Create a phone book to practice important numbers! Get out a play phone so your child can learn exactly how to dial numbers to call important people, such as mom and dad, grandparents, even 911.
You'll need:
-little notepad, or paper to make your own
-play phone
Directions:
If your child doesn't know how a phone works, let them practice by dialing for real! Next time you call a relative or friend, help them do the whole process. This is a great learning tool, as just knowing a number won't get them anywhere if they don't know how to get to the place on a cell phone to dial.
Have them practice dialing numbers by making a "phone book" they can easily find and use. You can laminate a piece of paper with numbers on it, put it on a magnet, or even make a little book by stapling pieces of paper together. These ways reduce the chance of said phone book getting ripped to shreds (hah). Most likely you don't want to re-write this over and over again.
Pick 3-5 numbers for your child to practice. Help them by showing how you press the buttons, and order of the whole operation, such as how to get to the home screen of a cell phone, find the phone button, press the numbers, and call. I would not suggest just giving your child your cell freely, but stay with them. This reinforces that they may not just steal your phone and call people whenever. My 4 year old will ask to call people, it's either a yes or a no, and if yes, he can do the whole process by himself, which is actually really nice. He'll call my parents just to say hi and ask them how their day was. Cute. I also feel safe knowing if anything were to happen while he was at a friends (obviously not in the time of Rona), or while we're hiking, or for all the unlikely emergency situations my overprotective self can think of, that he can call a trusted grown up for help. Plus- it's so much fun for him and makes him feel like a big kid. Responsibility is good!
Comments