Play and Learn Every Day

Let's Rock Elmo

10:46 AM

Today Ethan received a late Christmas present, Let's Rock Elmo! It's so cute and he absolutely loves it!

Ethan was happily tapping away on Elmo's drums to the music and even repeated 'la la la' into the microphone when I handed it to him. A great toy to help with Ethan's Creative Development as he sings and dances along with Elmo.

15 months old

Cooking Play

10:44 AM

As we're back from holiday now and it is still January I'm trying to get back into healthy eating and cooking. What better way than to have Ethan help me in the kitchen by doing his own cooking!

Ethan loves playing with his pots and pans, putting in the pretend food and stirring it around. He's always watching me prepare his meals in the kitchen, so I use the same language whilst we play with his cooking toys to help with his Knowledge and Understanding of the World by making a connection between his play and preparing real meals.

15 months old

Driving Cars

10:47 AM

Today we went to a play group and Ethan sat in the car for almost the entire time! He absolutely loves it!

It was actually really great, because he was so shy he took ages to move away from me, I think being away for so long made him a bit unsure of being back at play group. Once he found the car he was happy to sit and play with the steering wheel whilst watching all of the other children play around him, improving his Personal, Social and Emotional Development.

15 months old

Discovering all the toys!

10:42 AM

After coming back from holiday Ethan was very excited to be reunited with his toys. We just had a day of getting over our jet lag whilst pulling everything out of all of the boxes, remembering how things work and having lots of fun. Watching Ethan rediscover his toys was like watching a reunion, an interesting exercise for his Personal, Social and Emotional Development as you could almost see the cogs turn in his head as he remembered all the toys he had left behind.

15 months old

Foam Play

7:23 PM

Today we had our last day of fun water play in the sunshine. We filled a washing up bowl with soapy water to wash the tea set and to play with the foam!

Ethan loved exploring the foam, throwing it around, using the brush to scrub the tea cups and getting foam all over the place! We talked about washing up and how Mommy does the dishes in the kitchen at home, a great activity for his Knowledge and Understanding of the World in 2 ways, exploring the foam with his senses as well as connecting his activity to an everyday activity with a purpose.

15 months old

Collecting Treasures at the Beach

7:22 PM

Today we had another wonderful day at the beach, armed with our bucket and spades. Ethan found all sorts of things in the sand, and we decided it would be fun to collect all of these treasures in his bucket.

We walked around picking up shells, rocks and sticks and put them into the bucket. We then put some water into the bucket to rinse the sand off of our treasures. Ethan was fascinated with this process, and with putting his treasures in and out of the bucket of water. He discovered so many things on the beach today, developing his Knowledge and Understanding of the World and having so much fun!

15 months old

Surprise Ice Cubes

7:21 PM

Today's activity took a little bit of preparation, but it was absolutely worth it to have these surprise ice cubes!

What you'll need:

yoghurt pots or other small containers
small toys to fit inside
water
a freezer

I found some yoghurt pots yesterday and searched all around our toy boxes for some little toys that fit inside. Then I filled them with water and put them in the freezer overnight. Then today we had some lovely surprise ice cubes to play with!

It was really interesting to watch Ethan play with them, he really wasn't sure at first because the ice was so cold. It's funny how something so simple like an ice cube is such a mystery to a toddler, he expanded his Knowledge and Understanding of the World by exploring the ice cube and watching it melt in the heat to then discover the toys inside.

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15 months old

Tea Party

7:20 PM

Today we were able to play outside with water again, so we brough out the tea set and practised tea pouring.

Ethan loved pouring the water from the tea pot into the cups and then drinking from the little tea cups. He also loved stirring the water around with the little spoons and, of course, pouring water all over himself! The challenge was trying to pour the water into the tea cups, which he was able to do and is a good task for his Physical Development. The further lesson will be learning to stop pouring once the cup is full.

15 months old

Painting with Water

7:19 PM

Today we took advantage of the warm weather and garden space to have some 'messy' play outdoors. We took a bucket of water and some paint brushes and we painted the bricks!

Ethan loved playing with the water in the bucket and soon got the hang of painting with the brush on the bricks. I wish that we were able to do this more, it was so nice to have so much space for him to paint and not worry about the mess. I think it's a great way to learn how to paint with a big brush and a huge canvas. We don't do enough Creative Development, so this was a wonderful opportunity for Ethan to be able to paint in any way he liked with no boundaries.

15 months old

Pool Party

7:18 PM

Today we had a pool party for Ethan and all of his friends. We were lucky to have beautiful weather, the perfect day to be in the pool.

Ethan spent a lot of time in the pool with Daddy, swimming, splashing and watching other kids. Ethan was fascinated with all of the big kids jumping in the pool, and they all wanted to play with him as well. It was a great day for his Personal, Social and Emotional Development as he learns so much by watching older kids and interacting with them.

