This afternoon, I was able to snag some quality time with my 5-year-old twin boys [their little sister was napping and their older brother wasn’t home from school yet]. We had fun with a calculator, of all things!
One of the boys happened to pick up a calculator from my desk, and we played a spontaneous 'game' where the boys would take turns entering random numbers into the calculator. I then translated the numbers into words––56937485 read aloud as “Fifty six million, nine hundred thirty seven thousand, four hundred and eighty five,” for example. You wouldn’t believe the boisterous giggles from the boys as I read the lengthy numbers to them!
Therein lies the beauty of a child’s mind. Whereas grownups see a calculator and think of math classes back in high school or worse, taxes, a 5-year-old sees a fun game of pressing buttons and hearing the ridiculously large numbers he has created.
Homemade, ‘invented’ games are great entertainment; challenge yourself to come up with a few of your own games this week. My boys are particularly fascinated by large numbers this month, so I am taking advantage of their natural curiosity and working in some educational diversion at the same time. Twist your toddlers’ and preschoolers’ current interests into fun, spontaneous moments. [And don’t forget to turn off the TV and put away the cell phone while you’re at it.] Kids don’t need theme parks or expensive toys to be happy. Quality time with a parent, and perhaps a small investment from the office supply store, is all kids need––great for the budget of a family with twins or more.
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