Dana Smith Bader – författare

The activity cards are fun, colourful cards that you and your little ones can work through together. The cards are colour-coded (just take a look at the balloons) to let you know which areas of development you’re working on. This colour-coding will also help you to easily find activity cards that will help you to structure your child’s activity time based on the skills and abilities you’d like to enhance.Each activity is described in 3 simple steps so that as your child grows, he can start to use the cards independently. You’ll also find a ‘word from the classroom’ on each card. This is a note to you, the parents, from Ansofie’s classroom and includes words of encouragement and support, as well as helpful hints.How can I plan my child’s day using the Rainbow Readiness activity cards?To help you plan ahead for a day’s activities, the cards will give you an idea of how long the activities will take. The activity cards come in four types: Make and Do Out and AboutMy ProjectsAges and StagesOn the Make and Do cards, you’ll see a little clock, telling you how much time you should schedule for that activity. You can arrange these cards around how much time you have, or you can even plan an afternoon’s activities for your childcare provider to work through. The Out and About cards involve activities that will get you and your little one out of the house. Trips to the zoo, walks on the beach or a picnic at the park, all provide opportunities for learning! These cards can be worked into to fun weekends and holiday time. The My Projects cards give you a chance to work on long-term projects with your little one – keeping her entertained and engaged for hours, days, weeks and months! The Ages and Stages cards give you the same activity in three variations adapted for different ages, giving your little star a new challenge at every stage of development.What do I need? And when can I start working with my child?On each activity card, you’ll see a list of things you need. This mostly includes crafty items or things you can gather from around the home. We think it’s a good idea to start collecting for a ‘Crafty Scraps Box’. This can include scraps of wrapping paper, fabric, buttons and beads, and anything else pretty that you can find around. You should also prepare a crafty kit of non-toxic glue, safety scissors, pencils, pens, rulers and rubbers. You can start working with your child on the activity cards as soon as your little one starts to take an active interest in the environment around him. You’ll notice that he will start to interact with his environment, and this is when you can start enhancing his natural learning. The information in the Rainbow Readiness book (sold separately - search ''Rainbow Readiness Book'') will also help you to recognise signs of a developing mind that is ready for learning!These activities for kids are perfect for helping your child to develop the skills needed for school, or work great on a rainy day!