Brain research says early music experiences increase and enhance spatial-temporal reasoning as well as the learning of mathematical concepts. Try this activity from 125 Brain Games for Babies with your infant to help develop these key skills.
Fast and Slow Rhythms
1. Give your baby some wooden spoons or rhythm sticks.
2. Put your little one in a high chair, or have him sit on the floor.
3. You should have some wooden spoons or rhythm sticks, too.
4. Sing a song such as "The Wheels on the Bus," and tap the sticks to the beat of the song.
5. Encourage your baby to tap his sticks, too.
6. Sing the same song faster, and tap your sticks faster.
7. Sing the song slowly, and tap your sticks slowly.
8. Your baby will enjoy watching you tap the sticks faster and slower and will begin to understand the concepts of fast and slow!
Instructions
What To Do
1. Show the children the various pictures of people working in a restaurant. Ask
the children if they have ever been in a restaurant and seen people doing
similar things.
2. Ask the children to name the jobs the various people in the pictures have.
Help the children if necessary.
3. Show the children the various materials, asking the children to identify each
item.
4. Invite the children to choose various roles and explore the experience of
working or visiting a restaurant.
5. Observe as the children experiment with these various roles. Discuss
the various responsibilities of each role. Talk with the children about the
importance of being polite and thoughtful with one another.
Assessment
To assess the children's learning,
consider the following:
l Do the children understand
the purpose of restaurants?
l Can the children identify
various roles and
responsibilities of people in a
restaurant?
l Are the children able to work
with one another in a friendly
manner?
