Acknowledgements - gapitc

Give your two year old lots of opportunities to safely look at, listen to, smell, touch
and taste new things. Supervise her carefully as she explores.
Throughout the day, frequently ask your child to describe what she sees and
hears.
Describe things that your child sees, hears, feels, tastes, and smells to teach about
the world around him.
Read a book such as From Head to Toe by Eric Carle to learn about many different
body parts. (Note: This book is also available in Spanish: De La Cabeza a Los Pies.)
Make collections of objects from nature such as plants (check to be sure they’re
not poisonous and do not cause rashes!), rocks, leaves, shells, birds’ nests, flowers,
and pine cones. Put them in a box for your child to explore.
Practice identifying different smells during mealtimes.
Water play can introduce your child to concepts of measurement and cause and
effect. Put a small amount of water in a dishpan or baking pan with different objects
for her to explore such as funnels, turkey basters, cups, and strainers. You can put
these in the bathtub, too!
Let your child help you put water in an ice cube tray and then in the freezer. Help
your child describe what happens when you take the tray out a few hours later. Do
the reverse—put an ice cube in a bowl and let him watch as it melts into water.
Recycle paper and other products whenever you can. Model ways to re-use items
to avoid being wasteful. Talk with your child about keeping the earth clean and
healthy.
Children are curious about living creatures. They enjoy watching “bugs,” snails,
caterpillars, worms, butterflies, birds, and squirrels. Encourage her questions and
help her describe what she sees.
Let your child help take care of the family pet.
Let your child help care for houseplants (be sure the plants are not harmful if eaten
and do not cause rashes if touched).
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