Family and Friends Photo Album Week: A One-Week Themed Learning Plan

Welcome to our family and friends themed learning week! As the crisp autumn weather settles in across Ontario, it is a wonderful time to celebrate the special people in our lives. This week, we are using a simple handmade photo album project to help children connect with loved ones, build communication skills, and practice early developmental milestones. Remember that every child’s pace is different, so please ensure that these plans are adapted to each child’s own goals.

Goals for the week

  • Communication: Practising names of family members, friends, and familiar people using words or visual supports.
  • Early literacy: Pointing to picture labels and looking at left-to-right turning in a homemade book.
  • Early math: Counting how many family members live in the house or appear on a page.
  • Social-emotional: Recognizing familiar smiling faces and talking about feelings of care and belonging.
  • Fine and gross motor: Tearing paper, turning thick pages, and walking around to collect photos or drawings.
Family and Friends Photo Album Week: A One-Week Themed Learning Plan
Photo by Jessie Maxwell on Unsplash

Day-by-day plan

Monday

Main activity: Start the album by gathering pictures of close family members and printing them out. Let your child help pick where each photo goes.
Quick extension: Point to each face and practice saying or signing who it is.

Tuesday

Main activity: Decorate the front cover of the photo album together using colourful paper scraps and stickers.
Quick extension: Practice fine motor skills by letting your child tear construction paper strips for the cover border.

Wednesday

Main activity: Add a page for special friends or extended family members, drawing simple lines or shapes next to their pictures.
Quick extension: Count how many friends are on the page together, touching each picture one by one.

Thursday

Main activity: Create a feeling face page by looking at photos where family members are smiling, laughing, or making silly expressions.
Quick extension: Match real-life expressions in the mirror to the happy faces shown in the photo album.

Monday

Main activity: Read through the completed family and friends photo album from cover to cover during story time.
Quick extension: Ask simple questions like, “Where is grandma?” and wait for your child to point or respond.

Materials

  • Printed photos of family members and friends
  • A blank notebook or sturdy binder for the album
  • Child-safe glue sticks and colourful construction paper
  • Markers, crayons, or thick coloured pencils
  • Optional visual support cards for names and feelings

Tracking progress

  • Noticing if your child independently points to familiar faces in the album
  • Observing engagement during shared arts and crafts time
  • Listening for attempts to use names or descriptive words for loved ones
  • Noting comfort with fine motor tasks like gluing and page-turning

Every child learns and grows at their own unique pace, so have fun celebrating the important people in your child’s world this week!

If you have any questions specific to your child’s developmental journey or would like guidance on OAP funding and therapies, please reach out to book a free 20-minute call with our team at Bloom ABA.

Cover image: photo by Adam Winger on Unsplash

Blast Off to Learning: An Outer Space Themed Week

Ready to launch? This week, we are taking a trip to the stars with an exciting Outer Space theme! Whether you are learning at home, in a small group, or supporting a young learner through our ABA teaching resources, this plan brings the magic of the galaxy right to your fingertips. Remember, every plan should be adapted to each child’s own unique goals and pace.

Goals for the week

  • Communication: Practice asking for items and using space-related words like up, star, and moon.
  • Early literacy: Explore space books and identify letters in words like sun and moon.
  • Early math: Count star cutouts and sort rockets by size.
  • Social-emotional: Practice taking turns during group games and breathing like calm astronauts.
  • Fine and gross motor: Reach high for stars and practice pinching small star stickers.
Blast Off to Learning: An Outer Space Themed Week
Photo by Jonathan Borba on Unsplash

Day-by-day plan

Monday

Main activity: Make a cardboard box rocket ship together, taking turns painting it with bright colours.
Quick extension: Practice sitting inside the rocket and counting down from five to one before blasting off.

Tuesday

Main activity: Create starry night art using dark paper, white paint, and sponges.
Quick extension: Count the painted stars together as they dry.

Wednesday

Main activity: Play a space walk game, moving slowly like astronauts in low gravity.
Quick extension: Practice deep belly breathing to calm down after moving around.

Thursday

Main activity: Sort different coloured paper planets and star shapes into matching bins.
Quick extension: Name the colours and count how many items fit in each bin.

Friday

Main activity: Read a simple book about the moon and point out the bright pictures.
Quick extension: Talk about bedtime routines using calm star-gazing visuals.

Materials

  • Cardboard boxes and washable paint
  • Dark construction paper and sponges
  • Star stickers and coloured paper cutouts
  • Favourite space-themed picture books

Tracking progress

  • Notice when your child uses a new space word or points to a picture.
  • Note how well they take turns during the rocket painting activity.
  • Observe if they enjoy the deep pressure movements during the space walk game.

Every child learns at their own pace, so have fun exploring the stars together and celebrate every small step!

If you would like more support tailored to your child, feel free to book a free 20-minute call with our team at Bloom ABA.

Cover image: photo by National Cancer Institute on Unsplash

Animals and Their Homes: A One-Week Themed Learning Plan

Welcome to a brand-new week of themed learning! This week, we are exploring animals and their homes. Whether you are learning at home, in a classroom, or with a therapist, this plan brings cozy autumn animal habitats to life through fun, hands-on play. Remember that every child’s pace is different, and all plans should be adapted to each child’s own goals.

Goals for the week

  • Communication: Building animal vocabulary and practicing requesting items or turns.
  • Early literacy: Listening to animal stories and matching pictures to words.
  • Early math: Sorting animals by size or counting how many animals fit in a home.
  • Social-emotional: Exploring how animals rest and feel safe, supporting our own emotional regulation.
  • Fine and gross motor: Practicing tearing paper for nests, crawling like bears, and hopping like frogs.
Animals and Their Homes: A One-Week Themed Learning Plan
Photo by Nataliee Shell on Unsplash

Day-by-day plan

Monday

Main activity: Bird nests. Read a simple book about birds, then use yarn, twigs, and shredded paper to build a cozy nest. Quick extension: Hide a toy bird inside and practice asking ‘Where is the bird?’

Tuesday

Main activity: Bear caves. Build a blanket fort ‘cave’ in the living room and practice crawling inside. Quick extension: Practice taking turns going into the cave with a partner.

Wednesday

Main activity: Pond habitats. Fill a shallow tray with water and plastic frogs, and practice splashing gently and counting the frogs. Quick extension: Practice making animal sounds together.

Thursday

Main activity: Animal sorting. Print pictures of different animals and their homes, then draw lines to match them up. Quick extension: Sort the animal toys by big and small.

Friday

Main activity: Beehives. Paint yellow stripes on paper rolls to make a beehive and practice finger-tapping like buzzing bees. Quick extension: Practice deep breathing in and out like a resting bear.

Materials

  • Toy animals and plastic figures
  • Paper, yarn, twigs, and craft supplies
  • Blankets and cushions for building dens
  • Books about animals and their habitats

Tracking progress

  • Notice how your child communicates choices during play.
  • Note which textures and activities bring the most joy.
  • Observe how your child manages transitions between activities.

Every step forward is a celebration, no matter how small.

If you have questions about tailoring these activities or supporting your child’s learning journey, we are here to help. Reach out to book your free 20-minute call with our team today!

Cover image: photo by Michał Bożek on Unsplash

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