Creative Curriculum Learning Games
Everyday Activities to Reinforce Basic Developmental Skills
May 13, 2008
With parents under increasing pressure to provide intensive and structured physical and mental stimulation for their children from an early age, The Creative Curriculum Learning Games [Teaching Strategies, 2008] by Joseph Sparling and Isabelle Lewis provides a refreshing change of pace. The activities are easily incorporated into the daily routine and many families will find that they have already been unconsciously playing some games without realising the developmental significance for their child.
The Creative Curriculum Learning Games is a series of five booklets encompassing the fundamentals of early childhood development from birth to five years. Each booklet covers 12 months and provides information on more than 30 activities. A summary page at the beginning of each book outlines the types of social/emotional, cognitive, physical and language/literacy activities that can be expected from a child in that particular age range.
Learning Games Based on Abecedarian Research
Initiated during the 1970s, the Abecedarian Project involved children of low-income families in Carolina. Children were offered an individualised program of games that focused on developing important social, emotional and cognitive skills with a particular emphasis on language development.
After completion of the program, participants were monitored again at the ages of 12, 15 and 21. The findings demonstrated that there had been long-term positive educational and developmental results extending into early adulthood.
Learning Activity Ideas for Parents
The Creative Curriculum series offers a range of fun age-appropriate games and activities that reinforce basic learning and developmental skills. Each activity is described on a double-sided page. The front of the page provides a description of the game in two to four sentences with a colour photograph of a mother and child demonstrating the activity.
The reverse side of each page details:
- Why this is important – explains the developmental significance of the activity.
- What you do – several points outlining ways to include the game in the daily routine.
- Ready to move on? – Extension activities to try once a child is confident with the activity.
- Let’s read together – A recommended picture book that compliments the activity.
Games for Parents and Grandparents of Preschoolers
The Creative Curriculum Learning Games are ideal for anyone who regularly spends time with preschoolers. They make an ideal gift for new parents or for grandparents providing childcare for their young grandchildren. The greatest advantage of these activities is that they do not place pressure on parents or children to achieve specific learning targets, but rather encourage adults to enjoy the time they spend with preschoolers, finding fun in everyday activities with the added advantage of learning and developmental benefits for the child.
The tear-away pad format makes The Creative Curriculum useful in preschool and day care settings for distribution to families. Each booklet has a checklist with the title of each activity and a space to enter the date that the information page has been given to the child’s parent or guardian.
Examples of Learning Games
Birth – 12 months
- Songs and Rhythm throughout the day
- Exploring a face
- Peek-a-boo
- Reach for it
12 – 24 months
- Animal sounds
- Action words
- Water play
- Talking throughout the day
24 – 36 months
- Colour sorting
- Create a face
- Tracing around objects
- Follow the path
36 – 48 months
- A book about me
- Copy each other
- Ball in the bucket
- This doesn’t belong
48 – 60 months
- Sharing likes and dislikes
- First, next, last
- Same sound
- Calendar or special memories
The Creative Curriculum Learning Games is published by Teaching Strategies, Inc [Washington, DC, 2008] and distributed in Australia by Pademelon Press.
