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Posted By: Ametrine Share your preschoolers passions! - 06/15/11 02:20 AM
My son has been into gauges since he was three. Oh, and clocks. (He's busted at least six of those.)

He loves compasses (could read them at 3.5)and any other gauge (like compression gauges, etc.) He has been into temperature gauges for at least a year and loves to compare Celsius and Fahrenheit.

He "bee-lines" to any fire extinguishers to check out their "status".

He has a pedometer that he wears occasionally, too.

I was telling him today to put away his collection of stuff. He has such a wide range of "odds and ends": Dominoes, Marbles, Broken Gauges, Clocks, Mexican Jumping Beans, Mardigras Beads, Thermometers, Watches, Etch-A-Sketch, Gears (from a toy), Blocks, a Stopwatch, Calculators, Magic 8-Ball, Rubiks Cube....

Does your child's stash of collectables look similar?

Posted By: MDMommy Re: Share your preschoolers passions! - 06/15/11 01:31 PM
Although my son does not have a 'stash', he has a very strong interest in things like yours. I was told that G&T kids love things used for measurement e.g. calendars, clocks, compasses, and others like gears, blocks, rubik cube, etc. He is 7 now and has moved on to more abstract thinking and calculating. I read your posts here and I was in the same place although I sent my son to a Montessori school at age 2 for 1/2 day. He went for full day at age 3. I still had to keep him stimulated or have toys available that interested him when he was home. It is exhausting work. Is he reading yet? I wonder how far out you are 'in a rural area' and how far are you from the nearest city. How much time does your son get to spend with kids like himself? This is very important. I look forward to hearing back from you!
Posted By: Madoosa Re: Share your preschoolers passions! - 06/15/11 01:58 PM
Aiden, now 4.5 is big into astronomy (has been since age 2) and anatomy (also since age 2.5). We have a lunar eclipse tonight and said that he can stay up to watch it. he is besides himself with excitement. His latest big thing is volcanoes and anything with massive destructive force.

Nathan, now 2.5 is big into computers - anything with a screen is his passion and anything round that can be kicked, hit, thrown is a favourite too. He uses old squash rackets and different sized balls to create different games with complex rules.
Posted By: intparent Re: Share your preschoolers passions! - 06/15/11 03:28 PM
This is not just for pre-schoolers. My 16 year old is pinning insects for her collection right now, and I am online helping her try to figure out what they are. I have shared many passions with my kids over the years (Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, politics, birds, insects, tennis, cross country skiing). D is going places now that I can't easily follow (she was talking about protein folding today...). But it has been a blast.
Posted By: Trina Re: Share your preschoolers passions! - 06/15/11 08:01 PM
Originally Posted by Madoosa
Aiden, now 4.5 is big into astronomy (has been since age 2) and anatomy (also since age 2.5). We have a lunar eclipse tonight and said that he can stay up to watch it. he is besides himself with excitement.
We got up early here to watch the eclipse as the moon set. DS (also 4.5) was so excited to watch the moon slowly disappear. Unfortunately it set from our point of view just before the eclipse was total, but it was still great to watch. We've just finished our "warming up" breakfast of porridge and hot chocolates, and DS has gone off to read some more about the eclipse.

Passions - letters and numbers at about 18 months, then space / astronomy at about 2 - 2.5. From about three he got really interested in maps / flags and geography in general. The human body was next and is still a little bit of an interest but at the moment it's weather that's his main interest.
Posted By: Madoosa Re: Share your preschoolers passions! - 06/15/11 10:41 PM
Originally Posted by Trina
Originally Posted by Madoosa
Aiden, now 4.5 is big into astronomy (has been since age 2) and anatomy (also since age 2.5). We have a lunar eclipse tonight and said that he can stay up to watch it. he is besides himself with excitement.
We got up early here to watch the eclipse as the moon set. DS (also 4.5) was so excited to watch the moon slowly disappear. Unfortunately it set from our point of view just before the eclipse was total, but it was still great to watch. We've just finished our "warming up" breakfast of porridge and hot chocolates, and DS has gone off to read some more about the eclipse.

Passions - letters and numbers at about 18 months, then space / astronomy at about 2 - 2.5. From about three he got really interested in maps / flags and geography in general. The human body was next and is still a little bit of an interest but at the moment it's weather that's his main interest.

hehe Aiden is fast asleep now but I expect he will wake full of questions about the eclipse. He is just now hitting on world geography and the fact that the map actually curves and touches on the other side is the current source of amazement - he asked tonight as he was falling asleep how many seconds are in a minute and how many minutes in an hour... then mumbld something about the moon going over states side to visit a friend for their eclipse and promptly fell asleep. I look forward to the morning's questions.

he also has a secret thinking spot in his room behind the bed with his stash of papers, odds and ends and things rescued from the trash and recycle bags.

DS2 keeps his secret stash of trash under his pillow!
Posted By: Ametrine Re: Share your preschoolers passions! - 06/16/11 12:48 AM
Originally Posted by MDMommy
Is he reading yet? I wonder how far out you are 'in a rural area' and how far are you from the nearest city. How much time does your son get to spend with kids like himself? This is very important. I look forward to hearing back from you!

Well, he knew his letters and their sounds at 18 months and we knew he could read Dr. Seuss at 3. I say "knew" because we just didn't think to ask him to read before that.

We live in a town of about 700 and the nearest large city (200K) is a half hour away. The next largest is over an hour.

He doesn't have any time with kids like him and very little time with kids his own age. He does the usual thing of going to the park and discovery museum and he's in swimming lessons, but he hasn't had much "quality time" with any other four year old. In August, he starts preschool (he was a late potty trainer), so I hope he will make some new friends.

I'd be interested to hear from you why this all makes a difference in his passions.
Posted By: Ametrine Re: Share your preschoolers passions! - 06/16/11 12:58 AM
Originally Posted by intparent
This is not just for pre-schoolers. My 16 year old is pinning insects for her collection right now, and I am online helping her try to figure out what they are.

When I read this I recalled an episode of Brady Bunch when Marcia was learning the word, "Cicada" and was in love with Harvey Klinger.

I could relate to Marcia. Even though I was of a later generation, I was in love with Brian who wanted to be a botanist when he grew up (he was 13), so I was totally into any plant I could find...just to have something in common with the "man" of my dreams.

Posted By: Iucounu Re: Share your preschoolers passions! - 06/16/11 01:00 AM
DS5 loves comics, but they're all ones I gave to him, so I wouldn't say he's collecting them. But he does collect trash, for use in projects. Right now he's collecting empty small Gatorade bottles, for use in creating a model of a floating city.
Posted By: intparent Re: Share your preschoolers passions! - 06/16/11 01:13 AM
Lol... definitely not a boy chasing activity for D, she just likes all things bio. She does find mounting the bugs a little "squicky" sometimes, but likes the identification process. And is very proud of them once they are mounted! Today she was musing, though, that she can identify things in the microscope without having to stick them with pins. And she was also saying that she is getting tired of working on bio things that others have discovered, and is ready to make her own discoveries. I think this is a good sign smile
Posted By: Amber Re: Share your preschoolers passions! - 06/16/11 01:56 AM
My DS 4.5 is obsessed with music! He could sit on itunes all day listening to bands and memorizing track lists from Cds.

I just signed him up for drum lessons, against my better judgement.
Posted By: GeoMamma Re: Share your preschoolers passions! - 06/16/11 02:07 AM
My oldest DS looooved wheels. Anything with wheels! He carted toy cars around the way other childen cart a security blanket or teddy. smile We were not really car people at all, so it was very funny. As he got older, he was into clocks (he got a cuckoo clock for his fourth birthday), trains, cogs, motors, etc. It was wonderful to watch it develop.

DS2 seems to be into animals,especially cats. Anything from common house cats to lions and tigers. He's only 2.5, so I'm curious as to the direction that will go.
Posted By: La Texican Re: Share your preschoolers passions! - 06/16/11 03:29 AM
Right now the boy's found a swimming hole and turned into a fish. �He actually seems passionate about other people and what they're doing, come to think of it. �(aka pestering). �When we went somewhere he made sure to ask if we packed his books, meaning a workbook or two. �
He likes whatever just happened and loves to be the one to tell it. �He tries to be aware of what's going to happen and wants to be the one to choose. �Mr. Observation wants to be where the action is. �He'll play with anything for a good length of time. �Last year he pushed everything around like a car. �He just learned how to look through this little pocket lite-up microscope and he got a magnifying lens. �He'll tell you "I wanna be a rockstar".
He's scared of crickets, of all things.
Posted By: Ametrine Re: Share your preschoolers passions! - 06/16/11 05:10 PM
Originally Posted by intparent
Lol... definitely not a boy chasing activity for D, she just likes all things bio. She does find mounting the bugs a little "squicky" sometimes, but likes the identification process. And is very proud of them once they are mounted! Today she was musing, though, that she can identify things in the microscope without having to stick them with pins. And she was also saying that she is getting tired of working on bio things that others have discovered, and is ready to make her own discoveries. I think this is a good sign smile

Good for her. smile I used to love to look at the displays of various bugs from other continents. Some are downright scary, though.
Posted By: Ametrine Re: Share your preschoolers passions! - 06/17/11 01:09 AM
Originally Posted by Trina
Originally Posted by Madoosa
Aiden, now 4.5 is big into astronomy (has been since age 2) and anatomy (also since age 2.5). We have a lunar eclipse tonight and said that he can stay up to watch it. he is besides himself with excitement.
We got up early here to watch the eclipse as the moon set. DS (also 4.5) was so excited to watch the moon slowly disappear. Unfortunately it set from our point of view just before the eclipse was total, but it was still great to watch. We've just finished our "warming up" breakfast of porridge and hot chocolates, and DS has gone off to read some more about the eclipse.

Passions - letters and numbers at about 18 months, then space / astronomy at about 2 - 2.5. From about three he got really interested in maps / flags and geography in general. The human body was next and is still a little bit of an interest but at the moment it's weather that's his main interest.

Thought you'd both be interested in this:
Scientists ID Mysterious Flash in Distant Galaxy
Posted By: bobbie Re: Share your preschoolers passions! - 06/17/11 03:19 AM
At the moment for DS3.5 it is the human body and how all the systems work, space, unscrewing and fixing all his trucks, building circuits, reading, string music, measuring things... its hard to keep track smile
Posted By: Madoosa Re: Share your preschoolers passions! - 06/18/11 09:28 PM
Originally Posted by Amber
My DS 4.5 is obsessed with music! He could sit on itunes all day listening to bands and memorizing track lists from Cds.

I just signed him up for drum lessons, against my better judgement.

hahaha that sounds like fun - please share photos with us! smile
Posted By: Madoosa Re: Share your preschoolers passions! - 06/18/11 09:29 PM
Originally Posted by Ametrine
Originally Posted by Trina
Originally Posted by Madoosa
Aiden, now 4.5 is big into astronomy (has been since age 2) and anatomy (also since age 2.5). We have a lunar eclipse tonight and said that he can stay up to watch it. he is besides himself with excitement.
We got up early here to watch the eclipse as the moon set. DS (also 4.5) was so excited to watch the moon slowly disappear. Unfortunately it set from our point of view just before the eclipse was total, but it was still great to watch. We've just finished our "warming up" breakfast of porridge and hot chocolates, and DS has gone off to read some more about the eclipse.

