TURNING DISHES INTO LEARNING | Teaching our children doesn’t always have to be a new task on the ever-growing to-do list. In fact, the tasks we already do each day are a great way to introduce new words and utilize the Basic: Talk, Sing and Point.
Dishes in our household are always a hit because both Theo (11 months old) and Noura (almost 3 years old) love to be included, and it gives us so many options for things to talk about that they use daily as well.
Being able to teach them the colors of dishes, the names of utensils and serveware, and where the items go provides endless ways to talk to our children about something we are already doing. For our toddler, we get to take this even further and help explain the steps it takes to put the clean dishes away, and then to load them back up so we can help clean up our dishes. This can easily be done with laundry, cooking a meal, or cleaning up our playroom.
Every little activity we do together becomes a chance to learn and grow, turning those everyday chores into awesome educational moments. Take sorting laundry; we can chat about the different textures and fabrics or maybe count all the socks. Cooking? It’s a perfect time to dive into numbers and measurements or discover where our food comes from, which makes mealtime even more interesting.
As we tackle these daily tasks, we’re not just teaching practical skills; we’re creating a space where teamwork and communication thrive. Asking questions and celebrating little victories help build confidence and a love for learning in our kiddos!
By: Ashley Nassar Weeks
