Sorting Laundry

Summer is long - and short, sweet activities are important to have at hand.

One of the most important messages I want to share here is that learning is in the daily living.

This summer, don’t spend your time creating novelty experiences for your child.

Involve them in daily life. The routines will center them and provide meaningful opportunities for skill development through repeated experience.

I spoke about laundry last fall, and I want to return to it now.

For those of you with younger children - two year-olds - I really recommend sorting laundry.

This is a simple activity that appeals to this age. It involves movement, order, and sensory perception - distinct developmental needs in the young child.

I suggest you start with sorting darks and lights. Invite your child to join you and sort together.

• Use simple language to identify darks and lights. “This shirt is a dark color. I will put it here. This towel is a lighter color. I will put it in this pile.”

• Keep your two piles a little distance away from each other and from the basket, so your child can have some movement.

After plenty of practice with this over a few weeks, you can consider including new sorting categories, like bright colors, or light colors (neutrals). Spend time pointing out the color differences so your child has a clear impression of how to sort: “this shade of green is a bright color. We will put it in this pile. This shade of pink is a light color. We will put it in this pile.”

Help guide your child but don’t overly correct; you can quietly shuffle any items that need it.

You can also talk with your child about delicates and more sturdy items.

Try it this weekend and see how engaging it can be. You’ll get a 10 to 20 minute activity that is truly purposeful - your child builds cognitive and sensory skills through this work.

Repeat, repeat, repeat.

Limit your novelty experiences - create habits of activity.

Enjoy!