Passions - letters and numbers at about 18 months, then space / astronomy at about 2 - 2.5. From about three he got really interested in maps / flags and geography in general. The human body was next and is still a little bit of an interest but at the moment it's weather that's his main interest.

Thought you'd both be interested in this:
Scientists ID Mysterious Flash in Distant Galaxy
that's so cool! thanks smile
Posted By: smacca Re: Share your preschoolers passions! - 06/19/11 01:21 PM
DS1 (3 y/o) walked up to the child care providers at the YMCA and said, and I quote, "I'm interested in vehicles. Where are your vehicle toys?"

He can identify far more cars by sight than I can, and has now moved on to train engines.
Posted By: kathleen'smum Re: Share your preschoolers passions! - 06/19/11 02:13 PM
DS (almost 3) still only likes trains. Started when he was 9 months and saw his first episode of Thomas. His grandmother bought him an engine and he has pretty much had at least one in his hand at all times since that moment.

I guess on the bright side... he knows an awful lot about trains for a two year old. He learned all of his colour and numbers from watching Thomas on TV. He can name every single engine on the Thomas website (I think there are 90). He has us take him on 'stake outs' of the train tracks in our area so he can see real trains. He likes to video tape them and then have us post them on You Tube (and no, I'm not kidding) and then he likes to watch thousands of videos about trains at crossings.

His only gadgets are skads of toy trains, tracks and accesories. He has a train table and spends 90% of his waking time playing with it. He really likes to act out stories from his books or episodes that he watches.

Almost seems a little obsessive to me. Personally, I'm damn sick of the trains!
Posted By: Madoosa Re: Share your preschoolers passions! - 06/20/11 08:43 PM
Originally Posted by kathleen'smum
DS (almost 3) still only likes trains. Started when he was 9 months and saw his first episode of Thomas. His grandmother bought him an engine and he has pretty much had at least one in his hand at all times since that moment.

I guess on the bright side... he knows an awful lot about trains for a two year old. He learned all of his colour and numbers from watching Thomas on TV. He can name every single engine on the Thomas website (I think there are 90). He has us take him on 'stake outs' of the train tracks in our area so he can see real trains. He likes to video tape them and then have us post them on You Tube (and no, I'm not kidding) and then he likes to watch thousands of videos about trains at crossings.

His only gadgets are skads of toy trains, tracks and accesories. He has a train table and spends 90% of his waking time playing with it. He really likes to act out stories from his books or episodes that he watches.

Almost seems a little obsessive to me. Personally, I'm damn sick of the trains!

wow that is a REAL obsession indeed! Does he enjoy travelling on trains too? smile
Posted By: Ametrine Re: Share your preschoolers passions! - 06/20/11 08:55 PM
Originally Posted by smacca
DS1 (3 y/o) walked up to the child care providers at the YMCA and said, and I quote, "I'm interested in vehicles. Where are your vehicle toys?"

He can identify far more cars by sight than I can, and has now moved on to train engines.

In Oregon, where we live, we have an annual "Steam Up" event where people come from miles around to show off their tractors and many steam-powered engines. If your state has an event like this, I recommend it.

The last one we went to had some steam-powered grain grinders working. Very interesting to watch the gears, etc.

And...there's a miniature steam-engine train that you can ride.
Posted By: Ametrine Re: Share your preschoolers passions! - 06/20/11 08:58 PM
Originally Posted by Iucounu
DS5 loves comics, but they're all ones I gave to him, so I wouldn't say he's collecting them. But he does collect trash, for use in projects. Right now he's collecting empty small Gatorade bottles, for use in creating a model of a floating city.

Has he seen the movie, Water World?
I know it's probably too violent in it's entirety, but parts of it would be interesting to him.
Posted By: kathleen'smum Re: Share your preschoolers passions! - 06/20/11 09:29 PM
Originally Posted by Madoosa
wow that is a REAL obsession indeed! Does he enjoy travelling on trains too? smile

Sadly, he is really quite afraid of trains in real life. He had a panic attack when his dad tried to video tape a train from outside the car a while back. It was then that he told us that he is 'too scairt' of trains. LOL! I guess he will just love them from afar for a while.

We want to take him on a train trip this summer, but I think we will visit the train station first to see what his reaction will be like first.
Posted By: flower Re: Share your preschoolers passions! - 06/21/11 01:42 AM
DD2.9's current obsession is location. She is constantly asking where is such and such as trying to make a map in her head or something. She is starting to be able to orientate herself from one position. So if she asks where such and such is and I tell her she can then point the direction of her other favorite points on this "map". As you can tell I am not even clear on this. I do know that her father is incredible with location. Its like he walks in a 3-d map world all the time. He can travel in a foreign city and five years later return to that same foreign city and find the local diner on some obscure road with out a name. I think I find my way around by feeling.

She has goes in and out of obsessions with letters and numbers. She can dial my cell phone number or her father's cell phone number. Today she told me the ten code number for the checkout at the grocery store. I guess I better keep my credit cards away from her!

Posted By: Speechie Re: Share your preschoolers passions! - 06/21/11 03:55 PM
Love this thread!!
Amber- go for the drums!! I'm married to a drummer wink fun people, percussionists!

Current obsessions of Mr. Nick- propellers and rudders and ships and torpedo launchers...etc...cooking, music, snails. He went through the human body phase too- would fall and say, "Ouch- I hurt my patella!" LOL...

how do you attach photos? I've got a great drumming one..
Posted By: kathleen'smum Re: Share your preschoolers passions! - 06/21/11 06:03 PM
Originally Posted by Speechie
Amber- go for the drums!! I'm married to a drummer wink fun people, percussionists!

I'm married to a drummer, as well. Definitely fun!
Posted By: Michaela Re: Share your preschoolers passions! - 06/21/11 11:29 PM
I was thinking "DS doesn't really obsess that much..." and hadn't posted...

But then today, he hit a 4 year old because he wasn't playing "backhoe" properly (he was moving his elbow wrong). And that WAS after spending 3 hours waiting for the dump-truck. And getting mad at me for confusing a bullet train with some other high-speed train. And insisting that we take the streetcar rather than the bus, and that he be allowed to see the driver, and that we explain to him why the stops on the streetcar only partially match the subway. And an extensive discussion of the propulsion mechanisms on tug-boats. And a melt-down over Lee Valley Tools'inadequate train set, and half an hour spent examining the mechanisms on the toy tractor at Lee Valley, and that *was* all in one day... and I am quite sure I've left somehtings out...

DS doesn't usually hit or anything, so I just got him to say sorry, but, perhaps I should re-evaluate, and come to terms with the fact that my son *does* have a bit of a thing about vehicles...hmmmm...

-Mich
Posted By: La Texican Re: Share your preschoolers passions! - 06/26/11 03:35 PM
Originally Posted by Speechie
Love this thread!! ...

how do you attach photos? I've got a great drumming one..

Get a free account at photobucket. Copy and paste the img link.
Posted By: La Texican Re: Share your preschoolers passions! - 06/26/11 03:46 PM
Originally Posted by La Texican
He actually seems passionate about other people and what they're doing, come to think of it. �(aka pestering). �
I was just talking to a great aunt. �When I said, "there's parenting forum I love and everybody was talking about 'what's your pre-schoolers passion?' and I just turned red because instead of trains or dinosaurs i had to say "my kid's passion is what everybody else is doing AND what they should be doing", (ahem, rhymes with "nosy" & "bossy"). �She told me, It all depends on your vocabulary because that's "curiosity and leadership." smile
Posted By: Madoosa Re: Share your preschoolers passions! - 06/26/11 08:36 PM
Originally Posted by La Texican
Originally Posted by La Texican
He actually seems passionate about other people and what they're doing, come to think of it. �(aka pestering). �
I was just talking to a great aunt. �When I said, "there's parenting forum I love and everybody was talking about 'what's your pre-schoolers passion?' and I just turned red because instead of trains or dinosaurs i had to say "my kid's passion is what everybody else is doing AND what they should be doing", (ahem, rhymes with "nosy" & "bossy"). �She told me, It all depends on your vocabulary because that's "curiosity and leadership." smile

hahaha!! and she is quite correct - Aiden's first term at pre school (age 3 class) the school diagnosed his bossiness as "leadership potential" I LOLed when I saw that! his teacher was a psychologist wink
Posted By: Ametrine Re: Share your preschoolers passions! - 06/27/11 06:48 PM
Originally Posted by La Texican
Originally Posted by La Texican
He actually seems passionate about other people and what they're doing, come to think of it. �(aka pestering). �
I was just talking to a great aunt. �When I said, "there's parenting forum I love and everybody was talking about 'what's your pre-schoolers passion?' and I just turned red because instead of trains or dinosaurs i had to say "my kid's passion is what everybody else is doing AND what they should be doing", (ahem, rhymes with "nosy" & "bossy"). �She told me, It all depends on your vocabulary because that's "curiosity and leadership." smile

My first thought about that is "nosiness" is highly valued in the CIA! Not anything to be embarrassed about...it's an opportunity to teach about appropriate investigation; as opposed to inappropriate privacy invasion. smile
Posted By: utkallie Re: Share your preschoolers passions! - 06/28/11 12:59 PM
I figured this is a good thread to start my first post. I am thrilled to have found a place where it is okay to talk about my three year old daughter!

My little girl has become obsessed with anything time related, like watches and calendars. She also loves to play with maps (just like her mama) and enjoys painting pictures of people.

Just like the other posters above, my child is a pro at nosiness and pestering...especially in regards to her little brother. =)
Posted By: RobotMom Re: Share your preschoolers passions! - 06/30/11 12:15 AM
My DD3 is obsessed with telling long involved storied that always include a green t-rex, an orange t-rex, which is nicer, and the Disney princesses getting chased and eaten by one or the other t-rex.
The setting changes, the victim changes, and the heroine princess changes every time, but the rest are constants. I know a strange combination, but they are really funny stories with great plot lines. If I only had the camera to record her while she was telling them.
Posted By: kiwi Re: Share your preschoolers passions! - 06/30/11 09:37 PM
The current obsession is Lego and inventing tricky and unusual contraptions from it or making me replicate things he's seen in photos. The other one, and this fits in with the bossiness theme, is inventing all kinds of games and challenges for me to undertake. They have to have lots of levels and rules that change so that I am always at a disadvantage.
Posted By: Madoosa Re: Share your preschoolers passions! - 07/02/11 08:17 AM
Originally Posted by kiwi
The current obsession is Lego and inventing tricky and unusual contraptions from it or making me replicate things he's seen in photos. The other one, and this fits in with the bossiness theme, is inventing all kinds of games and challenges for me to undertake. They have to have lots of levels and rules that change so that I am always at a disadvantage.

haha - that games thing is something both my boys love to do - and you have to do what they tell you and the rules are liable to change at any given time too.. so much fun here when daddy has to be the queen or the baby and I have to be the elephant (??) or the clock!
Posted By: Michaela Re: Share your preschoolers passions! - 07/06/11 09:18 PM
Uhhhhh... So I just looked at the clock, 'cause I was getting a bit blearly eyed.... I just spent 1.5 hrs watching trains on you-tube with my 2 yr old. We've been doing this every day lately, but usually not nearly so much of it. I hope this doesn't mean I'm a terrible mother... He's asking for subways in specific cities, and coal-trains, and streetcars... <hand hits head>

(sympathy please)

-Mich
Posted By: GeoMamma Re: Share your preschoolers passions! - 07/06/11 11:08 PM
smile Sympathy given, Micheala. These things can really pull you in. After all, what does one more video matter wink
Posted By: DeHe Re: Share your preschoolers passions! - 07/07/11 12:18 AM
Originally Posted by Michaela
Uhhhhh... So I just looked at the clock, 'cause I was getting a bit blearly eyed.... I just spent 1.5 hrs watching trains on you-tube with my 2 yr old. We've been doing this every day lately, but usually not nearly so much of it. I hope this doesn't mean I'm a terrible mother... He's asking for subways in specific cities, and coal-trains, and streetcars... <hand hits head>

(sympathy please)

-Mich

Of course you aren't a terrible mother - i think informational videos are awesome. Much better than cartoons and there is nothing wrong with learning visaully. We have watched factory productions on Youtube, all sorts of building things. And at 5 DS has advanced to hour long national geographic space programs. Its fine!!! Mindless tv I think in very small doses but stuff with actual information is good - I let DS at 2 do as much starfall as he wanted, but not much of anything else.

although if your kid likes transportation there are other things you can mix in, although 2 is pretty young, my transportation minded DS 5 loves when we design our own subway system. And there is this road, rail game from Ravensberger (which I of course heard about here) we don't play the game yet instead just make roads and railways using the cards, its always different so pretty neat. We would go watch the railroad, DS loved that. He is currently interested in buses and all the different types in our city. but it doesn't seem so obsessive since he has other interests and does other things.