15 months old

Walking in the Arboretum

7:17 PM

Today we went for a walk in the arboretum.

It was a great opportunity to introduce Ethan to lots of natural things and let him explore as part of his Knowledge and Understanding of the World. He loved looking around at all the different trees, having a play with the pine cones and watching the baboons!

15 months old

Discovering Lunch

4:20 PM

Today I decided to give Ethan a special lunch that he could explore and play with in a different way. I got the idea from Pinterest to use an ice cube tray to hold all sorts of little foods.

Ethan loved being able to choose from such a selection of foods (and not having to wait to have his favourite things!) It was great for me as well, to see what he really wanted to eat first, and he surprised me by going along and eating almost everything. We talked about all of the different foods and how they were all healthy and would make him grow big and strong. Ethan sometimes struggles to choose between things and to pace himself when eating, so this was a good activity for his Personal, Social and Emotional Development.

15 months old

Petting Zoo

4:19 PM

Today we went to a petting zoo!

Ethan was so intrigued by all of the animals, he's really showing interest in animals a lot more than he has in the past. We used this opportunity to teach Ethan about being gentle with the animals and being careful around them as some animals might be dangerous. He was happy to just watch the animals as I told him what they were called and what sound they make, great for his Knowledge and Understanding of the World to see all the animals from the stories we read in real life.

15 months old

Walking, Walking, Walking

4:18 PM

Today we are celebrating as Ethan took his first steps yesterday! So today is all about walking, here, there and everywhere! (In the hopes that we can capture these precious first steps on camera :)

In terms of development, it could be considered late that Ethan is only taking his first steps at 15 1/2 months, but we're really not concerned. He was showing great signs of progress for ages and happily crawling and climbing everywhere. Now he's showing a lot more interest in walking, wanting to hold hands and walk as well as holding onto other things (there's a cute little doll's stroller that he loves to walk with here) and walk. So we're really encouraging him now and giving him lots of praise for the excellent progress he's making with his Physical Development.

15 months old

Water Play

4:17 PM

Today was so hot! We were desperately searching for ways to keep cool, so yet again it was back to basics and time to get creative! A bowl full of cool water, a cloth, some cups in the cooler box full of water and we had some fabulous water play stations!

Ethan loves to play in the water and was especially happy to be getting wet today. He was pouring the water over himself, using the cups and the cloth. He was pouring and squeezing and spilling away for ages. Ethan has definitely developed a deeper understanding of the properties of water whilst we've been away, all a part of his Knowledge and Understanding of the World.

15 months old

Playing in the Dirt

4:16 PM

Today I had to put my worries about cleanliness aside, as Ethan had fun just playing in the dirt!

He had so much fun! Dirt has a different sort of feel to it than sand, and it leaves marks all over your clothes and your skin, so it was absolutely fascinating for Ethan. Knowledge and Understanding of the World developing in the most basic of ways, as Ethan got acquainted with the dirt on the ground!

15 months old

Long Car Ride

4:15 PM

Today we were in the car for a long time, driving to our weekend destination a few hours away.

Being in the car for a long time is always challenging for a toddler, we brought a bag full of toys, but it didn't take long before Ethan was tired of those and we had to get creative. We made up games and sang songs to pass the time. Ethan particularly enjoyed anything that involved actions or tickling, so we did This Little Piggy, Round and Round the Garden, Incy Wincy Spider, Head and Shoulders, and just generally danced and sang to songs on the radio. This was a great way to work on our Creative Development in a confined space!

This little piggy went to market,
This little piggy stayed home,
This little piggy had roast beef,
This little piggy had none,
And this little piggy went weeeeeeee all the way home.

Round and round the garden, like a teddy bear.
One step, two steps
Tickle you under there.

Incy, Wincy spider
Climbed up the waterspout
Down came the rain
And washed the spider out.
Out came the sun
And dried up all the rain
And Incy, Wincy spider
Climbed up the spout again.

Head, shoulders, knees and toes,
knees and toes.
Head, shoulders, knees and toes,
knees and toes.
And eyes and ears and mouth and nose
Head, shoulders, knees and toes,
knees and toes.

15 months old

Restaurant Play

4:14 PM

Today we went to a restaurant for lunch. While on holiday we've been going to more restaurants than we usually do at home, so we've had to find some very creative ways to play and learn while we're out, to keep Ethan occupied and happy.

Many restaurants are great and they provide crayons and colouring sheets, which is fantastic! We have great fun colouring, asking Ethan to colour in certain areas or use certain colours, a great way of building his Creative Development while we're out. But that doesn't always keep Ethan busy for very long. We also find other (safe) things on the table for Ethan to play with, he loves sugar packets, menus, napkins, straws and cups...we even taught him to 'cheers'!

15 months old

Exploring the Playground

4:13 PM

Today we went to a huge playground!

