Affordable Learning Activities
For families with children ages 2 - 7
Being a parent is a true gift. Although it can be challenging (especially during a pandemic), it is priceless to have the opportunity to experience the world from our kids’ perspectives. As a mom of two under 3, it can feel daunting to find learning activities that are fun and affordable. But these early years are instrumental in brain development. Our brains develop in spurts also known as critical periods. This occurs twice in a person’s lifetime - the first happening during ages 2-7 and another during adolescence. At the beginning of these spurts, the number of connections between brain cells doubles, yielding faster learning abilities than any other point in life. Below are 5 learning activities (under $10) that are hands-on, involve sensory learning, and instill the following skills:
Tactile skills - Learning through touch by exposing your skin to new textures. This is a skill that enables adults to “feel” around a bag to grab their car keys.
Executive function skills - Includes focus, working memory, impulse inhibition, and reasoning that helps individuals organize, prioritize, and manage their time properly.
What happens if these skills aren’t developed?
Tactile issues include clumsiness or having trouble gripping objects, like a pen when writing. According to this Harvard article, Executive Function issues include “impulse control, tantrums, and difficulty in self-regulating emotions. For others, challenges with school organization, time management, and remembering instructions are more visible. Adolescents who struggle with executive function often have a very difficult time reaching independence and making plans for the future.” Gaining these skills at a young age can have a significant impact in the long run.
1 - Check out a book at your local library (FREE)
This activity is filled with fun moments for kids! Before you enter the library, you can explain to your child that they must remain quiet because people are reading. This teaches them consideration for others and knowing that there is a time and place to be calm.
As soon as you enter the library, you can guide your child toward the books for their age group and have them choose one. Depending on the age of your little one, they can scan your library card to check out the book or have them get their own card. You can inform them that they are borrowing the book and will need to take good care of it and return it. Once you get home from the library, you can cuddle up on your couch and read. You can also print out a calendar to keep handy to show the due date of the book and remind your child weekly of when the book is due. This will help them with the executive function skill of time management. If the book is long, they will need to figure out how to read it completely before it is due (with your guidance). Lastly, take your child with you to return it. Watch their faces light up as they drop the book off at the return slot and watch it disappear.
2 - Plant something together indoors ($6)
This is a great sensory activity for your child to feel the texture of the soil and visually see the growth of the plant. It is also beneficial for them to develop tactile skills (getting familiar with different textures around them) to avoid future clumsiness or instability in gripping objects. Target sells a growing Kit for ~$6 and includes materials to plant a sunflower. Once you gather the materials to plant, have your child be part of the process every step of the way. They can help you put the soil in the pot, add water, and find a sunny spot in your house. You can use this as a teaching moment and explain that the plant is a living thing that will grow and needs to be nurtured (like playing soft music for the plant). Have your child feel the soil daily to decipher whether it is dry or wet and add water accordingly. They will enjoy watching it grow!
3 - Make pizza from scratch using your hands ($10)
This solves one of the most difficult daily decisions of “What’s for dinner?” Have a pizza night! It only takes 5 ingredients to make the dough and can be done entirely with your hands (no Kitchen Aid or rolling pin needed). This is a messy activity so brace yourself, but it is therapeutic and fun.
What you will need:
2 big bowls
3.5 cups of Bread Flour (~$6)
A packet of Active Dry Yeast (~$4)
1.5 teaspoons of Salt
2 cups of Water
1-2 tsp Olive oil
Toppings of choice - Tomato Sauce, Cheese, Pepperoni
Instructions:
Wash your hands and your child’s hands.
Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.
In a large bowl, add room temperature water with active dry yeast (either one packet or 2 + ¼ tsp if using the can of yeast) and salt. Mix it with your hands (and have your child help) until it is fully dissolved.
Add the 3.5 cups of bread flour (one at a time) and continue incorporating with your hand in a mixing motion.
Prepare a separate bowl with olive oil at the bottom.
Coat the dough with olive oil on all sides and let it rest.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel in a warm area to rise for 1-2 hours.
Flour a surface and knead the dough for 1-2 minutes.
Using your hands, roll out the pizza dough into a circle.
Add your desired toppings. This is a great opportunity to get veggies in. When a child is part of the cooking process, they are more likely to want to eat what they made.
Bake for 15-20 minutes (this depends on your oven) until the cheese is bubbly and the crust is cooked.
4 - Go on a walk and play “I Spy” (FREE)
There is nothing quite like active learning. Yes, you can show your child a picture of a tree, but it is more meaningful when they can see the real thing. Before I had kids, I never really noticed my surroundings. Now when I go for a walk, my son will spot a flag from a mile away or point out a garbage can that fell. Kids are our gentle reminders to be present and fully engaged in what is in front of us.
There are 3 variations of this activity based on your child’s development:
If your child is unable to speak, you can say the object and have them point at it.
If they are just learning to speak, ask them to show you an object (“Show me a big tree.”)
If they can speak well and fully understand objects, play I spy (“I spy something green.”)
Below I am sharing a few examples of items to point out on a neighborhood walk:
Flags
Trees
Garbage Cans
Basketball Hoops
Animals (Squirrels, Cats, Dogs, Ducks)
Cars and their colors (Black Car, Red Pickup Truck)
If you have extra time, consider changing it up by driving to a park or another neighborhood. During holidays, this is a great activity since houses tend to be decorated.
5 - Clean with your kids (FREE)
On days you are short on time or rainy days, this is a great option. This may seem tedious at first glance, but you will be amazed at how involving your kids in household duties can significantly improve their behavior. In the book “Hunt, Gather, Parent”, Dr. Michaeleen Doucleff (an American mom who found herself constantly battling her toddler) visits a Mayan village in the Yucatán Peninsula to learn how they raise such helpful children without conflict, most of which grow into adults without depression or anxiety.
How do they do it? One of the ways is by including children in household tasks from the moment they can walk. This teaches kids that they play an important role in the household and that their help is necessary. In the book, the author mentions that she grew up mostly watching adults do household tasks while kids played so this one small paradigm shift had a significant impact on her daughter’s behavior once she implemented it.
The other remarkable difference in Mayan parenting compared to Western parenting is that they approach the child in a calm and collected way when the child gets fussy. In an interview with NPR, Doucleff states, “So, for instance, you know, we often think that children are pushing our buttons or testing boundaries or manipulating us. But actually, a lot of parents don't see children that way. They see them as just really inept, illogical beings that are of course misbehaving because they haven't learned yet.”
Based on your child’s age, you can decide how much to involve them. Below, I am sharing a few ideas:
When unloading the dishwasher, hand them a spoon to put away.
Have a designated bin for toys and have your child put away their toys.
Cleaning mirrors - This is one of my toddler’s favorite chores. I spray the mirrors and hand him the microfiber rag so he can clean it. Funny enough, he is the one who gets it dirty with his hands so he is also the one who cleans it.
Sweeping the floors (with your help).
Putting laundry away.
As parents, we can easily fall into the trap of thinking that only scheduled and expensive activities are beneficial to our children’s learning and well-being. But the reality is that kids simply want time and undivided attention from their loved ones. I hope this helps inspire you to find new ways to teach, love, and bond with your child! It may surprise you that these simple things can become their favorite memories with you.