Aa…Arrange all of the clothes in your child’s closet by color, from lights to darks or to resemble a rainbow.  Not only will you be teaching your child about colors and matching, it’ll give you a chance to weed out those clothes that are too small or no longer worn.

Bb…Build a playhouse out of assorted boxes.  Cake boxes stacked on top of a bigger box makes for a great roof.  Get creative and help your child decorate the outside of the main box with crayons, markers, or glue and bits of fabric.

Cc…Color a picture with your child.  Make sure both of you sign the beautiful masterpiece before you hang it up.  Be different…Maybe a purple cloud or a blue horse.  Let your imagination equal your child’s.

Dd…Donate old toys and clothing to a local charity or shelter.  A child is generally very giving.  Let them pick out things to donate.  You’ll probably be surprised at all of the items your child will gather up.  Let your child know where the things are going and who will benefit from them.

Ee…Eat a meal that your child has created the menu for.  One night of Spaghetti-O’s and ice cream won’t hurt.  The next night, you can get silly!  For example, you must eat all of your dessert before you can have any dinner.  That will bring a grin to your special little one’s face.

Ff…Flowers make great collages.  Collect flowers, grass and other growing pretties with your child.  Then, let him/her glue them to paper or press them in a book.

Gg…Guessing games are fun and can be as imaginative as you like.  Guess how many cans are in the cupboard…How many cups of water can fit into a pitcher…How many socks are in a drawer.  Let your child decide what guessing game to play.

Hh…Help your child make a card or picture for someone special.  Use everyday items like buttons, magazine cut outs, and bits of thread.

Ii…Ice cream sundaes can be messy, but they are always fun to make.  Add a little food coloring to vanilla to create different colors.  Raisins and oatmeal sprinkles make unusual toppings with a tasty flair.

Jj…Jumping rope is something not all of us have a talent for; however, there are a lot of games that you can play using a jump rope.  Lay the rope on the ground and see what letters and shapes you can make with it.  Maybe it’s a tightrope that you have to carefully walk across.

Kk…Keep a jar with a cover.  Let your child put all the “treasures” that she/he finds into the jar.  “Junk Jars” are wonderful mementos of a childhood.  When it gets full just start another one.  Add to it little things that you find…Earrings with no match, marbles, key chains…Anything that will fit into the jar.  When your child is older, she/he will love going through it and looking at all the things that have been collected over the years.

Ll…Love your child every single day!  A hug or a kiss can bring a lot of security to a child.  Write a love note and put it in his/her lunch.  Leave a valentine on the fridge, even if it’s not Valentine’s Day.  You’ll get so much back in return.

Mm…Make a dream list with your child.  Things that you and your child would like to see change, things you both want to accomplish in your lifetimes, anything that you can think of.  Look at this list often with your child and see if anything has changed or been accomplished.

Nn…Notebooks are a great way to keep memories.  Set aside one day each month to recap all the things that have happened.  Write them down and decorate the page with a sticker or picture.  The next month, look at what happened the month before and update with current happenings.  Make sure you have your child’s input and point of view.

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