Assalamu alaikum,
Sister Umm Yasmeen is a sister who has an energetic two year old masha'Allah. She mentioned that one of her primary goals is finding activities that will keep her two year old from drawing on walls, eating items that were not intended to be eaten, etc. (smile).
Alhamdulillah, I put together a few games for her daughter Anisa and dear sister Umm Yasmeen please let me know if these help Anisa find alternate things to focus/concentrate on insha'Allah or if I missed the mark. I will try to upload some other activities/ideas that will allow you to put together an activity bucket that Anisa can freely access when she is in need of something to do insha'Allah. If the activities below are not suitable please do not be shy to let me know insha'Allah.
There are five games/activities in the file insha'Allah. Pictured below are three of the five games/activities insha'Allah (directions for playing the games follows the pictures insha'Allah):
Game 1: Arabic Letter Matching
(the game board is mounted on poster board and then on foam for durability insha'Allah)
Game 3: Small Book: Time to Pray
(the last page is to be coloured by the child insha'Allah. There is a book in the file for boys too insha'Allah)
Game 5: What Does Not Belong?
Game/activity instructions insha'Allah:
(parent must assemble the games insha'Allah)
Game 1: This is a simple Arabic Letter matching game. The child will match the game piece to the 'shadow' of the letter on the game board insha'Allah. The letters are purposely not in order (i.e. alif, ba, ta, etc.) for the following reason: when children are being taught letters/letter recognition, it is recommended to teach letters that are as dissimilar as possible insha'Allah to avoid confusion. The letters ba, ta and tha are very similar and only have dots that differentiate them. When first learning letters, this distinction may introduce confusion and be difficult for a child to notice (i.e. ba has one dot underneath while ta has two dots on top). Teaching letters that are totally dissimilar eliminates this confusion for children insha'Allah.
Game 2: The Missing Letter game. This game is to help children recognize the Arabic letters insha'Allah. You will use the same game pieces that you use for game # 1 insha'Allah. The child will look at the card and pick from the game pieces to decide which letter is missing. There are four game cards for this game insha'Allah.
Game 3: Time to Pray book. A book with simple one and two word sentences that mention the steps we take before we pray. This book is intended to help the child learn sequence/order of events (i.e. before we pray we make wudo, dry off and then pray insha'Allah). With repeated reading, the child will be able to repeat the text independently and 'read' the book insha'Allah.
Game 4: Number Sequencing. This game is to help children who are just being introduced to the numbers put them in the proper order insha'Allah. The board is broken into threes (i.e. numbers 1, 2 and 3 are on one strip, 4, 5, and 6 on a separate strip, etc.) to allow the parent to add on to the board as the child progresses insha'Allah. To play, cut out a number strip and the corresponding number pieces insha'Allah (mount them on poster board or card stock for durability insha'Allah). Place the strip in front of the child and place the pieces (in random order) under the strip. Invite the child to line up the game pieces underneath the corresponding numbers insha'Allah. Before playing this game insha'Allah, the child should have already received some instruction regarding numbers (i.e. they should be able to recognize 1, 2 and 3 by sight if you are using that number strip insha'Allah). I intentionally left the number strips black and white to allow you to decide if you wish to colour them or not insha'Allah.
Game 5: What Doesn't Belong? This game is to help children begin and/or practice identifying what is different in a set. There are three strips and each has an object that is repeated on the strip but one of the objects should not be with the others. The child should be invited to indentify which object does not belong insha'Allah. So that the child can use this game repeatedly when he/she wishes insha'Allah, I strongly recommend laminating the strips and allowing the child to circle the object that does not belong using a crayon or dry erase marker insha'Allah. This way their mark(s) can be erased if they circle the incorrect object or if they simply want to play again insha'Allah.
These are all a sampling dear sister Umm Yasmeen. If these fit your needs and you would like more (i.e. if you would like for me to do a letter matching game with the English alphabet, or complete the Arabic alphabet for example, please let me know insha'Allah). Here are the games to download insha'Allah.
Enjoy insha'Allah!
*Picture of girl and boy praying courtesy of and copyright by www.sunna.org - jazakum Allahu khayran.
*Picture of girl and boy praying courtesy of and copyright by www.sunna.org - jazakum Allahu khayran.