Look on the bright side - you werent watching 90 minutes of Thomas, which might actually kill you!!

DeHe
Posted By: Michaela Re: Share your preschoolers passions! - 07/07/11 12:44 AM
Hah! I was actually glad I let him do a Thomas one, in the end, because he decided it might kill *him* and made me switch before it was even over wink

I'm not sure that says as much about DS as it does about... Thomas... He did like the "transformers" one, but luckilly there didn't appear to be any more!

I'll have to look up that game. I've recently been thinking about trying to add some rules-based games to the playshelves. He's just starting to understand rules enough to be obnoxious, so I figure it's a teachable moment. It's really hard to look at a rack of games for three year olds, though... <brains dribbling out ears just thinking about it>

-Mich
Posted By: DeHe Re: Share your preschoolers passions! - 07/07/11 01:06 AM
Originally Posted by Michaela
Hah! I was actually glad I let him do a Thomas one, in the end, because he decided it might kill *him* and made me switch before it was even over wink

I'm not sure that says as much about DS as it does about... Thomas... He did like the "transformers" one, but luckilly there didn't appear to be any more!

I'll have to look up that game. I've recently been thinking about trying to add some rules-based games to the playshelves. He's just starting to understand rules enough to be obnoxious, so I figure it's a teachable moment. It's really hard to look at a rack of games for three year olds, though... <brains dribbling out ears just thinking about it>
-Mich

Yeah, I am with you on the games - sort of feel bad for DS - neither DH nor I are the let the kid win kind of parents. Although DH is much worse - why not let DS have a turn now LOL. We don't really play many of the games as designed more than a few times, he actually just uses it for imaginary fodder - particularly the candy land story line that was big for almost a year (who knew it had a storyline!!)

Try zingo - really easy game - matching. Also the who am I games, sort of battleship, do you have a red headed kid till there is only 1 suspect left. Also if your kid is active - the cranium games where you jump on spots and do things in response to a spinner or calling out thingy were popular.

But I gave up pretty quickly on them, he wasn't crazy about them and neither was I, it was one of the few worthwhile things he actually learned in pre-k - they played connect 4! And he will probably be playing D&D, magic the gathering and the like soon enough, he already has tons of characters, worlds etc and his cousins and aunts and uncles and parents are all pretty geeky!!

DeHe
Posted By: kathleen'smum Re: Share your preschoolers passions! - 07/07/11 06:13 PM
Originally Posted by Michaela
Uhhhhh... So I just looked at the clock, 'cause I was getting a bit blearly eyed.... I just spent 1.5 hrs watching trains on you-tube with my 2 yr old. We've been doing this every day lately, but usually not nearly so much of it. I hope this doesn't mean I'm a terrible mother... He's asking for subways in specific cities, and coal-trains, and streetcars...

Welcome to my life! The things I have learned about trains in the past year that I really do not care to know... LOL. There was a 2 month span where DH and I checked our email in secret because the minute he saw we were on the computer, he would be in our laps demanding specific You Tube train videos.


Originally Posted by Dehe
Look on the bright side - you werent watching 90 minutes of Thomas, which might actually kill you!!


I am living proof that Thomas can't actually kill you. Feels like a slow death, though, LOL.
Posted By: Ametrine Re: Share your preschoolers passions! - 07/09/11 11:15 PM
Originally Posted by DeHe
Originally Posted by Michaela
Uhhhhh... So I just looked at the clock, 'cause I was getting a bit blearly eyed.... I just spent 1.5 hrs watching trains on you-tube with my 2 yr old. We've been doing this every day lately, but usually not nearly so much of it. I hope this doesn't mean I'm a terrible mother... He's asking for subways in specific cities, and coal-trains, and streetcars... <hand hits head>

(sympathy please)

-Mich

Of course you aren't a terrible mother - i think informational videos are awesome. Much better than cartoons and there is nothing wrong with learning visaully. We have watched factory productions on Youtube, all sorts of building things. And at 5 DS has advanced to hour long national geographic space programs. Its fine!!! Mindless tv I think in very small doses but stuff with actual information is good - I let DS at 2 do as much starfall as he wanted, but not much of anything else.

I agree with DeHe. Our son has an extensive library of DVD's that all are worth watching. In the past, he has asked to see a show(Yo Gabba Gabba comes to mind). Since I didn't know what it was about, I let him. Later on, I told him it was "useless". Unfortunately, so much of what's on Nick Jr., etc. is.

We like our public broadcasting children's shows much better for "brainless" tv.

He often enjoys watching the History Channel with me, or old episodes of "How's That Made?". Sometimes he will enjoy the show on Food Network, "Unwrapped". I think it's the machines that interest him.

Mich, my son enjoys watching a show that comes on the RFDTV channel called "Trains and Locomotives" One whole hour of one after another.
Posted By: Ametrine Re: Share your preschoolers passions! - 07/09/11 11:30 PM
Originally Posted by Michaela
I've recently been thinking about trying to add some rules-based games to the playshelves. He's just starting to understand rules enough to be obnoxious, so I figure it's a teachable moment. It's really hard to look at a rack of games for three year olds, though... <brains dribbling out ears just thinking about it>

-Mich

My son loves Bingo and Dominoes. Likely because both are numbers oriented. Yesterday, I bought him a dart board (the kind that uses a ball with hook-and-loop tape). He needs work on his eye-hand co-ordination and the numbers are an incentive to throw!
All of these require turn-taking. Maybe consider them?
Posted By: kathleen'smum Re: Share your preschoolers passions! - 07/12/11 11:04 PM
OK, just one more train obsession story and then I will stop (promise!). Little man, 2yrs 10mo, was laying in bed with me while I read a novel. I left for a few minutes and when I came back he was 'reading' my book: "Thomas, Emily, Henry... Thomas, Emily, Gordon... Thomas, Emily, Percy." When I looked over his shoulder, he was pointing to the page numbers and correlating them to the numbers on the engines. Impressive, but oh so sad at the same time, LOL!
Posted By: Ametrine Re: Share your preschoolers passions! - 07/13/11 12:25 AM
Originally Posted by kathleen'smum
OK, just one more train obsession story and then I will stop (promise!). Little man, 2yrs 10mo, was laying in bed with me while I read a novel. I left for a few minutes and when I came back he was 'reading' my book: "Thomas, Emily, Henry... Thomas, Emily, Gordon... Thomas, Emily, Percy." When I looked over his shoulder, he was pointing to the page numbers and correlating them to the numbers on the engines. Impressive, but oh so sad at the same time, LOL!

Not sad. God doesn't make mistakes. I mean that. All children included.
Posted By: kathleen'smum Re: Share your preschoolers passions! - 07/13/11 12:53 AM
Originally Posted by Ametrine
Not sad. God doesn't make mistakes. I mean that. All children included.

Just want to be sure that you know that I am completely joking (LOL!) when I said that it was sad. Tongue-in-cheek, eye roll kinda joking. Referring to being tired of trains, not scoffing at his abilities.
Posted By: Ametrine Re: Share your preschoolers passions! - 07/14/11 04:15 PM
Originally Posted by kathleen'smum
Originally Posted by Ametrine
Not sad. God doesn't make mistakes. I mean that. All children included.

Just want to be sure that you know that I am completely joking (LOL!) when I said that it was sad. Tongue-in-cheek, eye roll kinda joking. Referring to being tired of trains, not scoffing at his abilities.

Thanks for clarifying! I did take that seriously. That's a big drawback of social networking sites...not being able to see someone's face or hear the inflection in their speech! blush
Posted By: beak Re: Share your preschoolers passions! - 08/04/11 05:26 AM
Late to this party, but DS5 has been nuts about trains for a couple years, and last year bedtime reading to him for several weeks was this. He noticed it in the adult section and we had to take it home. Your train nut might like it!
http://www.amazon.com/Railroad-Rolling-Stock-Gallery-Steve/dp/0760332606
Posted By: ultramarina Re: Share your preschoolers passions! - 08/08/11 08:10 PM
Legos and card games.
Posted By: DAD22 Re: Share your preschoolers passions! - 08/22/11 05:24 PM
I suppose my daughter's first obsession was books. At around 1 year old she would wake us up not by yelling "Mommy" or "Daddy", but by yelling "Book!"

Somewhere around 18 months of age the picture book dictionary became her favorite book. She seems to want to know every word in the English language. So you could say she is obsessed with words.

Currently at 29 months, she's pretty interested in the first moon landing (Apollo 11). There's a page in her children's encyclopedia devoted to it, which she makes me read quite often. I recently thought to show her a video of it, and got confirmation that she's been paying attention. She pointed to the screen and said "There's the lunar module."

Other topics of interest include bones and birds. In a couple weeks I'm going to take her to a zoo and she'll see an ostrich. She's pretty excited for that.
Posted By: 2giftgirls Re: Share your preschoolers passions! - 09/28/11 04:14 AM
Originally Posted by La Texican
He actually seems passionate about other people and what they're doing, come to think of it. �(aka pestering). � �
He likes whatever just happened and loves to be the one to tell it. �He tries to be aware of what's going to happen and wants to be the one to choose. �Mr. Observation wants to be where the action is. �He'll tell you "I wanna be a rockstar".

This sounds alot like my DD4.5. Something will excite her and just MUST tell you thisveryinstant! Her passion for the world itself is very fun to watch.

She is also very into music, singing and talking. She sings or talks to herself almost constantly...I wonder if she is trying to keep herself company while her sister, 8, is at school.

And being a princess wink
Posted By: GHS Re: Share your preschoolers passions! - 10/08/11 08:26 PM
DAD22, which children's encyclopedia do you have? We have a Children's Dictionary and DD loves it. I think the encyclopedia may be a big hit too!
Posted By: Ametrine Re: Share your preschoolers passions! - 10/13/11 06:00 PM
Originally Posted by GHS
DAD22, which children's encyclopedia do you have? We have a Children's Dictionary and DD loves it. I think the encyclopedia may be a big hit too!

Jumping in here: My son loves his Franklin talking dictionary.

