Toddler Cognitive (Math and Science)
After completing an activity please fill out the Activity Completion Log.
Giving One to Each
Ask your child to help set the table.
Show him how to put a napkin beside one plate.
Give him enough napkins and ask him to put one beside each plate.
Describe what he is doing using the one word. Such as, “Give one to Daddy; one for Grandma; one for you.”
If he no longer has enough napkins to put one at each plate, help him find the place where he put more than one. Explain what happened and offer encouragement. Example,” There were two napkins by this plate. Can you put one at the last plate so each person has one napkin for dinner?”
Thank your child for helping you set the table.
“Sink or Float”
What you’ll need:
1) A large clear container or tupperware filled with water
2) Variety of objects that may sink or float (balls, cars, blocks, etc)
What you’ll do:
1) Put items that sink in one pile and the items that float in another.
2) Talk about the objects that float and the objects that will sink to your children. Explain the difference.
3) Start experimenting with your child by putting the objects in the container of water. Let your child guess if the object will sink or float.
Giant Shape Match
What you’ll need:
1) Blocks (With different shapes)
2) Black Marker
3) Kraft paper
4) Masking tape
What you’ll do:
1) Roll out a large piece of craft paper and tape to the floor.
2) Use your marker and trace the different blocks onto the paper.
3) Try using different sides of the shapes, 2-D and 3-D
4) Once you are finished tracing multiple shapes have your children match the shapes with the blocks.
5) Your toddler will have to use critical thinking to figure out which block goes to which shape on the paper. You can help them and explain to them the different shapes and sizes of the blocks.
Fireworks in a Jar
Materials
Empty jar, 4 tablespoons cooking oil, food coloring, water, a bowl, paper towels, and a spoon.
What You Do
Begin by filing the empty jar ¾ of the way up with water
In a bowl combine 3 tablespoons of cooking oil along with several drops of food coloring. You will want to add 3-5 drops of food coloring for each color that you are using.
Use a spoon to stir the food coloring into the oil. It will not mix, but stirring will help break the food coloring into smaller droplets.
Now pour the container of oil into the jar of water.
After a moment or two the oil will settle to the top of the jar, but the food coloring will begin to shoot down and mix with the water creating a fireworks effect!
The food colors will continue to shoot down like fireworks until all the droplets have fallen from the oil.
The Science Behind the Fun
The basis of this experiment is that food coloring will mix with water but not oil. This is because traditional food coloring is water based.
But why won’t the oil mix? This is due to their varying densities. Oil is less dense causing it to float on top of the water. The food coloring is denser than the oil, so it falls through and mixes into the water.
Number Pocket Game
What you’ll need:
1) Card holders
2) Popsicle sticks
3) Masking tape
4) Colored paper
5) Markers
What you’ll do:
1) Write a number on each popsicle stick (numbers 1 through 10).
2) On the colored paper, cut out small circles.
3) Label each circle with a number to match the popsicle stick’s number.
4) Tape each numbered circle onto the card holder.
5) Then tape each card holder onto the wall in number order.
6) Have your child practice matching the numbered popsicle stick to the same number on the card holder.
7) Once your child gets the hang of it, you can change the order on the wall to make the activity more challenging.