a great fan of practical life activities and my son loves them.
These days, it has almost become a ritual that my 28 month old son would help me prepare his evening snacks. I asked him if he wanted to eat paneer pakoda (cottage cheese fritters), he gladly said yes & asked me to show him how to make & insisted he makes it completely, including frying. So finally he made his pakodas & I had to force him not to fry it & be away from the gas stove :D

Watch my son in action in the video below!



You might also like 
Toddler making Omelette
Baking with toddlers
Doing laundry with toddlers 
Cutting Potatoes With Toddlers

Benefits & Importance Of Practical Life Activities In Montessori

The practical life exercises are a beginning point in the Montessori environment. They help the child in his whole development - physical, mental and moral.
  • To develop the child's concentration
  • To develop fine and gross motor skills
  • To help children towards independence
  • To establish order
  • To develop a good self-esteem
  • To appreciate and understand the limits of his environment
  • To develop a sense of responsibility
  • To aid the child in his construction
  • To appreciate culture
Read more about practical life activities in Montessori HERE.

Do not forget to follow us on Facebook page & closed Facebook group, Twitter and Instagram for day to day updates that might not always find a place on this blog. Subscribe to our YouTube channel to know more about our early learning journey, DIY & Montessori-inspired activities for kids, kids books & toys reviews and much more!


Hope to see you around. Happy Parenting!



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Jul 6, 2017

Virtual Tour Of Montessori House Of Children (Preschool/Classroom) (VLOG)

Tour Of Montessori - Free Video Series
Tour Of Montessori - Free Video Series
See for yourself what an authentic Montessori classroom looks like. We will give you a complete overview & a guided virtual tour of a typical classroom in a Montessori House Of Children (for children of age 2 - 6 years - preschool age). The K Junction & Benmont Montessori (Pune, India) have come together to create this one of a kind FREE 5 part video series that will give you an insight into all the Montessori materials used in different areas of learning like - sensorial, practical life, maths, language and culture. You can treat this as a Montessori 101 course for your toddler's learning supplies needs!




The entire video series is FREE! 



Just sign up HERE now & get these exclusive videos right into your mailbox! 



  • Are you a parent contemplating to enroll your toddler in a Montessori School?
  • Are you a confused parent who is researching an authentic Montessori School but unable to decide which one actually is because there are so many so-called called Montessori School these days?
  • Are you a parent who is homeschooling or contemplating to homeschool your toddler according to Montessori philosophy and wondering where to start or what to do next or what materials to get and what do those Montessori materials are meant for?
  • Are you an Early childhood educator or a preschool or daycare owner or a teacher who wants to know more about Montessori and wants to incorporate the philosophy in some sense in your school?
  • Are you a Montessori trained directress and or looking to set up your own school?
Then you are at the right place!



The K Junction has teamed up with Benmont Montessori, an authentic Montessori House Of Children in Pune (India), to bring to you this awesome super informative & one of a kind series of videos called the tour of a Montessori House of Children. 

You can check out the teaser videos of all the areas before signing up if you wish so! 


Sign Up HERE right away & watch our 5 FREE comprehensive tour videos!



You can follow BENMONT MONTESSORI on Facebook & Instagram.

Do not forget to follow THE K JUNCTION on Facebook page & closed Facebook group, Twitter and Instagram for day to day updates that might not always find a place on this blog. Subscribe to our YouTube channel to know more about our early learning journey, DIY & Montessori-inspired activities for kids, kids books & toys reviews and much more!

Hope to see you around. Happy Parenting!

Read More »

Jul 3, 2017

Montessori Inspired Practical Life Activity & Importance For Toddlers - Cutting (VLOG)

montessori practical life toddler cutting importance benefits preschooler

What is Practical Life & Practical Life Activities In A Montessori Environment For Toddlers?

Practical : means basic, useful, purposeful
Life : means the way of living

Practical life exercises are exercises for the child to learn how to do daily routine chores & activities in a purposeful way. 

