Melissa And Doug Play Food Ideal For Kinesthetic Learners
Most preschoolers are kinesthetic learners (that is
, very hands-on) and love the bright, colorful Melissa and Doug play food found in nurseries and preschools. The kids learn a lot just from making up their own games; theyre keen observers and imitators. Youd be amazed to see them practicing the cooking and cleaning tasks theyve seen mom or dad perform in the real kitchen, murmuring phrases to themselves like they hear them do hmmneed 2 cups milkmilk, milk, milk or it burning oh, no, oh, no!
Kids can learn even more through adult interaction with them in their games. Two heads are better than one and yes, you do have an imagination just as good as your childs. You can add in degrees of stimulating complexity to his games that hes never thought of. For instance, he or she may not yet have caught the resemblance between stacked sofa pillows and an oven, but if you build one with him and bake the play food breads or cakes inside you teach him so many things.
Talk as you do it, dont be afraid to throw in words he doesnt know yet, to build his vocabulary. This will flow naturally if youre really getting into the spirit, Hmmthis oven will burn the cookies if it doesnt have a thermostat, (pick up small block, puts it on top), there, thats better, thats the thermostat.
Kids at this age are just sponges for new words. Even if they dont speak them back right away, their eager mind still snaps them up and starts processing them. Studies show that the number of different words theyre exposed to between 0-3 years of age is directly related to how broad their vocabulary is later in life.
If a child is not naturally a verbal learner, but is more kinesthetic, getting involved with his play food is a perfect way to build language skills. Talk to him about what hes doing, in an upbeat, fun and energetic tone. Laugh with him and tease him, say things a few different ways so he hears several words for the same thing. Its a great way to expose him to new vocabulary in a way he enjoys.
Play food is good, too, for helping kids practice pre-math skills like sorting, colors, shapes, and identification of objects, and even counting. With brands like Melissa and Doug, or Learning Resources, it usually comes with a handy storage container to sort or count into. Personally, I like the Melissa and Doug brand because it is high quality and they package it in attractive reusable containers, unlike some of the other brands. But you can also use any container from around the house. Heres a sample conversation that develops all these skills and more:
Ok, where are the chocolate chip cookies? No, silly, thats the cake, yes, its a baked good, but its not cookies. Yes, those are the cookies! Dont they look scrumptious, absolutely super delicious and full of warm chocolate goodness? Oh, thats right theyre not warm yet, we have to put them in the oven. Where are the other play food cookies? Yes, the sugar cookies. Lets bake them, also. Ok, now, we have to set the timer and wait for them to cook.
(At that point, you can practice counting, if you want. How many seconds should they bake? Lets count ten seconds. One, two Or go ahead and set a real timer for five minutes and practice some sorting and colors.)
What can we do while were waiting? Lets gather up the vegetables. Where did they all go? Heres the lettuce and the tomato, wheres the carrot? Lets look for it. Do you see it? Where could it be? Lets search for it. Do you remember what the carrot looks like, its orange, and pointy, and about this long, or is it this big, (arms wide) no, right, its pretty small and little (move hands back to the actual size of the carrot), hmmmis it beneath the sofa? No Is it behind the sofa? No Is it under this book? oh, there it is! Ive spotted it! Do you see it too?
Thats right! Way over there in the corner! How did it get so far away? These vegetables, they like to wander off. Ok, look, now we have some vegetables, the lettuce, the potato, the tomato, and the carrot. Where are the fruits? Heres a fruit, whats it called? Did you say apple? Thats right. Its the same color as the tomato! What color is that? Thats right, red! Lets find all the red foods. Do you see another one? Great! Thats right! The ketchup is red. Is there anything else? I see something over there, what is it? Uh-huh, its a cherry. Look at all these red foods. How many do we have? Lets count them one, two, three, four. Thats right!
Ok, thats the timer! Lets check on those scrumptious chocolate chip cookies and see if theyre done
In just five minutes of play, the child has practiced colors, sorting, remembering something, and has heard synonyms for size (long/big, small/little) and location (under/beneath) and other synonyms as well (baked good/cake or cookie, look for/search for; look/see/spot). Hes practiced counting and hes exercised his imagination pretending the sofa pillows are an oven. Hes heard and enjoyed the rhythm of language through big words like 'scrumptious' and 'delicious' and through goofy utterances like these vegetables like to wander off.
Its just a few of the ways that play food can be used as more than just a toy, but as a real enhancement to a preschool education. The kids love it, and it is fun for adults too. So, if youre looking for toys that are fun and educational at the same time, try this! While my personal favorite is Melissa and Doug, other brands include Learning Resources, Girl Gourmet, Step2, and Haba. The important thing is to get involved with the child. You can help turn play food into a real educational opportunity. Youll both be glad you did.
by: Kanooga
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