Toys & Play

Al-Rubay’ bint Mu’awwidh – Allah be pleased with her – said while describing how the Prophet – Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him – told them to fast ‘Âshûrâ:

We used to make toys out of dyed wool for the children and keep them with us so if the children asked us for food we would give them the toys to distract them until they completed their fast. — Sahîh Muslim. A similar narration is also in Sahîh Al-Bukhârî.

Al-Nawawî states in his commentary on Sahîh Muslim:

In this narration we are shown that children should be trained to do acts of obedience and made used to doing worship; although they are not legally bound.

Source: http://www.sayingsofthesalaf.net/index.php/training-children-for-worship/

Currently in Toys & Play

HandMade Toy: Game of Toss {HERE} NEW 2014!

HandMade Toy: Paper Whirligigs {HERE} NEW 2014!

HandMade Toy: Thunderbolts {HERE} NEW 2014!

Pipe Cleaner Play {HERE} NEW 2014!

Paper Helicopter {HERE} NEW 2014!

Craft Sticks: Craft for Matching Game {HERE} NEW 2014!

Focus for Fidgeters: Toothpick Play {HERE}

Toys for Fidgeters: Clay Activity (all ages) {HERE}

Pocket Stars Activity and Craft (toddlers thru kindergarten) {HERE}

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Keep all tasks and assignments appropriate to a child's age.

“A normal attention span is 3 to 5 minutes per year of a child’s age.

Therefore, a 2-year-old should be able to concentrate on a particular task for at least 6 minutes, and a child entering kindergarten should be able to concentrate for at least 15 minutes.

(Note: A child’s attention span while watching TV is not an accurate measure of his or her attention span.)” --- Children’s Physician Network

Have children do things such as take a short break, stretch, or move or walk around, etc. It resets the focus. Then they are more likely and able to get back to work especially for projects that require long amounts of time to complete (ProTeacher.com).

I have found digital kitchen timers from dollar tree very helpful stretch break reminders.

See more tips for young children below.

Reading aloud to your child can help them in many ways. There is no right or wrong way to read aloud, but here are a few tips to encourage early literacy.

The most important thing to remember is to have fun!

Dialogic Reading
This means have a conversation with your child while you read.
* Ask a question.
* Wait for and listen to the answer.
* Affirm the answer, repeat it, expand on it.

Interactive Reading
This is where you get your child actively involved in the story/text.
* Make sound effects for things that make noise in the story/text.
* Get up and act like things in the story.
* Have your child "read" to you.

Re-Reading
Always say yes when your child asks you to read the same story over and over again. Repetition strengthens connections in the brain your child needs for brain development and learning. Make rereading fun through dialogic and interactive reading.

Source: Cedarmill.org/library

When sharing stories with children, it is best to ask questions. Here are a few examples.

Babies
* Point out specific things in pictures and name them.
* Ask "Where is the _________?"
* Point and answer "There is the ________!"

Toddlers
* "What is this?"
* "What is she/he doing?"
* "What does that do?"

Preschoolers
* "What do you think this book/story/poem is about?"
* Point to a picture and ask "What is happening here?"
"Why do you think she/he did that?"

Make It Personal
* Ask two or three questions per story. Ask more questions when they are engaged in the story and resume reading when they start to get restless.
* Point to and talk about pictures of things.
* Ask your child to tell you about when he/she did something that happened in the story.
* "What would you do if you were in the story?"

Source: Cedarmill.org/library

Narrative Skills: Includes the ability to describe things and events and to tell stories; to predict, sequence, and summarize while developing sentence building skills.

These skills help children understand what they are reading when they start to read.

Babies
Talking to baby is the best way to development language. Leave time for your baby to "answer." As you go through your day, look at your baby and tell her what you are doing.
Read favorite books again and again.

Toddlers
Toddlers often ask questions like "What's that?" over and over again. Add information to what they ask. If they point to a cow, tell them, "That is a cow." Say "cow," and let them try to say the word. Give them lots of time to answer. As your toddler asks you simple questions, make sure to add information to what he says.

2- and 3- Year Olds
When you read a book with your child, ask him, "What is happening here?" or "What do you see on this page?" Ask questions that canot be answered with a yes or no or by just pointing to the picture. Let him use the words he knows. Give him extra time to think and to answer. Talking back and forth uses three different parts of the brain, so it might take your child some time to form his responses. Be patient.

4- and 5- Year Olds
Help your child relate what is happening in a story/text to her own experience. Have your child draw a picture. Then let him tell you what is happening in the picture. Write down his words on his picture. Act out stories or parts of them; having young children use their whole bodies helps them internalize and understand what is happening in the story.

Source: Cedarmill.org/library