Children, specially toddlers & kindergartners are naturally interested in daily chores. Hence, Dr. Montessori began to use practical life exercises to allow the child to do activities of daily life & therefore adjust himself in his culture & society. 

All the materials & supplies of practical life activities should be real, familiar to the child, breakable (if applicable) & functional.

Cutting is a great practical life activity!

Are you trying to find a way to peacefully cook and also engage your toddler constructively without iPads, TV and screens?
Involve your toddler in the kitchen! It's a great fine motor skill and teaches them life skills. This indirectly also helps in preparing those little fingers for writing, a great pre-writing activity.
We are a great fan of practical life activities and my son loves them.
Watch my 28 month old son cutting real potatoes and making imaginary French fries in his toy kitchen set, while I made real French fries for him!



You might also like 
Toddler making Omelette
Baking with toddlers
Doing laundry with toddlers

Benefits & Importance Of Practical Life Activities In Montessori

The practical life exercises are a beginning point in the Montessori environment. They help the child in his whole development - physical, mental and moral.
  • To develop the child's concentration
  • To develop fine and gross motor skills
  • To help children towards independence
  • To establish order
  • To develop a good self-esteem
  • To appreciate and understand the limits of his environment
  • To develop a sense of responsibility
  • To aid the child in his construction
  • To appreciate culture
Read more about practical life activities in Montessori HERE.

Do not forget to follow us on Facebook page & closed Facebook group, Twitter and Instagram for day to day updates that might not always find a place on this blog. Subscribe to our YouTube channel to know more about our early learning journey, DIY & Montessori-inspired activities for kids, kids books & toys reviews and much more!


Hope to see you around. Happy Parenting!



Read More »

Jun 21, 2017

Toddler Making Omelette - Montessori Inspired Practical Life Activity & Benefits (VLOG)


My 27 month old son helped me prepare an omelette :) Here is a quick video of this Montessori Inspired Practical Life activity !

DISCLAIMER - please take the necessary safety measures while working with kids.



Benefits Of Practical Life Activities


The practical life exercises are a beginning point in the Montessori environment. They help the child in his whole development - physical, mental and moral.
  • To develop the child's concentration
  • To develop fine and gross motor skills
  • To help children towards independence
  • To establish order
  • To develop a good self-esteem
  • To appreciate and understand the limits of his environment
  • To develop a sense of responsibility
  • To aid the child in his construction
  • To appreciate culture
Read more about practical life activities in Montessori HERE.

If you loved this post, you might also want to check out more such posts & videos on my Blog & YouTube channel. Do not forget to subscribe to both of them for regular updates! 

If you are a Facebook person then I would love to see you on my Facebook Page and closed Facebook Group where I share my daily mini stories/updates that do not always find a place on the blog & YouTube. You can also follow my updates on Twitter & Instagram (@kuhoogupta) 

Hope to see you around :)

Happy Parenting!
Read More »

Montessori Inspired Practical Life Activity & Importance - Baking With Toddlers (VLOG)

montessori practical life toddler baking


What is Practical Life & Practical Life Activities In A Montessori Environment For Toddlers?

Practical : means basic, useful, purposeful
Life : means the way of living

Practical life exercises are exercises for the child to learn how to do daily routine chores & activities in a purposeful way. 

Children, specially toddlers & kindergartners are naturally interested in daily chores. Hence, Dr. Montessori began to use practical life exercises to allow the child to do activities of daily life & therefore adjust himself in his culture & society. 

All the materials & supplies of practical life activities should be real, familiar to the child, breakable (if applicable) & functional. 

My 2.4 year old son baked a brownie for his dad to celebrate Father's day  Why should girls have all the fun in the kitchen! Here is my son baking a brownie! It is such a pleasure to see such young kids working in the kitchen. Watch the video to experience it :)




Benefits & Importance Of Practical Life Activities In Montessori

The practical life exercises are a beginning point in the Montessori environment. They help the child in his whole development - physical, mental and moral.
  • To develop the child's concentration
  • To develop fine and gross motor skills
  • To help children towards independence
  • To establish order
  • To develop a good self-esteem
  • To appreciate and understand the limits of his environment
  • To develop a sense of responsibility
  • To aid the child in his construction
  • To appreciate culture
Read more about practical life activities in Montessori HERE.

