#8 Marshmallow and Toothpicks

So much thinking and learning can take place when your child is interested in what he is doing.

I love it when I can actually see my child learning and using critical thinking skills. When he’s really excited about an activity, he has the ambition of Lance Armstrong and the focus of a brain surgeon. There’s nothing better than watching him raise questions and work to answer them himself.

Here’s a simple hands-on activity that my son absolutely loved. It had him actively exploring physics and mathematical concepts with only marshmallows, toothpicks, and his imagination. And best of all…he thoroughly enjoyed it.

SUPPLIES
-1 bag fresh miniature marshmallows
-1 box toothpicks
(This would be, of course, for children who can safely handle toothpicks. And for those who can abstain from consuming the marshmallow manipulatives. Basically, age 3 and older.)

PREPARATION
You might spend 5 minutes clearing, wiping and drying a table, and setting out the marshmallows and toothpicks. But if you’re a super-mom whose table is always cleared and ready for a project, this will reduce your preparation time.

GOAL
Create 2 and 3-dimensional objects such as triangles, squares, rectangles, cubes, pyramids, houses, and bridges with the marshmallows and toothpicks.

TIME NEEDED
As with any learning activity, let the little physicists work on their creations until they’re done or until they express their desire to do something else. For 3 and 4-year olds this may be 10 minutes. For older children, you may want to allow an hour.

PARENTAL ASSISTANCE REQUIRED
Set-up, plus periodic visits to admire their work or explain why their ideas were beyond the capacities of physics.

MESS
Minimal. To minimize stickiness, remind the kids not to lick their fingers after touching the marshmallows, and not to squish or lick the marshmallows.

NOISE
Minimal. Expect some questions.

CLEAN-UP
About 5 minutes to have the kids take apart their structures, sort the remains, store the toothpicks to reuse, and eat the marshmallows. Of course, sticky hands and table will need to be cleaned too.

IDEAS FOR NEXT TIME
Try using grapes, cheese cubes, or apple chunks instead of marshmallows.

#7 Read. Read. Read.

Seriously. This tip to early speech and language development couldn't be simpler.

When you begin to find what your child's interests are, use them to your advantantage. Bring him books. Expanding vocabulary and builiding syntax can be so fun when he has books about things he enjoys. It couldn't be easier. Does he like dinosaurs? Ask the librarian at your public library to help you find popular dinsaur books for kids your child's age. Does your little girl love ponies? Princesses? There's something for every interest. Insects. Magic. Jokes. Tractors. Sesame Street. Clifford. Baby animals. Talking dogs. It's all there.

Pick out a few books to check out. Read with excitement. Talk about the pictures. Ask questions about what you're reading.

- What do you think will happen next (before you turn the page)?
- Why did he do that?
- Which pony is prettier?
- Which insect is bigger?
- How did he do that?
- Who's funnier?
- Where do you think he's going to land?
- What was the best part of the book?

About 2 weeks ago my 5-year old boy saw the cartoon "Martha Speaks" on PBS. He was mesmerized. He loved the concept of a talking dog. And the fact that Martha's ability to talk hinged on her eating alphabet soup cracked him up. He asked us to buy a can of soup and talked about the story several times throughout the week. And when a college friend of ours who works as a professional puppeteer dropped in for a quick visit later that week, he was excited to see my son so interested in Martha. Without our knowing it, he had recently performed a compilation of the "Martha Speaks" stories and had met the author, Susan Meddaugh. Two days later, he sent my son the book "Martha Speaks." He was so excited! Our next trip to the library was quickly planned so that he could check out the rest of the Martha books.

If your child hasn't seen them yet...look them up. You'll love them.

#6 Take a Trip to the Grocery Store

If you're involving your children in your everyday activities, they'll have so many opportunities to learn new vocabulary. There's no substitute for real life exposure to the world. When immersed in a new environment, they'll have so much to talk about. The opportunities for specific vocabulary growth will truly come to you.

If you're like most parents, I'm sure you dread the idea of packing up the kids and risking all to enter the grocery store with your young herd. You fear they'll show how cranky they can be, pull sugary cereals off the shelves, and cause a scene unfitting of a _______ (insert last name). But, think of the language opportunities! As you pass by the produce, there's "red cabbage" and "Idaho potatoes." Around the corner in the bakery, there are "pistachio muffins" and "flaky scones". And did you notice the "checkerboard pattern" of the "tile floor"?

Yes, introducing new vocabulary as you shop will require you spend a little more time at the grocery store. Don't plan your language-rich grocery adventure for that emergency grocery trip when you're in the middle of making a cake for Junior's birthday party and realized you're short 2 eggs. But next time you're off with your weekly shopping list, surprise the kids and ask them to go with you. Why leave them at home with the hubby or the sitter when you have the opportunity of a lifetime waiting for them?

I'm guessing you're still a bit hesitant. But keep in mind, if you have your kids looking for things to identify, there won't be as much time for for them to show other shoppers their true colors.