Toddler Approaches to Learning
After completing an activity please fill out the Activity Completion Log.
“Drumming Up Fun”
What you’ll need:
1) Large metal cans, bowls, containers
2) Drumsticks, wooden spoons, paper towel tube
What you’ll do:
1) Turn containers over for your child to bang on them
2) Experiment with different sounds and try different drum sticks
3) Talk to your child about what they are doing. (Soft, loud, fast, slow, high and low sounds)
4) Clap to the rhythm your child is making and play along with them
Toys Peeking Out
Show your child one familiar toy covered with a towel. Make sure part of the toy, like a wheel on a truck, can still be seen. Let your child uncover the toy and play with it.
Make the game harder by partially covering two different objects such as a doll and a toy car. Hide them under the towel and ask your child to find a doll.
If she does not see the doll, uncover more of it to make it easier to find. Repeat the game until she can easily locate each item.
Invite your child to use language during the game. As she chooses an object, ask her to name it before she takes it from its hiding place. If she doesn’t know the name of the toy, offer help by naming it in a sentence like, “You found the doll. Can you say doll?”
Give her time to play with the toy before repeating the game.
Sticker Alphabet
What you’ll need:
1) Construction Paper
2) Marker
3) Round Stickers
What you’ll do:
1) Using a marker, draw a large “bubble” letter on construction paper.
2) Start with the letter “A”. Do one letter at a time. (Letter of the day)
3) Show your toddler how to pick off a sticker and place it on the letter.
4) Have your toddler place the stickers on the lines/outlines of the letter or in the letter.
5) As they are placing the stickers on the letter, talk about the letter with them.
6) Tell them what the letter is and words that start with the letter. Practice pronouncing the letter.
Musical Scavenger Hunt
Materials
Sidewalk chalk, a cd, or some music your child likes.
Outside, make a game board using colored chalk. Make a square for each color of chalk you have. Turn on the music and let the fun begin.
The children will move around the game board until the music stops. Whatever colored square they land on, they must then go and find something outside that matches that color.
A fun way to help your child with color matching and if you help them name the color, color recognition.
Go outside, get moving and have fun all while helping your child learn about colors and the world around them.
Clothes Pin Matching with Shapes
What you’ll need:
1) Clothe spins
2) Colored paper
3) Pencil/Marker
4) Scissors
What you’ll do:
1) Cut shapes from colored paper.
2) Use marker to draw matching shapes onto clothes pins. (Outline shapes in black for more definition)
3) Show your toddler how to pair the paper shapes to It’s matching shape on the clothes pin.
4) Let your toddler keep practicing matching the shapes.
5) Talk about the differences in shapes. (Compare and contrast)
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