To help with your child’s written vocabulary, it’s a fun idea to make individual placemats for each member of the family.

What you’ll need:

  • Construction paper
  • Scissors
  • Markers or crayons
  • Magazines with pictures your child likes
  • Clear contact paper or plastic binder sleeves

Here’s how to do it:

Cut out the desired size of construction paper (use a light color, so the drawing and writing show up) and have your child write each person’s name (with or without help) on the paper. Then, your child can draw a picture of the family member or simply some decorative art.

Provide copies of magazines for your child and have her cut out pictures she likes to glue on to the mats. Allow the placemats to dry for a couple of hours. Cover each side of the paper with clear contact paper or plastic binder sleeves, and your whole family will have personalized placemats to enjoy during mealtimes.