Activity 1

Egg Pencil skills

What you’ll need

The egg pencil skills worksheet. A pencil or pen.

Method

First ask your child to write their name on the top. If they are unsure you can write it for them to copy or trace. Ask your child to use their finger to trace over the patterns on the egg. Next give them a pencil or pen and explain that the pen should try to stay on the ‘train track’ (often describing the pencil as a train and the lines as a train track helps them to understand the task).

What did we learn?

Physical development: Moving and handling -     Show a preference for a dominant hand, holds pencil between thumb and two fingers, no longer using whole hand grasp, can copy some letters in their name.

Activity 2

Easter Egg/Toy Hunt

What you’ll need

Your child’s favourite toy or Numbered Easter eggs – or you might like to print the eggs (see MCK at home TWINKL Numbered Eggs sheet (numbers 1-10 or to extend some children further to 20).

Method

This can be played either outside in the garden or inside and is a good activity to play with the whole family. One person hides the toy while the others leave the room. Once hidden, everyone must try to find it. Once they have spotted where it is they must be encouraged not to tell anyone else and just sit down to indicate to everyone they have seen it! It’s fun to also help by saying “You’re getting warmer!” “You’re now getting colder!”

If playing with Easter eggs (printable versions available to download) These can be hidden around the room or garden. Give your child a piece of paper and a pen and get them to hunt for the eggs. Once found they need to identify the number and record it on their paper. Another way would be to write each number on your child’s piece of paper and get them to mark it off once the number has been located.

What did we learn?

Personal, social, emotional development

Listening to directions and managing their emotions. 

Mathematics

To identify numbers and pencil motor skill

Activity 3

Baby Snaps 

What you’ll need

• Baby photograph(s) of your child you are willing to cut into a puzzle
• A mirror (optional)
• Scissors 

Method

Show a photograph to your child of them as a baby and look at it together, encouraging your child to see and discuss how they have changed. Your child may wish to look in the mirror for physical differences or may want to comment on what they can do now that they could not do as a baby. If this photograph is a spare one then cut the photograph into pieces using wobbly lines. Invite your child to put the photograph back together again like a jigsaw. If you choose to repeat this activity with a different baby photograph it would be helpful to you if you cut the pieces in an alternative way, for example using zig zag lines, to avoid confusing the 2 puzzles you have made or draw the same symbol on the back of all the pieces that belong together. 

To encourage your child to get active you may wish to hide the puzzle pieces around a room or garden for them to collect and then place together. 

*Choose how many pieces to cut each photograph into depending on your child – 2 pieces, 4 pieces, 6 pieces… or maybe even more! 

** When cutting up the photograph please emphasise to your child that this is something an adult can do as this is a spare photograph. If you prefer not to cut up your own photographs you could try and find a baby photograph in a magazine or catalogue to cut up. 

We would love to see your sweet baby puzzles and you can show us by uploading on Instagram and adding the hashtag #MountCarmelatHome, posting on our Facebook page or uploading photos to Famly.

What did we 

learn?

Communication and Language (CL):

We are learning to use talk to connect ideas and explain what is happening.

We are learning to build up a vocabulary that reflects the breadth of our experiences. 

Understanding the World (UW):

We are learning to talk about some of the things we have observed, and we are developing our understanding of changes over time.