If you loved this post, you might also want to check out more such posts & videos on my Blog & YouTube channel. Do not forget to subscribe to both of them for regular updates! 

If you are a Facebook person then I would love to see you on my Facebook Page and closed Facebook Group where I share my daily mini stories/updates that do not always find a place on the blog & YouTube. You can also follow my updates on Twitter & Instagram (@kuhoogupta) 

Hope to see you around :)

Happy Parenting!
Read More »

May 17, 2017

What's On Our Montessori Inspired Shelf - Hands-On Learning Activities For Toddlers - 26 Months (VLOG)



Sharing some Montessori inspired educational activities that I had set up for my 26 months old son around Easter time. Do checkout my Easter storytelling setup HERE.




Hope you found some ideas for your child from this video.

If you prefer seeing pictures of the activities, then here are the pics!













I invite you to join me on Facebook page & group is you like so! You can also subscribe to my YouTube channel.

Happy Parenting :)
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10 Benefits Of Music Instruments (Percussions) In Early Childhood (VLOG)


Do you have music instruments in your child's toy collection? If not, then you should seriously consider adding few instruments today!

My 26-month-old son surprised everyone with his self-discovered beat pattern and that motivated me to share with everyone so many benefits of music instruments, specially percussion, in early childhood! Being a singer & musician myself, I cannot be happier to see the beat sense developing so beautifully in my son :)

Check out this video to know some awesome benefits of introducing music instruments to your child!





Happy Parenting :)


Read More »

May 5, 2017

6 Ways To Develop Mindfulness In Kids


Mindfulness can help children improve their abilities to pay attention, to calm down when they are upset and to make better decisions. In short, it helps with emotional regulation and cognitive focus.

My 2-year-old son A, one fine day - 

A (out of no where) : mumma, how to do dhyaan mudra? Pls do it for me
Me : ok here you go (and now you can see my son's picture doing dhyaan mudra, above in this post)

And then he said, 'family meditation time' ... And we both did Om chanting, Gayatri Mantra and Maha Mrityunjaya Mantra chanting together.



If you are wondering how to develop mindfulness in your toddler or how to introduce meditation or any spiritual exercise to your toddler (which is very important in today's world), here are some tips on the same - 

Start With Yourself
Start doing it yourself from today. Toddlers LOVE to imitate adults. You will wonder how beautifully they will start following you in no time & they will be proud of this fact too.

Set A Rhythm
Waldorf philosophy talks so much about setting a rhythm in a child's life. It makes the life of this little being more predictable & setting a rhythm has so many more benefits. Set an everyday rhythm for any mindfuness exercise - which means meditating or chanting mantras at a specific time of the day every day so that the practice is set into the daily rhythm of toddlers - remember they do not have much sense of time or days as yet. We have started this 'family meditation time' as a ritual with me, my husband and my son every night to introduce him to what is called 'silence lesson' in Montessori. Mindfulness and meditation come naturally to us - I'm an energy healer and Reiki practitioner myself and husband is a serious Yoga practitioner.

Sweet & Simple
Toddlers cannot process much so initially keep it super simple so that they are not overwhelmed with the entire exercise. You can even start with a simple Om chanting two or three times or just counting their breaths up to 5.

Keep Your Expectations Zero
Initially, when we started family meditation time, my son just roamed around in the room while I & my husband chanted mantras. But remember that children are listening & observing all the time, even the time when we think they are ignoring everything around them. Gradually he started sitting with us during chanting & now he chants along with us when he is in a good mood, but with eyes open hehe. When he is in a super playful mood, he even monkeys around on our laps while we chant. So the key here is to be consistent in our practice & kids will assimilate the practice gradually, but may not exhibit it always.