Posted By: DAD22 Re: Share your preschoolers passions! - 10/26/11 06:59 PM
Originally Posted by GHS
DAD22, which children's encyclopedia do you have? We have a Children's Dictionary and DD loves it. I think the encyclopedia may be a big hit too!

Sorry I didn't see this earlier.

We have the DK First Encyclopedia, as well as the DK First Nature Encyclopedia. Both of those are well loved. We have a children's Atlas too, but that isn't as well loved.

I think the DK First Encyclopedia just went through an update. Mine still lists Pluto as a planet, and discusses the Concord as though it is still in use.

My daughter's interest in space has expanded to the planets too, now. I'm planning her first trip to the Air and Space Museum for this weekend. I just hope that she can enjoy it with so many other children there... she's very shy.

Edit:
I think I'm wrong about the update. Everything I see lists the publishing date as 2002.
Posted By: Somerdai Re: Share your preschoolers passions! - 12/21/11 12:58 AM
DS2 changes obsessions frequently. We've gone through clowns, spiders, dinosaurs, swords, scary sea animals, insects, skeletons, sports equipment, teeth, and his newest is poisonous frogs. The only two that have endured are a love of all balls/spheres, water, and of orquestras/instruments. Whenever we go out he looks for a new type of ball to add to his collection.
Posted By: momto2ms Re: Share your preschoolers passions! - 02/23/12 04:14 AM
DD4 is obsessed with dolphins. She even told everyone that I was having a baby dolphin when I was pregnant with DD3mo. She was a pink Amazon River Dolphin for Halloween when all of her friends were princesses. (She does love a good princess, though.) She can tell you all the types and facts. On her birthday, she said "Yes! One more year until I can pet the dolphins!" She is also obsessed with Taylor Swift. Most kids her age have no interest in pop music. She knows all the songs and which cd they are on, as well as, which number they are. (She was memorizing the numbers of kid songs on cds at 18 months.) I have no musical talent, but my husband plays the cello and the piano by ear, as well as the mandolin. DD is dying for a real guitar like Taylor Swift. We'll see about that! She is the only kid I know who begged to stay up late to watch the Grammys. smile
Posted By: ultramarina Re: Share your preschoolers passions! - 02/29/12 05:55 PM
The ocean. The ocean. The ocean. Did I mention the ocean?
Posted By: 1111 Re: Share your preschoolers passions! - 03/01/12 02:14 AM
DS4 obsession right now is geography. He knows every single US state and state capital without hesitating one second. Learned it in a few days. Also working on the world capitals at the moment and keeps asking me to quiz him. He gets long pieces from the rolls of paper we have and draws the whole world map over and over again. (I have lost count how many rolls we have gone though in the past month..)

Still also obsessed with writing. He is currently writing a "novel" about himself in the "100 acre woods". The pad has 200 pages and he has gone through about 150 of them. He also writes on the above mentioned roll of paper...for hours and hours on end..
Posted By: McSweeney Re: Share your preschoolers passions! - 03/01/12 05:05 PM
Currently: meteors.
Posted By: ElizabethN Re: Share your preschoolers passions! - 03/02/12 05:45 AM
DS3 loves books, and has since he was an infant. He recently taught himself to read, so now it's even more so. He likes Mr. Putter and Tabby, Oliver and Amanda Pig, Biscuit the dog, and probably a bunch more that I'm not remembering. I'm very impressed with his reading aloud, because he actually puts the emphasis in the right places. Maybe he's just imitating us reading the same books, but it's still fun to listen to him talk about Max sailing in and out of days, and across a month, and into a year when he goes where the wild things are, and it really sounds like he's telling a story.

He also likes his stuffed tiger (necessary to fall asleep), cartoons, and acting like a goof with Daddy.
Posted By: Ametrine Re: Share your preschoolers passions! - 03/27/12 01:11 AM
We went to the Aerospace museum this past week. They had a centrifuge there that had a digital display. When the hand crank was turned, the centrifuge turned and you could see the MPH & RPM, G-Force and (DS just said the "pounds" ??)

Anyway, he wants us to make him one. The Tinkertoy model based off his schematic of it just isn't the same.

Now he wants to visit Radio Shack to see if they have parts. smile
Posted By: Michaela Re: Share your preschoolers passions! - 03/27/12 03:34 AM
Caterpillars. It hit like a brick out of no-where.

Posted By: ellemenope Re: Share your preschoolers passions! - 03/27/12 04:48 PM
DD's passions right now are playing with her blocks, riding her balance bike, learning how to swim underwater, and reading.

She goes from playing with her blocks for a couple of hours straight --(not exaggerating. She has been playing blocks this morning for over two hours now. I have to stop her for preschool.)-- to reading a second grade level reader --(we alternated pages on a level 2.9 last night.)-- The former makes me feel so much better about he latter. She plays more than most three-year-olds, if not better. I know it.
She loves art and reading. She also loves animals.
Posted By: islandtime Re: Share your preschoolers passions! - 03/27/12 07:31 PM
So many similarities:
--age 1 numbers and letters
--age 2 learning to read, math, solar system, time
--age 3 geography (state & country borders, shapes, capitals, landmarks, flags), periodic table
--age 4 games games games (monopoly, fits, sims, logic games, parcheesi, creating own board games), drawing maps & other objects from life, building angry bird setups, swimming, anatomy, managing our days from the perspective of dates, location, time & money

Posted By: Ametrine Re: Share your preschoolers passions! - 04/03/12 12:41 AM
My son's newest interest is in metronomes.

I showed him this YouTube (
) and explained how they were able to tempo the vintage dancers to a more contemporary song.

He's counting out his savings so he can pay me to buy him a metronome on eBay.

Posted By: La Texican Re: Share your preschoolers passions! - 04/03/12 01:23 AM
Did I put bicycles on here? He zooms around on his little bike and training wheels. We've started taking trips to short bike trails like four miles and such.
Posted By: GeoMamma Re: Share your preschoolers passions! - 04/03/12 09:42 AM
Is being contrary a passion? He's certainly passionately contrary! Actually, he seems to have less obsessions than his older brother. Must be time to try and hook in a few smile
Posted By: Deenobrown Re: Share your preschoolers passions! - 04/04/12 03:48 AM
I'm new to this. I have three children. All of which are intelligent. My first two children began reading small simple words between two and three years old. My oldest is now 7 and finding first grade very easy. My concern is actually my youngest child. He is 30 months old. He can read and spell a lot of words. I would guess he can read at a first or second grade level. It started out with him memorizing the word, but has now progressed into sounding it out. He can easily read level 1 books. He can also spell over 100 words, and keeps learning new ones everyday. In fact he may know well over 100 words. My wife are I are surprised everyday when we ask him to spell a certain word and it turns out that he knows how. He can actually get most of my son's first grade spelling words correct. He loves letters and words. We can give him a pile of letters and he will sit and make words with them until there are not any letters left. He can also read most cursive writing. Especially if the cursive letters happen to be the ones that are similar to print. He is also teaching himself to write simple words. He actually gets very upset when he cannot physically write the word, but knows how to spell it. My concern is that he may be gifted, and I'm not sure what I should do about it. Sorry for the long post. Any feed back would be appreciated. Thanks.
Posted By: La Texican Re: Share your preschoolers passions! - 04/23/12 12:22 PM
For my birthday we spent the weekend in some campground cabins with some cousins.  It's in the middle of a 7.5 mile trail.  We rode bikes to one end and back in the morning.  We rode to the other end and back in the afternoon.  That's 14 miles.  The  boy loved it.  Also, he has a new love.  I bought a little kite when I bought groceries.  I showed him how to run with it in a straight line so it flies high behind him.   He was running around with that kite non-stop for two days.  He seems to like it better than a helium balloon.  I didn't think that was possible.  :)
Posted By: HelloBaby Re: Share your preschoolers passions! - 04/25/12 05:01 PM
Originally Posted by GeoMamma
Is being contrary a passion? He's certainly passionately contrary! Actually, he seems to have less obsessions than his older brother. Must be time to try and hook in a few smile

Haha, my DS3 certainly is passionate about that!

It usually goes something like this:

Me: Clean up please
DS: No
Me: You won't get to go outside unless you clean up
DS: I don't want to go outside
Me: OK, don't go outside then
DS: I want to go outside
Posted By: kathleen'smum Re: Share your preschoolers passions! - 04/25/12 05:45 PM
Originally Posted by HelloBaby
Me: Clean up please
DS: No
Me: You won't get to go outside unless you clean up
DS: I don't want to go outside
Me: OK, don't go outside then
DS: I want to go outside

I have this child!!!
Posted By: Jai Re: Share your preschoolers passions! - 04/26/12 06:43 PM
My son has been obsessed with any and all things letters since about 15 months. We have magnetic letters, foam letters, LeapFrog letter toys, and all the WordWorld episodes recorded on the DVR. He also has a large library. He has loved puzzles since he could crawl. Now, at 3 yrs 2 months, he can do the 48 piece tray and 36 piece floor puzzles with no assistance.

His "stash" includes several rubber ducks, two Pez dispensers, foam letters, die-cast cars, flash cards (sight words and word family), finger lights, balls and toy animals.
Posted By: KJP Re: Share your preschoolers passions! - 04/27/12 01:56 AM
I think we are entering a gross critter phase. We went on a hike today and he brought home a slug. It joins the worm from last week. These are the questions he NEEDS answered:
How can you tell male from female in slugs and worms?
Why are some slugs different sizes and colors? (theories include young and old or different species)
What is the slugs favorite food?
How long do they live?
Where Is the mouth?
Where does their poop come out?
How do they breathe?
Do they lay eggs?
Where are they in the winter?
Why do they have slime?
Plus, a bunch of other questions I have forgotten.

As you can see, we have a lot to learn.
Posted By: Somerdai Re: Share your preschoolers passions! - 04/27/12 06:07 PM
Originally Posted by annette
Originally Posted by GeoMamma
Is being contrary a passion? He's certainly passionately contrary! Actually, he seems to have less obsessions than his older brother. Must be time to try and hook in a few smile

My little lawyer *loves* to be contrary. lol.
Those poor preschool teachers! They say "Good Morning." He says, "I'm a robot." They give butterfly finger puppet kisses, and he "doesn't like butterflies."


I am so glad I'm not the only one with a contrary child. DS2.5 has always been fairly noncompliant, but he's really been perfecting it lately. Good things he's still so cute.

He does have one new passion though which makes me feel like a negligent mother, but oh those rare moments of peace when he's watching a monster movie! Jurassic Park 3 is his recent favorite. It started off as an innocent dinosaur obsession, I promise. Sigh, I'm hanging my head in shame and nodding off to sleep at the same time.
Posted By: kathleen'smum Re: Share your preschoolers passions! - 04/27/12 09:33 PM
DS3.5 wants to sword fight 24/7. He puts on his pirate hat, shoves a drumstick into his pants and runs around, whipping it out and pointing it at everyone and yelling, "En Garde!" He says that he is a musketeer and then follows it up by saying "We have ears, say Cheers!" All of my attempts to explain the difference between a musketeer and a mouseketeer are dismissed. I, obviously, do not no anything and he politely tells me to just stop talking.

