It’s overcast,wet, and cool here in SW Ohio, late winter vying for a a last-gasp bit of attention, having largely snoozed through its curtain call. Perfect weather for pondering, sharing a book, or getting garden beds ready to plant.
Or scrubbing a rock.
One of my favorite parts of the Baby Unplugged initiative and its mission is discovering, rediscovering, and/or drawing attention to simple things that are increasingly easy to miss with all of the email, gaming, and blogging going on. Old-school stuff that brings back memories and generates new ones: cardboard boxes, the inaugural calls of frogs and toads, bouncy red kickballs. And how about the noble, iconic rock – its allure diminished in the era of rockin’ apps for the iPad – its surface inlaid with fossils, crystals, and maybe gold, perfect for turning in search of creatures, stacking, even throwing (not at your brother/sister, of course).
Here’s a great book about rocks, by the way:
And here’s an app where babies probably won’t find a lot of cool rocks:
Anyway. My good friends at Productive Parenting were kind enough to share this sublime activity, perfect for a day like today. Best to get some get-dirty clothes handy. Here it is:
Target Age: Middle One Year-Old
Materials Needed:
- Towel
- Scrub brush
- Soap
- Large rock (editor’s note: a very important choice! Rocks are intimate things. Let your instincts guide you….)
- Container of Water
What to Do: Scrubbing will help develop your child’s upper body strength and eye/hand coordination. Some children scrub for long periods of time (editor’s note: such focus is a wonderful thing to nurture!). Show your child how to put the scrub brush in the soapy water and scrub a muddy rock. Observe the time your child spends on this activity. Towel it off afterwards.
Skills Learned:
- Upper body strength
- Eye-hand coordination
- Attention span
- Gross Motor (editor’s note: mud is not gross)
Visit http://www.productiveparenting.com for more fun, free activities.
Try it and share your experience. Memories of rocks are welcome, too!