It was so much fun taking Ethan around to all of the different areas and letting him explore bridges and slides and all sorts of climbing frames that are so different to the ones that we have at home. Ethan is a keen climber so he had a blast going up and down the different obstacles, it's always great to find ways to challenge him and his Physical Development. One of Ethan's favourite things to do wherever there are other kids is to watch them! He could sit for ages just studying their every move, I think it must be helping with his development as he often tries to do what they've done. It's wonderful to watch him try to interact with them as well, a wonderful way to exercise his Personal, Social and Emotional Development.

15 months old

Swimming in the Pool

4:12 PM

Today we had a really relaxing day, it was nice and hot outside so we spent a lot of the day swimming in the pool!

Ethan loves the water, he took swimming lessons when he was tiny, but we haven't found the time to continue them. He hasn't been swimming since we were on holiday in the summer, so it took a little while for him to get used to the water again. But after a short time he was splashing and kicking happily! Swimming is such a fantastic activity for Ethan's Physical Development, he's learning to use his arms and legs and to coordinate different body movements.

15 months old

Beach Play

4:11 PM

Today we went to the beach! It was great to see Ethan happily playing in the sand and the water for the first time in such a long time.

It was as though he was exploring it all for the first time all over again. Running his hands through the sand, crushing sand castles, digging in the sand and, of course, a little bit of tasting the sand. He really was exploring with all of his senses, expanding his Knowledge and Understanding of the World while playing in the sand.

15 months old

Garden Play

4:10 PM

Today we went to Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden for a play date with a 7 month old baby girl (Ethan's girlfriend <3).

They both had lots of fun playing in the grass and in the pond. Ethan is still learning to walk and was enjoying holding hands and walking around barefoot in the grass. He also absolutely loves water and was loving having his feet dipped in the pond (I'm sure that he would have happily gone all the way in if he was allowed!) A great day out, and fantastic for Ethan's Knowledge and Understanding of the World to be able to explore the great outdoors in a gorgeous setting.

15 months old

Travelling

4:09 PM

Today we flew on an airplane, all the way to Cape Town! Ethan was very good at the airport, walking around and exploring, he slept most of the way on the plane and then happily got changed into shorts as we arrived in South Africa.

A 12 hour flight with a 15 month old is never going to be easy, but Ethan was very good. We read a few books about flying on a plane to help prepare him for what we were going to do. We have Going on a Plane and Caillou Rides on a Plane which we read before we left and while on the plane. These are great for Ethan's Knowledge and Understanding of the World as he learned about what to expect on our journey.

15 months old

Packing for Holiday

3:59 PM

Today we're getting ready to go on holiday! That involves packing, packing and more packing! So Ethan is being a very good helper :)

Ethan helped to put things into the suitcases, passing me things as I asked for them, a part of his Physical Development. I told him about all of the things that we needed to bring with us and explained about going from cold weather clothes to hot weather clothes. We also talked about going to see Grandma and Grandad, learning about family as a part of his Personal, Social and Emotional Development.

15 months old

Playing with Cars

3:58 PM

Today we pulled out all of Ethan's cars and drove them around his car mat for ages!

Ethan loves his cars, it's so interesting that he's ended up with so many (mostly gifts, we bought hardly any of them ourselves). He's making little 'vroom vroom' sounds as he drives them around and often flipping them over to play with the wheels and see how they work. This helps develop his Knowledge and Understanding of the World as he connects the cars he plays with to the cars that we see when we're outside.

15 months old

To The Batcave

10:46 PM

We're having a lot of fun playing with Ethan's new toys that he got for Christmas. Today we played with his Little People Batcave.

It's so much fun introducing him to classic superhero characters. He's learning about how cars work, which is a part of his Knowledge and Understanding of the World. It's also great for his Physical Development as he tried to figure out how to put the car at the top of the ramp and release it.

15 months old

Celebrations

8:00 PM

Today is Mommy and Daddy's 10 year anniversary of meeting, so we had a fun day celebrating as a family.

We looked at old photos of Mommy and Daddy before Ethan was born, talking about when we met and when we got married, helping Ethan's Personal, Social and Emotional Development. We also counted up to 10 years, helping to develop his Problem Solving, Reasoning and Numeracy.

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Let's Rock Elmo

Cooking Play

Driving Cars

Discovering all the toys!

Foam Play

Collecting Treasures at the Beach

Surprise Ice Cubes

Tea Party

Painting with Water

Pool Party

Walking in the Arboretum

Discovering Lunch

Petting Zoo

Walking, Walking, Walking

Water Play

Playing in the Dirt

Long Car Ride

Restaurant Play

Exploring the Playground

Swimming in the Pool

Beach Play

Garden Play

Travelling

Packing for Holiday

Playing with Cars

To The Batcave

Celebrations

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