At least it is a break from trains!
Posted By: alicat Re: Share your preschoolers passions! - 05/11/12 06:17 PM
Hi - new to the board! I have a DD4 years old that is passionate about anything to do with numbers, science, or ballet:)

Last night, she had an absolute tantrum because I said I would not get her a watch when she turns 5
me: I will get you a watch when you can tell time
DD: how can I learn to tell time without a watch...I will never learn to tell time until I am an adult...when my children are 5, I will get them a watch...I will not learn to tell time until I am 100 (and on an on)

She finally settled down and then asked me to teach her time (I had introduced the concept a few months back). I drew up a clock with some movable numbers and within 30 min she got the basic concepts down...she then smiled and said, can we go get a watch tomorrow? I think I am in trouble lol
Posted By: Ametrine Re: Share your preschoolers passions! - 05/19/13 11:49 PM
Just to "bump" this post for the new kids on the block. smile
Posted By: ellemenope Re: Share your preschoolers passions! - 05/20/13 01:40 AM
Originally Posted by ellemenope
DD's passions right now are playing with her blocks, riding her balance bike, learning how to swim underwater, and reading.

She goes from playing with her blocks for a couple of hours straight --(not exaggerating. She has been playing blocks this morning for over two hours now. I have to stop her for preschool.)-- to reading a second grade level reader --(we alternated pages on a level 2.9 last night.)-- The former makes me feel so much better about he latter. She plays more than most three-year-olds, if not better. I know it.

This is so wild to read. This was a little over a year ago, and DD(4)'s passions have not changed. She is still building elaborate scenes with her blocks, can now ride a two-wheeler without training wheels faster than we can keep up, and is swimming a wonderful breast stroke and freestyle 25 yards across the pool. She wants to join the swim team when she turns five.

It is funny because she has no real natural talent in swimming or bike riding. She has had to work really hard. What she does have natural talent for is poetry. She has a passion for that as well. She loves to read and write poems.

Her reading has also progressed. I would estimate her reading ability to be at the beginning of third grade. She can read those chapter books in about 30 minutes. She has started reading The Boxcar Children, but she has also read chapter books listed as 6.3 and 4.0 recently. (The 6.3 must be a little off.)

Posted By: aquinas Re: Share your preschoolers passions! - 05/20/13 02:08 AM
Thanks for the thoughtful bump, Ametrine!

Current passions at 18 months, starting with greatest interest (errr...obsession):
1. Books, books, books!
2. Garbage trucks
3. Construction vehicles
4. Dinosaurs
5. Other modes of transportation
6. Playing in the sandbox/at the playground
Posted By: Anonymous Re: Share your preschoolers passions! - 05/20/13 04:59 AM
My 14 month old loves animals (especially cats), books (especially about cats), babies, puzzles, the shape sorter, climbing to dangerous heights, and cars.

When my DS6 was a DS2, he loved numbers, reading, puzzles, numbers, typing, building structures, Bob the Builder, and did I mention numbers?
Originally Posted by Mana
I think I am raising a mad scientist. Her greatest passion is astronomy but she is also into electronic circuits, human anatomy, botany, ornithology, and robotics. Have I mentioned that I am not a science person? I'd have done so much better with a child who wanted to learn history, language, literature, and philosophy. At least we both like math.

She continues to love music by Thelonious Monk, Miles Davis, and John Coltrane.

She also loves ballet and practices it all day long. She's still not great at it but not as awful as she was a month ago when she started. wink

Me too. My DS4.5 loves science experiments, particularly ones that involve baking soda and vinegar. I bought a bag of baking soda from BJs because we go through that much. He also just got the snap circuits and is enjoying that.

He enjoys pop music, though, and always latches on to the "bad" stuff. Recently, he's seen the video for Psy's "Gentleman" (which, if you haven't seen it, has him doing all these practical jokes, then has a little dance), so DS is constantly doing things that are a little mean and then does the dance. He hasn't quite figured out the difference between a funny and mean. He also remembers the naughty versions of songs, if he hears them, and gets upset by the censored versions. All this, of course, is better than when he was into "Sexy and I Know It", complete with the stripping. blush
Posted By: MAmom Re: Share your preschoolers passions! - 05/21/13 01:42 PM
I love this thread! So interesting to find that my DS4 is not the only one who is OBSESSED with anything to do with calculators, clocks, calendars, maps, thermometers, gauges etc. He also went through the astronomy and states of the U.S. phase. Now he is completely obsessed with maps of any kind. I swear you've never seen a happier child if you hand him a free mall directory!
Posted By: Michaela Re: Share your preschoolers passions! - 05/23/13 01:03 AM
On naughty bits in songs: Once, when we were not singing anything at all, but were on the bus, DS piped up, out of nowhere "Who's William the Bastard?" This was from a song I sometimes sing. He also once made up the insult "llama piss" -- also on the bus, of course.

Posted By: Ametrine Re: Share your preschoolers passions! - 05/24/13 08:15 PM
Originally Posted by Ametrine
My son has been into gauges since he was three. Oh, and clocks. (He's busted at least six of those.)

He loves compasses (could read them at 3.5)and any other gauge (like compression gauges, etc.) He has been into temperature gauges for at least a year and loves to compare Celsius and Fahrenheit.

He "bee-lines" to any fire extinguishers to check out their "status".

He has a pedometer that he wears occasionally, too.

I was telling him today to put away his collection of stuff. He has such a wide range of "odds and ends": Dominoes, Marbles, Broken Gauges, Clocks, Mexican Jumping Beans, Mardigras Beads, Thermometers, Watches, Etch-A-Sketch, Gears (from a toy), Blocks, a Stopwatch, Calculators, Magic 8-Ball, Rubiks Cube....

Does your child's stash of collectables look similar?

It's been nearly two years since I posted this hodge-podge list of items my son is interested in.

Update: He's still into gauges, but not like he was. He still has a mess of this-and-that in his room and has some difficulty deciding what can go. (Can't keep it all, little man.) He speaks with warmth about things he has given to consignment or charity, and I admit I sometimes feel guilty for making him purge. He sees value in so many things and as he matures, he sees the value in things he used to own and asks why he had to give them up.

Some days I worry that he will turn into a hoarder.

Anyway, he seems to be between obsessions at the moment. I wonder what is next.
Posted By: Ametrine Re: Share your preschoolers passions! - 05/24/13 08:19 PM
Originally Posted by MAmom
I love this thread! So interesting to find that my DS4 is not the only one who is OBSESSED with anything to do with calculators, clocks, calendars, maps, thermometers, gauges etc. He also went through the astronomy and states of the U.S. phase. Now he is completely obsessed with maps of any kind. I swear you've never seen a happier child if you hand him a free mall directory!

smile

You need to go to the DMV and get your son the manual. Cool stuff in that.
Posted By: 1111 Re: Share your preschoolers passions! - 05/24/13 08:30 PM
Other than an obsession with books DS3 has been lining up cars for the past 2 years. Never plays with them, just lines them up over and over again. Not sure what to make of this. He will go on for hours. Very slow and meticulous...
Posted By: ColinsMum Re: Share your preschoolers passions! - 05/24/13 10:39 PM
Originally Posted by 1111
Other than an obsession with books DS3 has been lining up cars for the past 2 years. Never plays with them, just lines them up over and over again. Not sure what to make of this. He will go on for hours. Very slow and meticulous...
Forgive me for not remembering, but does he have an ASD diagnosis, or do you have any concerns in that direction? It's not clear whether or not you know that this is a classic - clichéd even - ASD sign.
Posted By: Jenna Re: Share your preschoolers passions! - 05/26/13 11:04 AM
This is so much fun! I'm smiling going through these posts. My 3.5 J was into numbers and letters at 18 months, then books books books. US states, anatomy, what's inside the calculators and pedometers, dominoes, legos, space.. Yes, yes and yes! His room is full of wall maps, gadgets - loves especially the ones that blink crank-up or have levers, an eclipsing moon, revolving solar system and westeren earth that glows city lights. He has more remotes by his bed than I ever have! Lately he's been asking lots of questions about volcanos and tornados, and counting big numbers. He goes back and forth with puzzles, a week on a month off and round again. We explore these things when he can't get to a park or festival... he is happy jumping and walking around goofy, dancing to local bands, and big climbers. Thanks for this thread - fun sharing!
Posted By: HowlerKarma Re: Share your preschoolers passions! - 05/26/13 02:42 PM
... on the other hand, many children do have classic ASD hallmarks and are still profoundly non-spectrum kids, too.

I think that being non-NT leads to some funky stuff there. DD toe-walked quite regularly until she was about six... and had that eerie, echolalia-type memory for things she had heard/seen on radio or television.

Posted By: 1111 Re: Share your preschoolers passions! - 05/26/13 04:39 PM
Colinsmum he does not have ASD. (Had this discussion with the ASD specialized pediatrician a couple of years ago)He has 0 signs of it in any other way. Just very particular with his cars. I am suspecting some OCD...Other than that just strong emotional overexcitablitities. Don't know if he is gifted since we haven't tested, but highly suspecting it...

Howlercarma, I think you might be right on with that statement regarding DS.
Posted By: MumOfThree Re: Share your preschoolers passions! - 05/26/13 11:02 PM
I worried about echolallia with my youngest while she was going through massive language acquisition. She would echo everything anyone said and often wander around repeating things from earlier in the day (multiple times). But she's my child I am absolutely certain is not on the spectrum (and so is everyone else).
Posted By: Max's Mom Re: Share your preschoolers passions! - 05/31/13 11:08 AM
LOL, love the posts...

Well my 15 month old little man is totally into humming tunes these days. He always loved music but now likes to perform at the top of his lungs especially when he wants to get our attention (which is, of course, all the time smile
The tunes range from sweet nursery rhymes like Baba Black Sheep and Twinkle Twinkle little star to more serious ones like the theme song from Space Odyssey and Beethoven's 5th which he sings in a deep voice, frowning his brow and dramatically marking the beat with his arms...Hard to keep a straight face especially during time-out smile

Other passions are the alphabet, the computer, the solar system (Saturn is THE big deal, people), the remote and changing channels, any light source, anything he can pull apart and put back together and stuffed or live animals (of note he had a major temper tantrum at the zoo at 12 months old because we wouldn't let him hang out with the lions smile

Keep the stories coming, what a lovely read...
Posted By: MAmom Re: Share your preschoolers passions! - 06/08/13 01:29 AM
Originally Posted by Jenna
This is so much fun! I'm smiling going through these posts. My 3.5 J was into numbers and letters at 18 months, then books books books. US states, anatomy, what's inside the calculators and pedometers, dominoes, legos, space.. Yes, yes and yes! His room is full of wall maps, gadgets - loves especially the ones that blink crank-up or have levers, an eclipsing moon, revolving solar system and westeren earth that glows city lights. He has more remotes by his bed than I ever have! Lately he's been asking lots of questions about volcanos and tornados, and counting big numbers. He goes back and forth with puzzles, a week on a month off and round again. We explore these things when he can't get to a park or festival... he is happy jumping and walking around goofy, dancing to local bands, and big climbers. Thanks for this thread - fun sharing!

Your child sounds just like mine! So funny and interesting!
Posted By: Khombi Re: Share your preschoolers passions! - 06/08/13 04:29 AM
DS 4.5 is really into playing the piano, gymnastics, reading and math. He has an amazing science teacher who has really stoked his passion for the subject.
They studied food science and now he wants to be a Bromatologist when he grows up. He loves helping out in our vegetable and Butterfly gardens and he helps take care of his three dogs. His major obsession is super heroes, he can spout off unbelievable amounts of information about DC and Marvel characters. He also likes comic books and old cartoons from the 40's and 50's.
These little guys seem to like the same things as young toddlers, three years ago my post for this thread would have been very similar Jenna's.
Posted By: onepie Re: Share your preschoolers passions! - 06/08/13 01:52 PM
My DS 2y10m has been obsessed with clocks since he was around 15 mos. He likes to search through my magazines to find any clocks. The Pottery Barn catalogs are a gold mine for that. He could also spend an hour watching youtube videos about learning to tell the time. Needless to say, the little watch he got for his 2nd birthday is a treasured possession.