As Salaamu Alaykum, I am so happy you posted the games for us all to benefit from masha Allah. My 2 yr old will absolutely love these insha Allah. I have been looking for things to keep him occupied while the others are schooling. These are wonderful. Can't wait to see more insha Allah *smile*
ReplyDeleteWaalaikum assalam wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh,
ReplyDeleteJazakillahu khayr dear sis (smile). Alhamdulillah, the sister said she did not mind if I put them on the blog so I thought insha'Allah others may benefit from them too. Insha'Allah I'll post more for two and three year olds. Insha'Allah they are beneficial and insha'Allah, Allah accepts this from me.
assalamu alaykum.
ReplyDeleteMashaAllah these are so wonderful activities, inshaAllah we will use them too. Can't wait to show them to my toddlers, we haven't done anything new since Hajj theme.
We don't have a laminator right now :(, most of the time I glue everything on a cardboard so it'll help them to last longer.
One question on laminators: what kind of laminator is good to have for using such activities? do you laminate each small piece alone?
JazakhaAllahu khayr sister. May Allah reward you for all your efforts, ameen.
Waalaikum assalam wa rahmatullah
ReplyDeletewa iyaki and jazakillahu khayr dear sis! (smile). Alhamdulillah you like them.
For the laminator. I take my activities/games to the local copy/print centre so I do not know which laminator is best for home use. I did look at them a few weeks back b/c I was considering buying one insha'Allah but I do not know which is best. Insha'Allah, I will ask around (I know a sister who owns a laminator so perhaps she will be able to help insha'Allah).
I do not laminate each piece separately. What I do is cut them out and then the copy/print centre puts all of the separate pieces on one laminating sheet and they laminate them on one sheet and I have to cut them out again (into individual pieces).
Jazakillahu Khayr dear sis and insha'Allah this helps.
Dear sis, if you need any specific game/activity for your toddlers please do not be shy to ask. I have said to others and the same is for you insha'Allah. If I can do it for you then insha'Allah I will, with pleasure, to help my sisters in Islam for the sake of Allah.
Asalaamu'alaykum
ReplyDeletejust wanted to say jazaakillaahu khair sister for sharing this. i havent really done much at all with my little one, who turned 2 in oct. i really didnt know what to do with him but inshallaah i'm sure i'm going to enjoy doing your activities with him. may Allaah reward u with much in this dunya but even more so in the hereafter. please keep on posting more!!
assalamu alaykum,
ReplyDeleteSister Umm Nu'man, we are doing some of the activities you posted alhamdulillah. Didn't have much time to write about them, but my kids really like them alhamdulillah. You can see how we are doing the activities in our blog inshaAllah, islomiyoila.blogspot.com
JazakhaAllahu khayr sister,
assalamu alaykum
Waalaikum assalam wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh,
ReplyDeletedear sis Umm Abdur-Rahmaan, wa iyaki and insha'Allah khayr, even if you felt you haven't really done much with your two year old, there is so much learning that they do on a daily basis just by being a part of the family walhamdulillah. The most important thing is that we spend time with them, talking to them and allowing them to participate in family activities insha'Allah. One of the easiest, and important, things that toddlers and twos should be learning are practical life activities insha'Allah. Such things as learning to wash their hands, pour water from one container to another, put on their socks, drink from a glass (not a sippy cup), etc. insha'Allah. So do not worry dear sis, insha'Allah, he is absorbing sooo much just by being with you alhamdulillah.
Insha'Allah, I will be posting more activities for two year olds this upcoming week. And jazakillahu khayr for the dua (smile). It is very much appreciated.
Waalaikum assalam wa rahmatullahi wa barkatuh,
ReplyDeleteOoo...dear sis Umm Sara, I visited your blog the other evening. I liked it very much masha'Allah. I am going to go have a peek again (hehe) insha'Allah. Oh, and the somsa looks so tasty masha'Allah!
jazakallahu khairan. your site is adream come true for me.
ReplyDeleteWa iyak and ahlan wa sahlan
ReplyDeleteAlhamdulillah if the site has been helpful to you (smile). If there is any resource that you need/wish to see and it is not here please do not be shy to request it and if I can make it for you then insha'Allah I will be happy to do so. Jazakum Allahu khayr.