Teddy's Birthday Party

What you need

• a soft toy for the birthday, and three or four soft toys as guests
• paper and crayons for a card
• strips of coloured paper and child scissors
• a small toy to wrap as a present
• a plate and a cup for each guest
• play food
• a blanket

How to do it

1. Tell your child it's Teddy's birthday, and make a card together: they draw, and add their own marks for Teddy's name and theirs.
2. Snip the strips of coloured paper into little pieces for confetti, and wrap the small toy in paper as the present.
3. Spread the blanket, sit the guests round it, and let your child count out a plate and a cup for each one.
4. Sing happy birthday, sprinkle the confetti, and let Teddy open the card and the present.

Why it matters

A party needs a plate for everyone, a card and a present, and getting it all ready is a long, happy job that is theirs from start to finish.

What they're learning

Snipping strips

Short snips across a strip make a pile of confetti.

One for each guest

A plate and a cup for every toy means counting the guests first.

Marks for a name

Writing in a card, any marks at all, is writing a message.

What to look for

Notice them counting the guests before they fetch the plates.

A tip

Stay beside them while the scissors are out, and keep the confetti on the blanket so it is easy to clear away.

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