Activity extension –One of the people showcased in the book is Ella Fitzgerald. Have a dance party with these two popular Ella Fitzgerald tunes!
Language expansion- Talk about the instruments you hear! Can you say “do-wah-do-wah-do-wah” as fast as Ella?
Slow it down a little after the swing party and have a slow dance with your toddler to his popular and dreamy song.
2. The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats
As a speech therapist, this is one of my all time favorite books! So many opportunities for language expansion. The pictures are visually stunning and the language is simple. One tip I always tell parents, if your child does not want to sit through the whole book- simplify the language. You don’t always have to read word for word and you always have the option to just talk about the pictures. Work on receptive language skills by asking your child to point to certain items. This should never be a test. If your child doesn’t point in a second or two give them the answer and say ‘there it is!’ and point to the object.
Another language expansion activity can be to talk about a snowy day that you have experienced! This is creating a dialogue and attaching background knowledge to the story.
A fun extension activity we found on www.primarythemepark.com to pair with this book:
Shaving cream, construction paper, and Peter!
- This could get messy so prepare your area!
- Grab some shaving cream and squirt some onto the construction paper. Your child can make a “snow pile” with the shaving cream
- You can also squirt the shaving cream onto your table for some additional sensory fun! Talk about the texture, make blobs, have fun with this.
- Cut out and color the small template of Peter and place him on your snowy fun activity.
3. Milo Imagines the World by: Matt de la Peña
This book has great visual art! The story is geared toward 4-8 year old children but this is a book you can grow into if you have a toddler. Like I mentioned with The Snowy Day, you don’t always have to read the narration. This book is so full of interesting pictures that you can just browse through and talk about all the amazing sites Milo sees!
4. One Love by: Cedelia Marley
This is a fun book! And another great opportunity for a dance party- who can resist? Bob Marley has so many melodic tunes. His son, Ziggy Marley took the pandemic opportunity to make yet another album full of children’s songs. Check it out here: https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/ziggy-marley-childrens-album-more-family-time-interview-1065639/
5. Peruse this beautiful compilation of African American Artists
https://www.nga.gov/features/african-american-artists.
The National Gallery of Art has this beautiful selection of African American artists in their collection. If your child is drawn to one artist in particular- get out your crayons or paints and let their inspiration take over! The inspiration in the painting below came from Red Rose Cantata by Alma Thomas (shown above). The National Gallery of Art states, “In 1972, Alma Thomas had a solo exhibition at the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York—the museum’s first solo exhibition for an African American woman.”
I will leave you with one last dance party opportunity with this song from Will.i.am and Sesame Street
If you make any art, complete any activities, or have a dance party. Be sure to post them on your social media and tag @thenuturenotebook
Love, Your Nurture Notetaker,
Jaime Henry M.S. CCC-SLP/L