Garages are another strange fascination for him. He builds all sorts of interesting structures with his Magna Tiles and, according to him, they are all garages. He loves driving his cars in and out of the garages and opening and closing the garage doors, with the obligatory "eee-eee-eee" sound effect. It is a huge honor when we let him open our garage door with the clicker... That's the best bribe for being quiet in the car.
Posted By: Carolyn97 Re: Share your preschoolers passions! - 06/10/13 09:50 PM
Ducks, and ducks and yellow and yellow ducks! My DD just turned 3 and has loved yellow and ducks since she was a baby, it became an obsession about a year ago. Give her cat toys and she calls them her ducklings, give her legos and she makes ducks, paint and she paints ducks, etc. She doesn't change her clothes she changes her feathers(all yellow), we don't wash hands and face we wash wings and beak. I'm her mommy hen and her daddy is her drake(mother ducks are called hens and fathers are drakes). She is our duckling and she doesn't have a name she wants to be called what she is(Duck most of the time). If I call her by her given name she gets upset and asks why I didn't know she was a duck when she hatched! smile She actually quacks when she is sleeping sometimes.

She likes other things and even pretends to be other animals sometimes but ducks are definitely her thing. Funny thing is we live by some real ducks who just had ducklings and she is only mildly interested in them, she prefers duck books both fictional and non-fictional, and duck toys.
Posted By: KellyA Re: Share your preschoolers passions! - 07/15/13 03:01 PM
My daughter is dinosaur obsessed, music is one of her favorite things (guitar, making up her own songs), dress up (we have to wear costumes for everything - because there are long elaborate imagined stories for everything we do), books, books, books and superheroes (dressing like a superhero while chasing her "pet" Quetzalcoatlus around the house singing is pretty much her dream activity)! Oh! and puzzles smile
Posted By: Anonymous Re: Share your preschoolers passions! - 07/16/13 08:51 AM
DS16m's newest favourite activity is climbing up to the window sill and standing on it! He also likes to walk along it, and it is only 10cm (5in) deep. It scares me but makes me laugh at the same time. He does it purely for the challenge. This boy is the most adventurous baby I've ever seen!
Posted By: smidge Re: Share your preschoolers passions! - 07/19/13 09:10 AM
My dd, nearly 3, is obsessed with stones! she has to collect a stone or two from every walk and tells me about its shape and texture. She only picks the interesting ones with unusual shapes, colors or surfaces! I think i need to read up a bit more so i can give her more info!
She also is obsessed with being tall! she doesn't want to be little and in all her pretend games shes the big one or the adult! She can't wait for her birthday to be three so that she can *and she has a list of about 6 things!!* Anyone else experience that?
Things she can't do bother her and she gets really focused on it, eg: she reeeally wants to know how to read "will you show me how to read the words?" is said at least 20 times a day!
Other things are the planets and space, why the moon has a shadow, maps, the weather, time.. Actually time is pretty interesting to her. Everything from the hours of the day to the date, months, she keeps track on our calender and is counting down her birthday! her morning routine over breakfast is to tell me the time and how many days are left! smile
Posted By: KellyA Re: Share your preschoolers passions! - 07/19/13 04:07 PM
Originally Posted by smidge
She can't wait for her birthday to be three so that she can *and she has a list of about 6 things!!* Anyone else experience that?

My daughter proudly declared that she wanted "boobies" for her 3rd birthday, since she'd be bigger then (I made the mistake of telling her she would have them when she was bigger, but didn't give her a REAL time-frame). She also believes that when she's 5 she can drive a car, go on a roller-coaster, fly a plane and pour her own milk (a similar level of achievement) and she loves to tell us that she's almost 4 (in 8 months), which is almost 5, so really soon she'll be able to do everything!
Posted By: SAHM Re: Share your preschoolers passions! - 07/26/13 07:57 PM
Originally Posted by KellyA
Originally Posted by smidge
She can't wait for her birthday to be three so that she can *and she has a list of about 6 things!!* Anyone else experience that?

My daughter proudly declared that she wanted "boobies" for her 3rd birthday, since she'd be bigger then (I made the mistake of telling her she would have them when she was bigger, but didn't give her a REAL time-frame). She also believes that when she's 5 she can drive a car, go on a roller-coaster, fly a plane and pour her own milk (a similar level of achievement) and she loves to tell us that she's almost 4 (in 8 months), which is almost 5, so really soon she'll be able to do everything!

I tell my son he can drive when he is as tall as his dad. I am desperately hoping that he is at least 16... He has a long list of things that have to wait until he is as tall as a cousin who will likely be 7 feet tall when he grows up and is several years older...
Posted By: SAHM Re: Share your preschoolers passions! - 07/26/13 07:59 PM
Originally Posted by squishys
DS16m's newest favourite activity is climbing up to the window sill and standing on it! He also likes to walk along it, and it is only 10cm (5in) deep. It scares me but makes me laugh at the same time. He does it purely for the challenge. This boy is the most adventurous baby I've ever seen!

Time for parent tot gymnastics class! That was my son at that age. Some kids just a born with a different risk tolerance. :-)
Posted By: SAHM Re: Share your preschoolers passions! - 07/26/13 08:11 PM
My son is now 2.75. Obsessions for vehicles, books, numbers, balls, clocks, maps and solar system have continued.

Spelling! All words must be spelled. He even enjoys making up words to spell.

Fully obsessed with musical instruments rights now (little piano, my guitar, drums, shaker eggs, and some bells). I have promised him his own 1/4 scale guitar when he turns 3 but he has to wait for a full size keyboard until he can play all the songs in the songbook on his current little piano. (We really don't have room right now.). Sings everywhere.

Yesterday he was singing "I am a Paleontologist..." in the grocery and we got some strange looks. Highly recommend They Might Be Giants Here Comes Science DVD/CD. It has fed his current obsessions and spawned some new ones... Periodic Table is rising daily...
Posted By: Anonymous Re: Share your preschoolers passions! - 07/27/13 04:07 AM
Lol, SAHM. He would lurve that! The other day he climbed up a 2 metre high ladder (with me right there to catch him should he fall). I would love a safe place for him to be himself, I'll see if there is a tot's gym in my state.
Posted By: Jenna Re: Share your preschoolers passions! - 07/27/13 11:43 AM
Getting bigger is significant for DS3.5 too! He has a long list of things he's waiting to do. E.g. I don't have to hold your hand because I'm a Big kid; I'm going to kindergarten! but first pre k then high school and then college (where he will of course have his own television and be able to watch super heroes whenever he wants); when I'm 16 I will drive in the car and you can be the passenger; I'm going to be an astronaut and you can come for a ride in my rocket, Falcon Heavy! ... on and on. I think he's planned his birthday party several times already this year, and isn't shy to assert "his plans" for upcoming weekends. Admitting I've allowed too much multimedia recently due to exhaustion at night.. he's totally into Next Gen Star Trek, Warehouse 13, and Doctor Who. He's also into science exploration (finding bugs, learning about weather, doing basic experiments - making snow this week was a blast). Otherwise running and climbing and lots of Frisbee.
Did I mention testing authority. That's definitely a passion right now (smile and sigh). He actually tour guided for his class on a recent field trip to a local museum we'd been to once before (when he wasn't trying to elope from the group to explore his own agenda). The teacher said he knew where all the maps were and was showing the exhibits. Again, the I'm going to be a big kid (and part of me is right now but not in 5 minutes thing). So much ownership of experience, and looking forward either out of frustration for being held back because he has knowledge of safety skills (don't run in the parking lot, rattles off telephone and address in case he gets lost) but demonstrates safety skills like a 3 year old, and for enthusiasm moving ahead towards the new and awesome.
Posted By: Mana Re: Share your preschoolers passions! - 08/22/13 03:13 AM
DD has lost her zest for astronomy. Her latest thing is human anatomy.

Astronomy and anatomy are two of my least favorite subjects. It's great that I get to learn along but I'm starting to think she gets more interested when I don't butt in, so to speak.
Posted By: aquinas Re: Share your preschoolers passions! - 08/23/13 03:36 AM
Zero is a passion lately (21-22mo). Everything in our immediate vicinity becomes an equation that must be solved for zero. We had a crazy long wait at the paediatrician's today. The paed walked in as DS and I were doing a jumping game, jumping from one square floor tile to the next. DS started singing "one take away one is zero" just as the door opened to an aghast paed.

So he has zero interests. Ha! (Groan!)
Posted By: Mana Re: Share your preschoolers passions! - 08/23/13 05:16 AM
Originally Posted by aquinas
So he has zero interests. Ha! (Groan!)

I remember the zero stage. DD kept on replaying that zero apples song on starfall over and over and that Elmo's duck song. I still want those duck puppets!
Posted By: aquinas Re: Share your preschoolers passions! - 08/23/13 12:47 PM
Originally Posted by Mana
Originally Posted by aquinas
So he has zero interests. Ha! (Groan!)

I remember the zero stage. DD kept on replaying that zero apples song on starfall over and over and that Elmo's duck song. I still want those duck puppets!

I know that Starfall song! Good thing it's catchy, because we listened to it about 40 times at DS' behest when we first registered for Starfall, along with the song about speckled frogs on a log.

Posted By: SAHM Re: Share your preschoolers passions! - 08/23/13 06:21 PM
Originally Posted by aquinas
Originally Posted by Mana
Originally Posted by aquinas
So he has zero interests. Ha! (Groan!)

I remember the zero stage. DD kept on replaying that zero apples song on starfall over and over and that Elmo's duck song. I still want those duck puppets!

I know that Starfall song! Good thing it's catchy, because we listened to it about 40 times at DS' behest when we first registered for Starfall, along with the song about speckled frogs on a log.


I now have the Zeroes Mean So Much song by They Might Be Giants stuck in my head... ;-)
Posted By: aquinas Re: Share your preschoolers passions! - 08/23/13 06:33 PM
Originally Posted by SAHM
Originally Posted by aquinas
Originally Posted by Mana
Originally Posted by aquinas
So he has zero interests. Ha! (Groan!)

I remember the zero stage. DD kept on replaying that zero apples song on starfall over and over and that Elmo's duck song. I still want those duck puppets!

I know that Starfall song! Good thing it's catchy, because we listened to it about 40 times at DS' behest when we first registered for Starfall, along with the song about speckled frogs on a log.


I now have the Zeroes Mean So Much song by They Might Be Giants stuck in my head... ;-)

My sympathies! wink

In my true nerdly fashion, I'm going to YouTube that song stat!
Posted By: Mana Re: Share your preschoolers passions! - 08/24/13 02:44 AM
DD also loved this book:

http://www.amazon.com/Zero-Kathryn-...id=1377312109&sr=8-2&keywords=zero+book#

She couldn't get enough of it when she was into it.
Posted By: aquinas Re: Share your preschoolers passions! - 08/24/13 11:50 AM
Originally Posted by Mana
DD also loved this book:

http://www.amazon.com/Zero-Kathryn-...id=1377312109&sr=8-2&keywords=zero+book#

She couldn't get enough of it when she was into it.

