Have your toddler pick out three of her favorite books to bring with you to an appointment. While waiting, encourage her to select a book that she would like to read. Allow her to help you read the story. Ask her questions about what you are reading and the illustrations.
This activity will encourage your toddler to imitate your reading skills and attempt to please you by trying to read. It will also help him learn a number of pre-reading skills and develop small muscle strength. Allowing him to select books and then to count the number he chose will help him to understand quantity and number relationships.
Encourage your toddler to do finger plays. Teach her a few such as: Five Little Monkeys, Where is Thumbkin?, Five Little Ducks, Baby Bumble Bee, etc. While waiting, walking or driving, have her perform the finger plays for you. Make them more fun by changing voices for each of the characters.
This activity will allow your toddler to show increased self-regulation by keeping her busy while waiting. It will also help her learn to follow directions, understand the concept of order, develop phonological awareness, use mathematical thinking in daily situations, and develop small muscle strength and coordination.
When you travel, bring small colored cubes with you. Your toddler can use them to build, count, and sort. As she is playing, ask her questions such as, “Why did you put those blocks in a group together?” “How many green blocks do you have,” or “Tell me about what you are building.”
This activity will help your child try new activities and talk about what he is doing. It will also help him expand his vocabulary with more connecting and describing words, explore and learn math concepts, and develop small muscle strength and coordination.