Infantino Barn Shape Sorter

We have been having fun getting ready to move across town soon so we are doing a lot of free play around the house.  I've put any crafty lessons and other things that require extra attention to the side for a while and we're just exploring the toys we have around the house.  One of Buddy and Sweetpea's current favorites is the Infantino Barn Shape Sorter.

This toy is great for teaching many different concepts like animal, color, shape, and letter recognition.  The Barn Shape Sorter also is practice with hand eye coordination and problem solving as Sweetpea or Buddy places the letters in the top or the animal shapes at the bottom.  Sweetpea is loving putting the letters in the holes at the top and looking to see them fall.  She is also working on learning the words 'open' and 'close' as we play with the barn door.  There is a clock on the side that is not visible in this picture but Buddy is currently asking "What time is it?" and he'll set the clock to a time.  Unfortunately the minute hand does not move so it always has to be an "o-clock".  Buddy can make Sweetpea laugh every time that he makes animal sounds as he maneuvers each animal piece. 

Here are a few photos of Sweetpea enjoying the barn.  Buddy was at school the day I took photos.

Peering into the top to see the letters fall in.

 Trying to place the red C on top of the barn and watching it slide down.

 One of my favorites!

Playing with the blue sheep and the door.

Playing intently.

One of the best things about this toy is how the pieces store inside of the barn and how portable it is.  I had to cook church supper last week and this was the toy that I chose to bring to entertain Buddy and Sweetpea.  All in all the Infantino Barn Shape Sorter is a great toy that can be used for lots of learning opportunities.

Playtime with Blocks

Yesterday, while Buddy was at school, Sweetpea and I had fun playing with Buddy's Mega Bloks.  (Yes, it really is bloks, I did not make a typo.)  These are blocks designed like Legos to stack and build but are much larger for toddlers.  Buddy has always loved playing with blocks and Sweetpea has recently discovered these in his room.  I brought them into the living room and she and I had fun playing together.

After some free play time, I decided to turn the blocks into a learning opportunity.   Because each block is brightly colored, Sweetpea is fascinated with them.  As she would choose a block from the bin, I would name the color.  Sometimes she would hand the block to me and I would sort them according to colors.

The purple blocks quickly became her favorite to pull out and she would dig around in the bin to purposefully find a purple block.  By the time we had to go pick up Buddy from school, she was recognizing purple, red, and yellow on a consistent basis. 

Children learn best through play time and this was an easy way to add color recognition to our play with Mega bloks.  I did not push her if she acted uninterested but kept a running commentary of what she was doing.  This block playtime also became a lesson on "cleaning up" as Sweetpea helped to place the blocks back in the bin when we were finished. 

Melissa and Doug Clock

One of our family's favorite toys is the Melissa and Doug Wooden Shape Sorting Clock that was given to Buddy when he was about 19 months old.  I've used this clock to help teach colors, numbers, shapes, and now how to tell time.  Recently, Buddy and I have been working on how to identify the hours of the day.  We've been working on learning that the minute hand goes on 12 and the hour hand goes on the number of the hour.  Buddy announced this afternoon that it was 7 o'clock and he had positioned the hands correctly.  I cheered for him then announced "7 o'clock means time to get ready for bed!"  He quickly moved the hands and then proclaimed, "Oh wait, it is only 6 o'clock!".  Buddy's quick wit amazes me most days. 

Sweetpea also loves playing with the clock but we're still focusing on color and shape recognition.  Her favorite thing to do right now is to pull the number pieces out of the clock and spread them around the house.  But that is okay and we still talk about what color and shape piece is in her hands.  While playing with the clock, I also tell her the numbers for the pieces, if they are facing her, as well because you never know what a child is learning.  Buddy was able to recognize the difference between octagons and hexagons by 21 months thanks to this shape clock!  All in all, I love this Melissa & Doug toy and the Shape Sorting Clock will stay in our toy box for a long time. 

Leapfrog Fridge Phonics

Sweetpea loves our Leapfrog Fridge Phonics Magnetic Alphabet Set and I love it too.  It was originally Buddy's but she has started to take it over. Every time we get near the refrigerator, she has to stop and at least pick up a letter magnet. 
I really like it because if you push the top button, it sings the alphabet song and the letters, when placed in the main section, sing a little song about the sounds each letter makes.  I love that it lists the long and short sounds for vowels, like E, and the hard and soft sounds for letters like C.  This Fridge Phonics Set is an easy way to work on letter recognition, letter sounds, and even skills like in and out, or on and off. 

Here are a few pictures of Sweetpea playing with the phonics set lately!

 Reaching for the letter N!

And another perk, this toy has kept both Buddy and Sweetpea occupied while I cook dinner. They are close enough that I can keep an eye on them easily but out of the way of preparations.

Purposeful Play

H is only eight months old and I know she is soaking in the world around her.  My goal is to create teachable moments for her just as I do for J.  The easiest way to help her learn about the world around her is to teach through natural play time.  One of her favorite toys right now is perfect for just that.  It is the Fisher Price Laugh and Learn Cookie Shape Surprise toy and I use it to help her learn her colors, shapes, number, and to work on motor skills.  H's favorite thing to do is chew on the shapes since she is teething.  H also likes playing with the cookie jar because when she puts a shape in or pulls one out, the toy sings to her.

 Chewing on the star.

 Putting the square back into the jar.

 Manipulating the star while Mommy says "Look H, it is a purple star!"

 And more chewing...

In case you were wondering, the cookie jar has an on/off switch and a high/low volume switch.  (Ours' stays on the low volume all the time!)  It also has two settings, one for shapes and one for numbers.  For example, when the toy is on the shape setting and the square is put in through the square on the side, the jar will comment about the square, on the number setting the square causes the jar to comment on the number 4.  It is a great toy that has proven a valuable learning tool for both of my children.