Thanks for the recommendation, Mana. smile
Posted By: HelloBaby Re: Share your preschoolers passions! - 08/27/13 09:11 PM
DD2 is obsessed with fashion. Her eyes light up for everything "pretty."

I, on the other hand, care less about clothes.
LOL HelloBaby. My 19month old is the same. She's very particular about what she wears. It can take a good 20 minutes to get her dressed due to her rejecting the things I pick out. She also goes nuts in a shoe store.

I'm like, "who are you? Did you really come from me?"
Posted By: SAHM Re: Share your preschoolers passions! - 09/14/13 02:30 AM
My son will be 3 at the end of next month and deeply loves his Strider balance bike. We got it in the Spring and he would just walk around with the bike but little by little he got more confidence and better balance. Now he flies on it. We actually took him to a BMX track for the first time today. I was stunned that within a half hour of arrival, he was cruising over the big bumps on the adult track on his little balance bike.

He certainly didn't get these skills from us. Recommend the bike highly... It has done wonders for his balance and coordination in general. Just don't be surprised if the first couple months involves your child slowly walking the bike everywhere.
Posted By: aquinas Re: Share your preschoolers passions! - 09/14/13 02:41 AM
Thanks for the recommendation, SAHM!
Posted By: Curiouser Re: Share your preschoolers passions! - 09/14/13 03:17 AM
numbers! DS3.5 is (and has been) obsessed with numbers since well before he was talking, (granted, he didn't speak till 2) but so many games are just permutations of numbers...legos become buildings of numbers, he makes numbers out of playdoh (rainbow colored, of course)...and so on and so forth.

he has also very recently become interested in chess - he has no real idea of strategy right now, but he is enjoying moving the pieces correctly and capturing daddy's pieces.

Posted By: Mana Re: Share your preschoolers passions! - 09/14/13 10:19 PM
DD 3.2 is still on Tiny Wings phase. I am not so sure if she actually enjoys the game or it's all about refining her trash-talking skills.
Posted By: GGG Re: Share your preschoolers passions! - 09/19/13 08:41 PM
Love this thread! So nice to celebrate the fun ways our kids enjoy life!
DS 2.5 alphabet (anything pertaining, writing, sounds, making objects into letter shapes, finding letters in natural objects), anatomy (really into bones and the skeleton and digestive system), construction materials, friends and how they play.
Preschoolers are so cute.
Posted By: Mahagogo5 Re: Share your preschoolers passions! - 09/24/13 02:37 AM
Dd 3.5 Nursery rhymes - she will sit and listen to nursery rhymes for hours and then give concerts, then we all have to act them out. Like you be humpty and ill be the all the kings horses etc. woe betide any one who misses their mark!
Also big on rescuing right now. Dd found a CPR card in my purse and now we have to save all her toys from certain death. It's weirdly cute though, you just hear her yelling woo woo for the ambulance and she brings a toy to save.
Posted By: aquinas Re: Share your preschoolers passions! - 09/26/13 04:41 AM
Originally Posted by Mahagogo5
Dd 3.5 Nursery rhymes - she will sit and listen to nursery rhymes for hours and then give concerts, then we all have to act them out. Like you be humpty and ill be the all the kings horses etc. woe betide any one who misses their mark!
Also big on rescuing right now. Dd found a CPR card in my purse and now we have to save all her toys from certain death. It's weirdly cute though, you just hear her yelling woo woo for the ambulance and she brings a toy to save.

You should check out the poetry book "Alligator Pie". It would be a hit, I'm sure.
Posted By: Mahagogo5 Re: Share your preschoolers passions! - 10/19/13 07:33 AM
thanks for the tip - I'm from New Zealand so it doesn't seem like I can get a copy ($75 on Amazon was the lowest!) shame though - looks great!
Posted By: Mahagogo5 Re: Share your preschoolers passions! - 10/22/13 06:32 AM
Ahh on to mazes now .....
Posted By: Mana Re: Share your preschoolers passions! - 10/25/13 12:51 AM
Speaking of nursery rhymes, this book was a huge hit with DD:

http://www.amazon.com/What-Really-H...&keywords=what+really+happened+to+humpty

DD's love affair with jazz continues. Her new favorite CD is Love Supreme by John Coltrane.

I asked her what she was going to ask for Christmas this year and she only wants one thing: a human skeleton that she can assemble and take apart. I assume she means a plastic model as opposed to a real one.

So, she is beside herself happy that there are skeletons everywhere because of Halloween. It gives her ample opportunities to practice naming bones.

I honestly don't know what to make of it but I don't think Santa can afford a $600 life-size skeletal model this year.
Posted By: aquinas Re: Share your preschoolers passions! - 10/25/13 02:13 AM
Originally Posted by Mahagogo5
thanks for the tip - I'm from New Zealand so it doesn't seem like I can get a copy ($75 on Amazon was the lowest!) shame though - looks great!

Want me to scan you my copy and send you a PDF? $75 is outrageous.
Posted By: aquinas Re: Share your preschoolers passions! - 10/25/13 02:17 AM
Originally Posted by Mana
Speaking of nursery rhymes, this book was a huge hit with DD:

http://www.amazon.com/What-Really-H...&keywords=what+really+happened+to+humpty

DD's love affair with jazz continues. Her new favorite CD is Love Supreme by John Coltrane.

I asked her what she was going to ask for Christmas this year and she only wants one thing: a human skeleton that she can assemble and take apart. I assume she means a plastic model as opposed to a real one.

So, she is beside herself happy that there are skeletons everywhere because of Halloween. It gives her ample opportunities to practice naming bones.

I honestly don't know what to make of it but I don't think Santa can afford a $600 life-size skeletal model this year.

Mana, if your DD's fine motor skills are strong, I've seen desktop anatomical models for around $20:
http://www.hometrainingtools.com/small-human-skeleton-model/p/CM-SKELSML/

Here's. 34" plastic model for $55:
http://www.hometrainingtools.com/human-skeleton-model-34/p/CM-SKELN33/

At the same site, you can also buy x-ray negatives!
Posted By: Mana Re: Share your preschoolers passions! - 11/24/13 12:53 AM
aquinas, I didn't see your last reply until now. Thank you for the recommendations. smile

I've looked into various desk top models but DD really wants something like this:

http://www.amazon.com/Anatomical-Ch...ndustrial&ie=UTF8&qid=1385253113&sr=1-33

She wants all the bones numbered and she wants there to be a corresponding chart. I haven't found anything like that thus far and I have a feeling that even if I could find one, it'd be way out of our price range. I think most models need to be assembled at major joins but they aren't fully disarticulated.

So, I talked her into asking Santa for an anatomy model rather than a skeleton model. It went on sale yesterday so this would have to do until we can upgrade:

http://www.amazon.com/SmartLab-Toys...85253717&sr=8-1&keywords=human+model+toy

*****

A new obsession of DD is the DragonBox. She is freaking me out since she seems to know more algebra/math than the app is teaching her.
Posted By: SAHM Re: Share your preschoolers passions! - 11/25/13 12:45 AM
Originally Posted by Mana
aquinas, I didn't see your last reply until now. Thank you for the recommendations. smile

I've looked into various desk top models but DD really wants something like this:

http://www.amazon.com/Anatomical-Ch...ndustrial&ie=UTF8&qid=1385253113&sr=1-33

She wants all the bones numbered and she wants there to be a corresponding chart. I haven't found anything like that thus far and I have a feeling that even if I could find one, it'd be way out of our price range. I think most models need to be assembled at major joins but they aren't fully disarticulated.

So, I talked her into asking Santa for an anatomy model rather than a skeleton model. It went on sale yesterday so this would have to do until we can upgrade:

http://www.amazon.com/SmartLab-Toys...85253717&sr=8-1&keywords=human+model+toy

*****

A new obsession of DD is the DragonBox. She is freaking me out since she seems to know more algebra/math than the app is teaching her.

She might really like an anatomy coloring book if her fine motor can do it. They are meant for college students but are really just diagrams to color.

We are in a rescue, mazes, and cutting with scissors phase right now. ...And just phenomenal explosion of pretend play. The imagination really bloomed after he turned 3.
Posted By: madeinuk Re: Share your preschoolers passions! - 11/25/13 01:53 AM
There's a cool anatomy app for the iPad that can be extended as interest develops and/or funds become available called Visible Body you could try too.
Posted By: Mana Re: Share your preschoolers passions! - 11/25/13 02:31 AM
Originally Posted by SAHM
She might really like an anatomy coloring book if her fine motor can do it. They are meant for college students but are really just diagrams to color.

This is a great idea! Definitely getting her one. smile

Originally Posted by SAHM
The imagination really bloomed after he turned 3.

I'm getting a bit worried that DD is taking it to the extreme and developing multiple personalities.
Posted By: Mana Re: Share your preschoolers passions! - 11/25/13 06:42 AM
Originally Posted by madeinuk
There's a cool anatomy app for the iPad that can be extended as interest develops and/or funds become available called Visible Body you could try too.

Thank you for the recommendation. I left the iPad within DD's reach after checking it out and of course, she wants the heart app and skeletal app ($19.99 each) and I told her that we couldn't afford to pay $20 an app. She said "But mommy, 19.99 isn't 20. I WAAAAAANT both." (She is 3 after all so her logic is often skewed when pleading her case.) Anyhow, yes, we'd have to see how her interest develops over the next year or two before we commit to expensive apps.
Posted By: SAHM Re: Share your preschoolers passions! - 11/26/13 01:56 AM

Originally Posted by SAHM
The imagination really bloomed after he turned 3.

I'm getting a bit worried that DD is taking it to the extreme and developing multiple personalities. [/quote]

Ha! It does seem to take on a life of its own. If it makes you feel better, I hear many high IQ kids have imaginary friends. I think the rich fantasy life is just another facet of these fascinating kids.

On the bright side, getting ready in the morning is much much faster now that we play store and he enjoys picking out which clothes he will buy, try on and purchase. Also, upset we are out of bubble bath? Hooray! We have pretend bubbles now! :-)
Posted By: Ametrine Re: Share your preschoolers passions! - 12/17/13 11:25 PM
Originally Posted by Ametrine
My son has been into gauges since he was three. Oh, and clocks. (He's busted at least six of those.)

He loves compasses (could read them at 3.5)and any other gauge (like compression gauges, etc.) He has been into temperature gauges for at least a year and loves to compare Celsius and Fahrenheit.

I'm quoting my original post here to tell a funny story about my still gauge-loving little guy.

Recently DS, now almost 7, had the opportunity to sit in the pilot's seat of a commercial airliner. Of course, he was told not to touch anything. He was absolutely awed by the experience and surprisingly, uncomfortable. He realized the seriousness of that seat and after looking his fill asked to leave! I thought for sure he'd be stuck like glue in there, but no. laugh





Posted By: Space_Cadet Re: Share your preschoolers passions! - 12/19/13 01:59 AM
Originally Posted by Ametrine
My son has been into gauges since he was three. Oh, and clocks. (He's busted at least six of those.)

He loves compasses (could read them at 3.5)and any other gauge (like compression gauges, etc.) He has been into temperature gauges for at least a year and loves to compare Celsius and Fahrenheit.

