Name: ______________________________ Date: ______________ Partner (if any): ______________
Directions: Day 1: Part 1 (the ages-and-stages chart) and Part 2 (the plan). Get the plan signed. Day 2: Part 3 (the safety checklist, run twice) and Part 4 (the parent card). Day 3: Part 5 (the test notes) and Part 6 (the gallery card). Turn in everything with the kit and the rubric self-assessment.
Part 1: Ages and stages, 2 to 6
What a child is working on, by area. Pick one line. Your kit builds that one thing.
| Age | Physical | Social | Emotional | Intellectual |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Runs, climbs, kicks a ball; stacks 4 to 6 blocks; scribbles; turns pages | Plays next to other children, not yet with them; watches and copies | Big feelings, short words for them; "no" and "mine"; needs a routine | Two-word sentences; points to pictures when named; finds a hidden toy; begins pretend (feeds a doll) |
| 3 | Pedals a trike; hops; draws a circle; uses a spoon and fork; pours | Begins to play with others; takes turns with help; likes to help | Names feelings (mad, sad, happy); handles "no" with support; fears (the dark) | Full sentences; knows some colors; counts to 3; sorts by one rule (color); asks "why"; longer pretend |
| 4 | Hops on one foot; catches a bounced ball; cuts with child scissors on a line; draws a person with 2 to 4 parts | Plays with others; prefers friends; cooperative games; understands rules | Talks about feelings; can wait a short time; likes to please; may lie to avoid trouble | Counts to 10; names 4 or more colors; sorts by size or shape; knows some letters; tells a short story; understands "same" and "different" |
| 5 | Skips; balances on one foot 10 seconds; copies a triangle; ties a knot; dresses alone | Wants to be like friends; follows rules; takes turns without help | Manages feelings with words most of the time; understands others' feelings | Counts to 20; knows most letters; rhymes; retells a story in order; sorts by two rules; simple addition with objects |
| 6 | Rides a bike; jumps rope; writes letters and numbers; ties shoes | Best friends; team games; fairness matters a lot | Handles losing (mostly); proud of what they can do | Reads simple words; counts by tens; tells time to the hour; understands rules of a board game; long pretend with a plot |
[Sal: the lines are general markers from common pediatric milestone lists; confirm against the CDC "Learn the Signs. Act Early." checklists before printing.]
Part 2: The kit plan
My child's age: [ ] 2 [ ] 3 [ ] 4 [ ] 5 [ ] 6
The area: [ ] physical [ ] social [ ] emotional [ ] intellectual
The one thing the child is working on (from the chart): ________________________________________________
Kit type: [ ] sensory bag [ ] story with props [ ] sorting game [ ] movement game [ ] simple craft
Second choice, in case the first does not fit: ______________________
The kit's name: ______________________
What the child will do with it, three steps:
- ________________________________________________
- ________________________________________________
- ________________________________________________
Why this age and not one older or younger: ________________________________________________
Materials, priced from the bin list (the bin prices are posted; write the quantity and the cost):
| Material | Quantity | Bin price each | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total (must be under $5.00) |
First safety check: What could go wrong? ______________________ What stops it? ______________________
Tube rule: [ ] Age 2 or 3: nothing loose fits through the tube. [ ] Age 4 to 6: small pieces are marked "with an adult" on the card.
Teacher signature (Day 1): ______________________
Changes I made during the build (Day 2): ________________________________________________
Stretch: A "make it harder" version for a child one year older, and the chart line it moves to: ________________________________________________
Stretch: Which of the eight caregiver jobs does this kit serve, and how would a babysitter use it in a hard moment (bored, upset)? ________________________________________________
Part 3: The safety checklist (run it twice: you, then a partner)
| # | Check | Me (initials) | Partner (initials) | If it failed, what I did |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | For age 2 or 3: nothing loose fits through the tube. For age 4 to 6: small pieces are on the card as "with an adult." | |||
| 2 | Nothing sharp: no pointed sticks, no exposed staples, no wire. | |||
| 3 | No food, no beans or rice loose (sealed and double-bagged only, and taped). | |||
| 4 | Sensory bags are double-bagged, sealed, and taped on every edge. | |||
| 5 | Nothing goes in a mouth on purpose (no whistles, no straws, no "taste it"). | |||
| 6 | Nothing to climb, nothing to throw at a person, nothing that needs a table edge or a chair to reach. | |||
| 7 | No strings or cords longer than 7 inches that could wrap around a neck (yarn is cut short or wrapped and glued down). | |||
| 8 | Nothing that has to be plugged in; no batteries, no magnets. | |||
| 9 | Glue is dry; tape edges are pressed down; nothing peels off into a small piece. | |||
| 10 | The parent card has a safety line that names a real thing to watch for. |
Part 4: The parent card (write it on an index card, or here and copy it)
| Line | What to write |
|---|---|
| Kit name | |
| For a child who is | ____ years old |
| What it builds (one sentence a parent would understand, no words like "fine motor" without saying what that means) | |
| How to use it, step 1 | |
| Step 2 | |
| Step 3 | |
| Safety (what to watch for; what the child should not do alone) | |
| Cleanup (one line) | |
| Made by (first name or initials only) |
Stretch: what to say to the child during the activity (a question to ask, a word to teach): ______________________
Picture card option (draw on the back of the index card)
| Step 1 (draw it) | Step 2 (draw it) | Step 3 (draw it) | Safety (draw it: an eye for "watch," a crossed-out mouth for "not in the mouth") |
|---|---|---|---|
| one word: | one word: | one word: | one word: |
A bad card: "Builds fine motor skills and sensory processing. Let the child explore the materials in a developmentally appropriate way."
A good card: "Squish Bag. For a 2 year old. Helps your child use their fingers to push and pinch, which gets their hands ready for holding a crayon. 1. Put the bag flat on the table. 2. Ask your child to find the red button and push it to the corner. 3. Ask for the blue one. Safety: the bag is sealed and taped; if it leaks, take it away. Do not let your child bite the bag. Cleanup: wipe the table. Made by S.P."
Part 5: The test (Day 3)
My partner played a ______ year old for three minutes.
What worked: ________________________________________________
What did not work: ________________________________________________
One change I made (or would make): ________________________________________________
Stretch: something the "child" did that I did not plan for: ________________________________________________
Part 6: Gallery card (Day 3, while others present)
One kit from the showcase I would bring to a real babysitting job (the kit's name, not the maker's): ______________________
Why: ________________________________________________
Teacher key
- Part 2: a plan is signed when the age, the area, the one thing, a total under $5, and a first safety check are all filled and the one thing is on the chart for that age. A plan whose kit type does not fit the age (a cut-with-scissors craft for a 2 year old) is not signed; the question is "what does the chart say a 2 year old can do with their hands?"
- Part 3: every line initialed twice is required for Meets on rubric criterion 2. Line 1 is the one that caps the score if it fails at the showcase. Line 7 (cords) is the one students forget; yarn-wrapped sticks and story props with string are the usual failures.
- Part 4: a card meets when a parent could run the activity from it in one minute. "What it builds" must say what the parent would see the child doing ("push and pinch," "name the colors," "hop and freeze"), not a term alone.
- Part 5: a blank "one change" means the test was not hard enough; send the partner back as a harder child.
- Part 6: any kit named with a reason that mentions age fit, safety, or the card.