Good morning! We hope you had an opportunity to enjoy the cooler weather yesterday. Here are three ideas for engaging toddlers today.
Sensory Invitation: bubble/foam sensory bin
Put two parts baby wash and one part water in a dish pan or empty storage bin. Use a whisk or handheld mixer to beat the mixture until it forms stiff peaks (It is a great workout if you do it by hand!), add some small trucks or animals and invite your child to explore.
This soft, fluffy sensory material provides children with a different sensory experience from sand or water.
Thanks to middler teachers Sarah and Caitlyn for this idea!
Art/Fine Motor Invitation: Stamps and paper
This invitation is particularly interesting to children who like to make dots with markers and crayons. Find a washable ink pad and some stamps and set them out along with a piece of paper. As an alternative you could offer Do-A-Dot markers.
Stamping is another multi-step process like watercolor painting. Children need to remember the sequence in order to make marks on the paper. They may also explore the materials in unexpected ways.
Fine Motor/Building Invitation: Monochromatic material exploration II
Recently we proposed offering a selection of materials that were the same color and seeing what your child would create with them. 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?