Mind blown! This describes my DS3 perfectly. His security object is a tire pressure gauge. laugh

The other day, we were driving home and DS3 said to DS1.5: "We're slowing down in our neighborhood. The speedometer is at 20 miles per hour. Soon it will be at 0, when we get to our driveway."
Posted By: Ametrine Re: Share your preschoolers passions! - 01/26/14 06:08 AM
Originally Posted by Space_Cadet
Originally Posted by Ametrine
My son has been into gauges since he was three. Oh, and clocks. (He's busted at least six of those.)

He loves compasses (could read them at 3.5)and any other gauge (like compression gauges, etc.) He has been into temperature gauges for at least a year and loves to compare Celsius and Fahrenheit.

Mind blown! This describes my DS3 perfectly. His security object is a tire pressure gauge. laugh

The other day, we were driving home and DS3 said to DS1.5: "We're slowing down in our neighborhood. The speedometer is at 20 miles per hour. Soon it will be at 0, when we get to our driveway."

Too cute!
Be sure to take your sons to electronics swap meets. Big-time fun there.
Posted By: BrandiT Re: Share your preschoolers passions! - 02/18/14 04:01 AM
My daughter has loved the alphabet/words for a long time and she still does. She loves calling out letters and words. (She's 3, has known the alphabet well since 18mo). Her latest thing, however, is Magna Tiles. She builds HUGE, complicated structures with them. Even though I know she's incredibly bright, she is always coming up with a new way to wow me. They're easy to use and seem pretty durable so I highly suggest them smile Kind of pricey though - they were a gift.
Posted By: Ametrine Re: Share your preschoolers passions! - 12/22/15 03:01 AM
I'm bumping this topic of mine only because I'm feeling nostalgic.

With Christmas on the horizon, and me sorting through photos, I've realized that time has flown.

I'm thankful that I kept our son's favorite toys. He remembers them and it's important that those toys be preserved for his children.

Keep The Memories
Posted By: AvoCado Re: Share your preschoolers passions! - 12/23/15 01:52 AM
Cute thread! DD at that age was really into astronomy (and still is, but more like quantum tunneling etc these days! ) and for some reason, the nervous system laugh
Posted By: aeh Re: Share your preschoolers passions! - 12/23/15 02:30 AM
One of mine as a preschooler: writing and making little books, especially with elaborate "pop-ups".

Also, making educational materials (charts, worksheets, tests) to teach "little kids" their numbers, letters, math facts, spelling, etc.

...And yes, they do grow much more quickly than one realizes, don't they?
Posted By: LAF Re: Share your preschoolers passions! - 12/23/15 02:47 AM
My DD loved to write and make little books too! My DS loved science and liked to draw monsters and dangerous fish. Still does actually….
Posted By: Ametrine Re: Share your preschoolers passions! - 11/07/16 01:52 AM
I'm feeling nostalgic so I thought I'd bump this thread for the new parents of Preschoolers.

Our son is now in fifth grade (recently skipped fourth) and still loves numbers and has developed a love of physics.
Posted By: madeinuk Re: Share your preschoolers passions! - 11/07/16 02:04 PM
Aeh,

Have you ever seen some of the Lothar Meggendorfer books?

A small museum near the town that I grew up in had an exihibit of them once - they even made a VHS 'documentary type film showing close ups of some of the more intricate mechanisms and devices used - the kind curator let me borrow it once, how I wish now that I had pirated it!


Some of the themes and actions performed would not mesh well with the mores of Today but it was magical to me andI overlooked that knowing not to judge opinions held earlier in the 20th century.

If you can find some stuff on him I wholeheartedly recommend that you show it to your pre-schooler. Just pre-filter it first :-)
Posted By: AAC Re: Share your preschoolers passions! - 11/07/16 03:34 PM
Mine is 2.5 and she is super into writing letters. She's also into debating. arguing. about anything, as long as she can construct a differing opinion to mine.
Posted By: Emigee Re: Share your preschoolers passions! - 11/22/16 04:15 PM
I love reading about all these interests!

My little guy is 3.5 and has had a number of passions. When he was 2.5 he was really into musical instruments, especially brass. He basically memorized all the pictures and diagrams in several books about orchestral instruments. In addition to knowing all the major Western instruments, he could tell you their major body parts (tuning peg, water key, piston valve, etc.). He even memorized the typical seating chart of an orchestra. He would make random remarks at the dinner table such as, "Piccolo trumpets have four piston values. But trumpets only have three." This has abated somewhat, but he's still especially fascinated with trombones and can't wait until he's old enough to take lessons.

Now at 3.5, his interests include: Clocks and calendars; the solar system and the planets; and baseball. He understands the rules of baseball better than I do and certainly has a larger vocabulary of baseball terms.

(I should say, we don't know if he's gifted or not (no testing), but I found my way here because I suspect that he is.)
Posted By: Maladroit Re: Share your preschoolers passions! - 11/22/16 09:29 PM
DS 2.5 is VERY into cars (knows all the parts), correcting my driving and being the youngest backseat driver I've ever known! He is really into spelling and cooking...and he's not half bad!
Posted By: NotherBen Re: Share your preschoolers passions! - 11/23/16 01:51 AM
Ah, retrospection for me. DS22 at not-quite-2 had memorized How the Grinch Stole Christmas and could recite it, and continued to act out movies, loved Star Wars, and delighted in books. He didn't read until 1st grade, but had an affinity for words and language. At 22 he is an actor and a writer. DS also loooooved Lego (our worst and expensive nightmare but easiest gift shopping for years came when Lego came out with Star Wars sets) and he is so not a STEM kid.

DS17 at not-quite-2 loved numbers and patterns, knew and called out every. Single. Triangle. On the way to preschool. As a high school senior he is enjoying his Multivariable calculus class (which would be AP if only AP still offered the test). He also loved Blues Clues and still loves to solve a puzzle. Loved Mariachi music and now likes jazz and wants to double major, or minor, in Composition. Liked Lego but not with the same passion, and is much more of a STEM kid. Well, more TEM, neither of them like science much. (DS17 approaches AP Bio as as physicist, which doesn't always bode well.)
Posted By: JBD Re: Share your preschoolers passions! - 12/07/16 06:31 PM
So we have no idea if DS4 is gifted, but in addition to more typical passions like Paw Patrol and Transformers, he's also obsessed with math problems. Obsessed. Pretty basic math, but he wants me to ask him questions all the time.

DD5, when I was still considering her a preschooler, had the more varied and unusual list that some of y'all have. Her passions at the time (in addition to princesses and barbie), were learning cursive, getting speed-drilled on math, puzzles, the female reproductive system, art, space, and maps. (She never has stuck to just one thing. She cycles through interests every few weeks and then eventually circles back around). She also begged for a "squatty potty" stepstool last year for Christmas.
Posted By: LazyMum Re: Share your preschoolers passions! - 01/04/17 07:44 PM
DD3 likes taking photos on my iPhone, including zooming in and out and choosing filters. I started putting her pics on Instagram as a record for her, for later.
Posted By: Cookie Re: Share your preschoolers passions! - 01/05/17 02:21 PM
She has an eye for it.
Posted By: LazyMum Re: Share your preschoolers passions! - 01/05/17 08:03 PM
Originally Posted by Cookie
She has an eye for it.

Thanks Cookie smile
Posted By: Kish Re: Share your preschoolers passions! - 01/17/17 09:34 PM
DD is 3Y4M, and loves to play with words and very often leaves us tongue-tied.

When she was 2Y7M, she was sitting on her car seat playing with her Molecube, while I was driving. She suddenly threw it into the car floor. I said �Did you just throw the Molecube?�. DD replied, �No, I just helped the molecube to fly.�

When she was 2Y10M, on a particular instance, I said �Why do you keep shouting all the time?�. DD said (with every statement she turned her head into the general direction of what she was telling about) �I don�t shout all the time. I jump on the sofa, I ride my bike, I eat strawberries, I draw on the paper, I play with lego blocks, I watch TV, I play on iPad, I walk into the play room, I sleep on my bed, I color with crayons. See? I don�t shout all the time.�

Recently, when I told her "DD, Stop" while she was doing something. She said "I'm not Alexa. Say 'Can you please Stop'" If you own an Amazon Echo, you'd know what she meant.

And a few other of her statements,

�I want to climb on the slide and slide on the climb�

"If ring is rang, why is bring not brang".

"My nose is not small, my nose is bigger than a small nose"

�Can you give me something sweet, colorful and �M� on it?� (Apparently, asking for an M&M)
Posted By: sanne Re: Share your preschoolers passions! - 02/03/17 10:11 PM
My 21 month old has a new sudden passion for violin. I'm familiar with Suzuki and we have a tiny violin from DS9's toddler attempt at violin (which lasted about 20 minutes and never again, LOL).

What's amazing to me is I put in an instructional DVD on how to play violin and DS1 mimics how to put the violin on his shoulder. (In Suzuki the teacher typically does it for a young child).

I'm happy because since finding violin he is much easier to deal with during the day. Much less tantrumming and mess-making. ❤
Posted By: Kish Re: Share your preschoolers passions! - 02/08/17 05:53 PM
As I was saying, DD is 3Y5M, and loves to play with words and very often leaves us tongue-tied. She has been asking a lot of questions and becoming increasingly curious about everything.

I've created a twitter handle to tweet her questions and statements as she speaks them, to keep as a record for her. DW and I are managing it and we'll eventually pass it to her when she grows up.

Posted By: CuriousKids Re: Share your preschoolers passions! - 02/09/17 01:47 PM
So, this is my first post. I feel like this is a fun thread to get my feet wet.

DS5: At 3 and 4, it was dinosaurs, dinosaurs and more dinosaurs. He discovered the pronunciations in the parenthesis of dino names and loved to decode them. He also enjoyed stories and make believe games that involved time travel, portals and black holes. He became very interested in the human body for a while. Now at 5, he has discovered kiddie anime and power rangers and still loves building "contraptions" and other structures with magnatiles(which he has loved since infancy). When he gets into something, he super focuses on it so it will be interesting to see what passions are unlocked once kindergarten begins next year. He also likes swimming, hiking, karate, museums and playgrounds.

DD18m: letters, letter sounds, counting everything, starfall.com, spinning things, farm animals, animal sounds,
fingerplays/motion songs, drawing, books, shoes. I am super excited to see what else will grab her interest!
Posted By: indigo Re: Share your preschoolers passions! - 02/09/17 05:03 PM
CuriousKids - Welcome! smile


Kish and LazyMum, not to be a Debbie Downer, but please exercise caution about identifying your child publicly. Unfortunately it may make your child a target or magnet for future unwanted attention.

Board rules include "Try not to post any information that will allow others to identify you, your children, or anyone else."
Posted By: LazyMum Re: Share your preschoolers passions! - 02/09/17 09:28 PM
Thanks for your concern Indigo.

Maybe I shouldn't be so relaxed about it, but honestly, I feel like these days if someone wants to hack you, steal your identity, or find out all your family's info, there's not much I can do about it. It would be just as likely (more likely even, and certainly easier) that someone takes a shine to my daughter on the metro, follows us, and starts learning our routine/school run/home address.

It's a big scary world out there and I'm not sure that putting her pictures on IG truly adds that much risk. Having said that, the name I've put on her IG account is not the name that's on her birth certificate wink
Posted By: Kish Re: Share your preschoolers passions! - 02/10/17 05:54 PM
Thanks indigo. Makes sense. I've edited the post to remove the link.
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