Ears

Play a listening game to reinforce a beneficial sense, your hearing. Before the game, use a tape recorder and tape several sounds around the house. Tape things that will be recognizable for your toddler and some that may be difficult. Examples include the dog barking, toilet flushing, a favorite toy playing, the doorbell ringing, garage door opening, and dishwasher running. Then play the tape for your toddler and try to guess what the noise is. You can use mini marshmallows to reward who guesses right if you have more than one child that is playing the game. Afterwards, talk with your toddler about how your ears have worked to hear what was going on. You can go as in depth as your toddler can understand. For some, this may be enough information. For older ones, you may want to explain what ear drums are and how they work. You can follow up by reading a book about your senses. A great one is "Toes, Ears, & Nose" by Marion Dane Bauer and Karen Katz To top off the lesson, play a game of Simon Says and see who can use their ears the best!