Can you believe it’s the last day of April? Whether you are just joining us or have been using these invitations all month, we are so glad you are here. Below you will find three ideas for toddlers to explore on what looks like it will be a wet and possibly stormy day.
Sensory Invitation: Sensory bin with tubes and scoops
If you have not yet set up a sensory bin for your toddler, today is a great day for that. You can use an empty storage bin, a dish tub, or a cardboard box. You can set the bin on a low table or kitchen/dining chair so your child can stand and work (you can also set it on the floor, but it is likely your child will climb into the bin). For younger toddlers, it is often a good idea to set the sensory bin on a sheet, shower curtain, or tablecloth to make cleaning up easier. You can fill the bin with a variety of things: grass seed, birdseed, crinkled paper grass, sand, water (not in a cardboard box), leaves, etc.
Today we are wondering what toddlers will do with something that pours like sand or seeds, paper towel tubes, and scoops. Will they use the tubes to move the sand? Will they use them to make circles by stamping them into the sand? Will they use the seeds to make the tubes stand up like towers and fill them?
Sensory bins can be very soothing for children (and adults) to work in. They are also an opportunity to explore the properties of the physical world, experiment with gravity and cause and effect.
Building Invitation: Blocks with additional loose parts (cotton balls, sticks, etc.)
Blocks are a wonderful way for toddlers to explore different schema while building their design skills, hand-eye coordination and other motor skills. After so many weeks at home, it might be time to offer something new with your blocks. This could be as simple as some mason jar rings, paper towel tubes, or cotton balls, You could also add things from nature like sweet gum balls, leaves, or small sticks. What might your toddler do with these additional materials?
Art Invitation: Messing about with tape
We have been following the work of several inspirational programs across the globe during this crisis. One invitation we wanted to share with local toddlers is “Messing About with Tape” from Boulder Journey School. All you need is some tape (masking tape or painter’s tape is ideal because it peels cleanly off most surfaces).
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