Toddlers
September 2017
Get Those Toddlers Engaged!!
Make sure that you are choosing age appropriate activities for your children. It is a great idea to incorporate thematic elements into your classroom so that the learning centers take on a different role than just blocks, or just a kitchen! Let's get thinking of October's themes and what we could do to make the classroom truly reflect these curriculum themes.
During October, we will be focusing on "Down on the Farm" and "In the Fall". Below are some ideas that you can incorporate into your classroom to get those toddlers engaged in something so they are not wandering around looking for something to do.
Block Center:
Have the children build little barns for the farm animals in the classroom! Add different color paper to the blocks to make them green for grass, blue for water, yellow for hay and brown for fencing!
Wrap blocks in green, red, brown and yellow paper. Help the children build an apple tree with the different colors for apples and the brown for the trunk. They can build it up or build it flat on the floor!
Dramatic Play Center:
Use your imagination to set up a barn in the dramatic play area! Save some boxes from a diaper or food order to have the children help paint red for the barn. Make a chicken coop or a horse corral!
Set up a Farmer's Market! Have the children help make a sign for it, add plastic or felt produce, Talk about what we can buy at a Farmer's Market!
Science Center:
Milk the Cow using a plastic glove filled with milk with tiny holes in the finger tips, have the children "milk" the udders. Use open ended questions during this activity.
Nature Portraits! Have the children use items from nature to create their very own self portrait!
Sensory Center:
Fill your sensory bin with cornmeal. Add tractors, plastic animals, scoops, and even a barn into the sensory bin.
Make some homemade apple scented play-dough. Put it in the sensory bin with acorns and leaves.
Art Center:
Have the children roll cobs of corn into paint and then roll it onto the paper. They will be able to see the texture from the corn kernels!
Paint with apples! Slice the apples in half and have the children dip them into paint and do some apple stamping!
Outdoor Exploration:
Do farm animal yoga poses!
Fall Scavenger Hunt! Have the children look for items such as leaves, acorns, pine cones, sticks, and even a squirrel!
How Long Is Too Long?
Toddlers have a VERY short attention span and are not able to sit still or stay interested in one activity for long periods of time. We need to remember that toddlers are constantly moving and exploring their surroundings. Each time they come into the classroom, it is a new learning experience! Remember that it is totally fine to allow a toddler to stand and do an art activity, put a puzzle together or play with play-dough. We cannot have unrealistic expectations for the toddlers in our classrooms because we want to set them up for success and not failure!
It is also important to remember transition times are difficult for toddlers. Helping 12 toddlers get their coats on can take longer than anyone intended it to. Behaviors will occur because they are becoming bored and do not know what is expected of them. Try breaking into Primary Care Groups so you are helping less children at one time.
Some ideas you can utilize for transitions are:
- Go on a color or shape hunt; you can do this while seated or walking around. See how many yellow items you can find in one minute or try to spot ten circles together.
- Work on coordination and have a few laughs playing "Simon (or mommy) Says" or come up with silly combinations such as "touch your nose to your elbow" or "touch your toes to your arm".
- Giggles will ensue as you show each other your best sad, happy, frustrated, surprised, or excited face.
- Play a version of hide-n-seek. Find a small item and hide it in your hands, under napkins or cups, and have your child guess where it is hiding. You can also create hide-n-seek bottles using an old water bottle and filling it with rice and a few small items. Seal the lid with hot glue and your child can find the items amidst the rice.