Parenting Pointers: Play and Self-Control

Disclosure: I'm posting this as a Minnesota Children's Museum Smart Play Ambassador. All opinions are my own.

There's a quick post over on the Smart Play site about focus and self-control. They include a picture of an activity we tried for the first time we went last time - turning pulp into paper. Using the provided frames and presses, kids learn to follow directions and practice fine motor skills, while making something very real. The paper turns out pretty thick and probably pretty messy depending on how well your kids do, but you can also make medallions - since they're smaller, they actually work better for younger kids.
There are a variety of activities you can do at home to foster focus, self-control, and small motor skills with your kids too. Many of them are appropriate for kids at a variety of ages, so you can do them even if you have several kids of varying abilities. Coloring pictures or tracing; playing with building blocks, Legos, or other building toys; sorting objects; using a screwdriver to help around the house - all of them are family-friendly activities that build a variety of skills in kids.