Blog: Toddlers

Good morning. It looks like cool weather will continue today. Here are three invitations for toddlers.

Fine Motor Invitation: Tubes and fuzzy wire

We suggested this invitation for slightly older children recently and wondered what toddlers would do if presented with the same invitation. You will need a hole punch, some empty paper towel tubes, and fuzzy wire (aka pipe cleaners or chenille stems). Cut the toilet paper tubes into sections and punch holes at random. Set the tubes on a tray with some fuzzy wires and invite your toddler to explore. Will they push the wire through the small holes? Will they string the tubes on the wire? Will they use the wire to make shapes?

This invitation uses fine motor skills and creativity.

Sensory/Art Invitation: Watercolors on bubbles

You can present this invitation using a tub of bubbles (baby wash and a small amount of water whipped with a whisk), or at bath time when there are plenty of bubbles in the tub. Invite your child to see what happens when they try to paint the bubbles using (washable) watercolor paints. Will the bubbles change color?

This invitation builds sensory schema, is a place for experimentation and creative expression.

Music/Movement: “The More We Get Together”

The toddlers at Lakewood love signing and singing this song together. You can learn the signs using this video. Signing can support young children who are struggling with expressive language. 

 

Good morning! We hope you had a wonderful weekend and had an opportunity to enjoy the amazing weather! Here are three invitations for toddlers on a Monday.

Fine Motor Invitation: Painting toys

For this invitation, gather some washable toys (plastic), washable paints, paint brushes, and an empty shallow storage bin or other location for the painting.

Invite your child to explore what their toys look like in other colors and with different designs on them. What colors will they choose? 

This invitation is a place for fun, creative expression, and building fine motor skills.

Sensory Invitation: Washing toys

After covering several toys in paint, have your child help clean them up. You will need a sink or washtub with warm, soapy water and a scrub brush for this invitation. 

Cleaning their toys and helping to clean up from the earlier activity gives toddlers a way to contribute to the family. It also builds sensory schema.

Music/Movement Invitation: “Sleeping, sleeping”

This chant/movement game asks children to act like different animals or machines using large motor skills, memory and imagination.

Invite your child to lie down and pretend to sleep, then say:

Sleeping, sleeping, 

All the children were sleeping

And when they woke up they were ______________________! (rabbits, dinosaurs, lawn mowers, airplanes, cows, cats, etc.)

After they have been that animal for a lap of the room say:

Sleeping, sleeping,

All the _________________ were sleeping

And when they woke up they were…!

Happy Friday! Next week will be a normal week for Lakewood at Home. The following week we will be taking a break to evaluate the program and regroup.

Here are three invitations for today. Hope you have a lovely weekend.

Science/Sensory Invitation: Making bread in a bag

Ingredients

• 1 gallon size zip-top plastic bag
• 1 cup all purpose or bread flour
• 2 cups whole wheat flour
• 1/4  cup sugar
• 1 packet yeast (rapid rise or regular) (2 ¼ teaspoons if you are scooping it out of a jar)
• 1 cup warm water (95-degrees)
• 1/4 cup butter, melted and cooled slightly
• 1 teaspoon salt

 

Open the zip-top bag and fold the top back. You can set it in a bowl with the fold over the rim of the bowl to support it. Place 1 cup all purpose or bread flour, sugar, and yeast in the bag.Combine 1 cup flour, sugar, and yeast packet in the bag. Add 1 cup warm water. Seal the bag, pressing out any air.

Invite your toddler to shake the bag to mix everything together really well.

Set the bag to rest for 10 minutes (proofing). This might be a good time for a snack, or to do some puzzles or read a couple of books…

After ten minutes, the dough in the bag should be bubbling.

Add the two cups of whole wheat flour, the salt and the melted butter

Seal the bag, and mix until the dough pulls away from the side of the bag. Your child can shake the bag, punch it, wiggle it, etc.

Pull out dough and place on a floured surface.

With floured hands, knead dough for 5 minutes, until it feels fairly smooth and elastic.

Place dough in a greased loaf pan (8 ½ x 4 ½ or 9 x 5 will work, or you could do 2-3 mini loaf pans).

Lay towel over the loaf pan and set it in a warm spot in your house. Leave the loaf to rise until it has risen to 1 ½ times its original size, 45 minutes to an hour. During the last 15 minutes, preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Bake at 375 for 30-40 minutes, until dark golden and the loaf makes a hollow sound when you thump it on the bottom.

 Fine Motor Invitation: Puzzles

Working with puzzles builds cognitive and fine motor skills. It can also become a music or dramatic play exploration.

Dramatic Play Invitation: Dishes and loose parts

Loose parts provide richness in many areas. This morning we are wondering what loose parts you might add to your child’s play dishes. You can offer this inside, or outside. We found large pompoms, fabric flowers, and larger lids. You could also use tree cookies, herbs from the garden, felt pieces, or fuzzy wire. What will your toddler do with these materials? How will it impact their play? As with all toddler invitations, if your child is still putting things in their mouth, make sure the loose parts are not choking hazards.

Good morning! We are hoping it will be a little cooler today. Here are a few invitations to share with your toddler today.

Art/Sensory Invitation: Collage with glue

Collage with toddlers is a very sticky experience. You will need a sturdy substrate like a piece of cardboard, some small pieces of paper, and washable glue. Invite your child to explore how they can attach the small paper to the substrate. They may also explore how the glue sticks to their fingers, how their fingers stick to the paper, etc.

Dramatic Play Invitation: Exploring fabric and stuffed animals

This morning for a dramatic play invitation, set out some pieces of fabric or scarves with some stuffed animals and see what happens. Children might use them as blankets, wrap the stuffed animals, or make themselves capes! Loose parts like fabric provide avenues for creative expression and innovation.

Fine Motor/Design Invitation: Monochromatic exploration III

Recently we proposed offering a selection of materials that were the same color and seeing what your child would create with them.  This is the third iteration of that invitation. Today we are wondering if you offer things that are a different color, how might their engagement be similar or different. Will their interactions with the materials be different with a different color? What will they notice about the texture, shape, or hue of the materials?