Good morning! Here are some ideas for your toddler today.
Fine Motor/Sensory Invitation: Filling and dumping bottles
Filling and dumping are related schema that toddlers are eager to build on. Today, we suggest getting out some bottles with narrow necks (empty water bottles are perfect) and some items that fit through the neck. Craft sticks, pom poms, unsharpened pencils, and cotton swabs work well. Invite your child to see how many they can fit in the bottle, then dump it when it is full.
This invitation encourages children to use fine motor skills while building cognitive skills, persistence, and the joy of discovery.
Music/Movement Invitation: Sound shakers
Many toddlers enjoy exploring the world of sound, and investigating different ways to make sounds with a variety of things. For this invitation you can use the same bottles and materials as the first invitation, or something different. Look around your house and see what you can find that might make noise in a bottle. You can also make shakers using buttons, beads, or small rocks. Stay close to your child if they are still putting small things in their nose or mouth. When there are some objects in the bottles, put the lids on, and turn on some music with a steady beat!
You can also do this activity by taping over the ends of paper towel tubes. Close one end, add something that rattles, and then close the other end.
This invitation extends the filling and dumping invitation and brings in sound and music as well as creative expression.
Large Motor Invitation: Climbing over pillows and cushions
Pull the cushions off the couch, the pillows off the bed and create a soft obstacle course for your toddler! They can work with you to create caves, mountains, etc. When they are done with the course, have them help put everything away.
Creating an obstacle course requires planning, testing, and experimentation. Moving the cushions and pillows requires strength and coordination as does completing the course.
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