Dear Parents and Guardians:
March brings warmer weather and more reasons to be outside. This month’s Ranger Rick Jr. gives us two good outdoor activities that you and your child can enjoy.
- Finding things as you walk around the neighborhood or in a park.
- Making and flying a small kite.
Ricky’s Playhouse (pages 24-25) asks your child to find five things wrong in the illustration. (The answer is on page 35.) You can do this type of activity using any page in the magazine. For example, ask your child to look at pages 24-25 and find a green hat, the pink gloves, and three yellow flowers. As you turn the pages, play this “find an object” game. It is also fun for the child to ask you to find things on pages of the magazine.
When you take a walk outside, turn this “find an object” activity into an “I spy” game. Say “I spy something blue (or green, or very large, or round…).” The child has four guesses to name the object. When he or she gets the right answer, it is the child’s turn to ask an “I spy” question and your turn to answer.
Making something with your child can be rewarding for both of you. It also provides your child with a good opportunity to practice following directions. Turn to the magazine’s inside back cover to learn how to make a small kite that can actually fly. Detailed instructions can be found at www.nwf.org/kite.
For additional ideas, look at www.instructables.com/id/Easy-Paper-Kite-for-Kids.
If you want to make kites for a group of children, this is a good site:
www.bigwindkites.com/20kids/20kidsmatlist.html.
Every month there are many things that you can do with Ranger Rick Jr. to enjoy time with your child. Use your imagination and have fun!
Mike Wilson, Founder
Prekindergarten Reading Encouragement Project
PREP – Helping childhood literacy one family at a time.