From the moment Peeper wakes up until the second she closes her eyes, she is playing. Nonstop. For reals.
Her first question out of bed is not, “What’s for breakfast?” but “Do you want to play Curious George in space?”
imagination
Our favorite children’s books with no words
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A picture may be worth a thousand words, but sometimes a wordless picture book is worth a big ol’ internet shout-out. These, our 10 favorite children’s books with no words, are just those.
Wordless picture books can be intimidating to adults: You have to wing it, since there is no text to read. But making up a story as you go along—and letting your child have a go at storytelling, too—is fun and fosters pre-literacy skills in little readers.
Children’s books with no words encourage imagination and curiosity in kids; they lead little ones to begin to tell stories; they prompt kids to look for plot clues in illustrations; and they promote close listening, as the story may change each time you read the book.
But don’t take my word for it. Check out these children’s books with no words the next time you’re at the library and see for yourself. Read more
Not a box: Open- ended cardboard box activities
Just about every parent, auntie, uncle and friend has bought a present, watched a child tear through the wrapping paper and waited as she uncovered the gift you so thoughtfully chose for her—then scratched your head as she ignored the toy to play with the cardboard box it came in. The preference can be baffling, but it’s also enchanting: Kids can make playing with a cardboard box the highlight of their day.
You can give a kid a box and let their imaginations run wild—and you can jumpstart the fun with these cardboard box activity prompts.
Searching for yetis
“Ye-ti! Ye-ti! Ye-ti! Ye-ti!” Peeper called. She let out a squeal-shriek that was nothing if not abominable. She peeked around trees.
She was searching for a yeti.
Perchance to dream
The other day, I witnessed a minor miracle. Peeper took a long afternoon nap.
The nap in question was so long, in fact, that I had to wake her. It was 5 o’clock and I didn’t want to completely throw off her bedtime.
I snuck into her room. She was out cold. Instead of throwing open the blinds, though, I sat down next to the crib and rested my forehead on the slats. I sat quietly and watched her sleep.
She was lying on her stomach with her rump stuck in the air. One cheek was smooshed on the mattress. Her eyelids fluttered and her lips pursed. She was dreaming.
