Hi Redbud Families,

How’s everyone doing out there? I hope you’re finding ways to cope with this strange new reality, and maybe even occasional moments of joy. The highlight of my day yesterday was running into a Redbud friend and his dad while I was out riding my bike. It’s hard to practice social distancing when you’re excited to see someone, but I’m learning.
We’re glad to hear that families are enjoying the videos and activity suggestions! Please let us know if there’s anything else we can do to support you right now.
Teacher Message: 5 Little Ducks
In today’s video, I tell a counting story with the help of 5 duckling finger puppets.
For some comic relief, or if you think your Redbud would like to virtually “meet” my dog, click here for my first attempt at recording the video!
Activities: 
 
1. Ribbon or scarf dancing. This one is pretty simple—just put on some music, grab a ribbon/scarf/any piece of fabric you have around, and dance with it (or make it dance). Dancing can be both a creative outlet and an emotional outlet for children (and adults!), as well as a great way to burn off some energy while we’re all cooped up in our houses. Making the ribbon or scarf dance adds an element of hand-eye coordination. You can also help your kiddo’s vocabulary grow and encourage them to focus on controlling their movements by asking questions like, “Can you make the scarf go up and down? Side to side? Around in a circle? Behind your back?”
2. Let your Redbud help you with chores! Do you have housework you need to get done? (I know I do!) Toddlers naturally want to help and take pride in accomplishing all sorts of tasks. While they might not be the most efficient at folding laundry or thorough at wiping up a spill, allowing your little one(s) to help shows them you value their contributions to the family. (And encouraging their helpful tendencies now will increase your chances of eventually having an older, more capable kid who still wants to pitch in. There’s been some fascinating (to me, at least) research on this, and NPR did a story on the topic as part of their #HowToRaiseAHuman series a few years ago.) Here are some ideas for chores your Redbud might be ready to try:
  • pulling laundry out of the dryer and putting it in a basket
  • matching sock pairs (Sorting is a math skill!)
  • folding towels
  • cleaning the table/counter (Many Redbuds ask to help with this at school! We spray the table and let them wipe it.)
  • learning to sweep with a kid-sized broom or hand broom and dustpan
  • mopping (You might want to just give them a damp mop and skip the bucket of water, or help with the rinsing and wringing-out part, but mopping is another opportunity for your Redbud to get some exercise while also helping you clean the house!)
  • and of course, putting away their toys (Some things we’ve found helpful with this one are making your requests specific—”Can you put the blocks in this bin?”, working together, and singing songs like “We’re putting the blocks away / We’re putting the blocks away / Hi-ho the derry-o, we’re putting the blocks away.”)
Thinking of you all,
Seth for Team Redbud