Do Not Limit Mindfulness To Meditation Or Chanting
Mindfulness is not just sitting with eyes closed & chanting mantras or concentrating on the breath. It also means being present & aware in your day to day tasks. One great way to be mindful when you are outdoors with your toddler is to make him listen the bird sounds, sound of the trees waving, sound of the water flowing in the streams and so on. We do this with our son & now he himself tells me when we are in a park, mumma, listen the koyal singing, mumma which bird's sound is this, mumma, I hear an ambulance siren and so on. And many times we realize these sounds after our son tells us! And I wonder when did we lose this capability of registering everything that is happening around us...

Prayers & Gratitude
It is a great idea to involve the little ones in prayers. It is equally important to teach them to express gratitude. The only way is to say grace & courtesy words often ourselves - to our little imitating monkeys :) It is so heart warming when my son says sweet thank yous when I set up new Montessori shelf activities for him or when I get him his favorite stuff to eat etc. And it is so funny & amusing to listen to something like this from my son - mumma, I got a glass of water for you, say thank you :) :)

Please do share what else worked for you in developing mindfulness in your kids!

Happy Parenting :)

This article was also featured on ChildSafeMedia on International Yoga Day 2017. Read HERE.

Read More »

May 2, 2017

Montessori Inspiration At Home - Practical Life Skills for Toddlers - Book Review


I get such questions often in my parenting workshops & as personal messages -

  • My 2/3 year old is hyper active. He does not sit at one place. What activities can I do with him?
  • I have very less domestic help. How can I keep my toddler occupied while I finish my daily chores?
  • How can I start implementing Montessori at home?
  • How can I increase the concentration of my toddler?
  • And many more such questions...
The answer is simple but rather difficult to implement. The first thing I answer to such questions is at this age, involve them in daily household chores - which in Montessori terms mean - involve your toddlers in practical life activities.

It can be as simple as pouring water from one container to another to dusting a table to bringing a glass of water to watering the plants, and so on. Many parents wonder how & what to present to the toddlers so that they will be interested. The good news is toddlers love to imitate & they love doing real work as we adults too. We just need to trust them & give them freedom within limits. Montessori practical life activities are a great way to keep them engaged & indirectly these activities help in enhancing so many more skills like fine motor, prewriting, concentration, independence, problem solving etc.

Now some announcement! :)

What do you get when four Montessori moms from different countries come together to compile their first hand Montessori practical life experiences into a book? 

 buy


I got an opportunity to review this lovely book written by Amruta Ram of Mumma Diaries, Vanessa Theil of Mama’s Happy Hive, Yuliya Fruman Welcome to Mommyhood, and Isabel Arango of Uno Zwei Tutu. The ebook is titled “Montessori Inspiration at Home: Practical Life Skills- Toddler Series” and is available as an instant download in PDF format.

 buy

 buy
It has some really useful tips to involve your toddlers in real life chores, that you rarely thought they would do, rather they love to do such tasks! The book has a lot of information about how you can implement Montessori principles at home as far as practical life activities are concerned. The design & flow of the book is easy & intuitive to follow. It has real pictures of these mommas' kids' doing those activities, so it is not something only theoretical. Everything in this book is really doable by toddlers. It has step by step instructions how to present a particular activity the Montessori way and equips you with the necessary knowledge. The bonus is a lot of printables that come along with the book that you can use in other related activities. The book also has great collections & pointers to some lovely Montessori blogs, so you can easily bookmark them & start following them for your day to day Montessori needs!


Book Details

Montessori Inspiration At Home - Practical Life Skills - Toddler Series

  • This Montessori inspired book is a helpful resource for practical life skills for toddlers.
  • There are 9 chapters that include care of self, care of a pet, care of the home, polishing, cleaning, helping in the kitchen, pouring, spooning, and setting a table.
  • Also, included with this book is a printable bundle that matches the chapter subjects.
  • There are over 30 pages of printables and resource information. These printables include matching cards, step-by-step cards, 100 Practical Life Skills Check List, and more!
 Click To Buy
Extra Resources (Included)

  • Montessori Method FAQ
  • Montessori Practical Life FAQ
  • Printable Practical Life Activities Checklist (100 Practical Life Activities for Toddlers)
  • Printable Practical Life Materials Checklist
  • Montessori Books and Resources Checklist
  • Routine chore chart (visual schedule)





Verdict

For a beginner in Montessori - this ebook is a perfect choice to start implementing Montessori elements at home without getting overwhelmed by pinterest or google results. I assure you will not be lost!

For the parents who have been implementing Montessori at home already - this ebook is a good checklist resource for things they can still implement at home with proper steps & guidance. Of course, not to mention, the printables & other extra resources are fresh from the oven to be used by experienced Montessori parents as well as beginners. 

 Click To Buy

You do not want to miss the special launch offer!!!

 buy


Know more about this book in this video




Do share how did you like this book :)

Happy Parenting!

P.S. I am an affiliate for this eBook. I have reviewed the contents as mentioned above and, trust me, a lot of hard work & implementation has gone behind this book. Certainly resourceful for parents who are trying to implement Montessori at home.
Read More »

Apr 17, 2017

What's On Our Montessori Inspired Shelf - Hands-On Learning Activities For Toddlers - 25 Months (VLOG)


Today, I am sharing with you the hands-on learning activities that I set up for my 25 months old son on his Montessori inspired shelf! Hope you like them & get some ideas from the same.

I have listed the sources of the materials & printables used in the activities in the description box of this Youtube video. Do subscribe to this blog & my Youtube channel to get the updates first!



I would love to hear your comments how you found the activities!

If you prefer to look at just the pictures, here they are -












Happy Learning & Happy Parenting :)


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Mar 17, 2017

What Are Prewriting Skills & How To Develop Them In Young Toddlers - 12 to 30 Months



Do you think you should start paying attention to your child's writing skills only when they start to write alphabets & numbers?

The answer is NO. It actually starts very early! Your child is already preparing himself to be able to write in future & you can aid his preparation with what is called "pre-writing exercises". I have compiled some really easy to do activities that can be done using simple things at home. They are engaging, educational & enriching.

What are pre-writing skills?

To put it simply, these are the skills that children need to develop, to be able to write. For example – holding a pencil, using a pencil to move around on the paper, ability to draw something, copy or colour it, ability to draw different lines, patterns, shapes etc. The skills encompass; hand and finger strength, directional movement, hand position, pencil grip, proper usage of large muscles like elbow and shoulder, proper usage of small muscles like wrist and fingers, hand-eye coordination, bilateral integration, object manipulation and so much more!

The best place to start prewriting activities is your home. You really do not need to invest in expensive materials to develop the mentioned skills. As complex as they sound, the skills are not very difficult to master. Provided you give the muchneeded exposure and stimulus to your child.
In the article linked below, I am sharing some prewriting Montessori inspired activities that you can do with young toddlers (12 to 30 months)

Check out my entire article on BABYCHAKRA HERE.
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Mar 15, 2017

Hands-on Educational Activities For Toddlers & Preschoolers & Toy Recommendations (VLOG)


My 2 year old son is currently so much interested in doing puzzles & open ended play with blocks. So I set up him Montessori shelf with interest led activities. Take a look in the video below for ideas & some great toy recommendations too :)

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Repurposing Jigsaw Puzzles - What To Do When Your Child Is Done With A Puzzle?


Are you wondering what to do with the jigsaw puzzles that your child is done with / mastered solving? Here is a simple idea how you can repurpose those puzzles & create a new activity with increased complexity!



Do you have any other ideas on how you can repurpose them? Please do share :)
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Mar 10, 2017

Holi Themed Fun Hands-On Activities For Kids


We did some #holi themed activities, basically had fun with colors!

Painting with bursting water balloons (arts & gross motor)




Painting with syringe - a mini pichkaari (arts & fine motor)



Holika dahan at home (science experiment)



Marble painting (arts & gross motor)




Making eco friendly colors - Click HERE to know the recipes.

Letter matching activity (language)


Book reading

You can read more details about the activities here at My Article On BabyChakra
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