Good morning! It looks like the beautiful spring weather will continue today. Here are a few invitations to interest and engage toddlers.
Sensory Invitation: Sand (pouring, scooping)
Sand is such a wonderful material for young children to explore. An empty dish tub or storage bin makes a perfect sensory bin. For easier clean-up, place the bin on a shower curtain liner, old sheet, or table cloth. A measuring spoon, tablespoon and a container are plenty of tools for scooping and dumping, filling and pouring.
Intent: Sensory activities such as interacting with sand build children’s fine motor skills, invite curiosity and exploration, and encourage cognitive development.
Art Invitation: Markers and paper
At LACS, the toddler teachers present children with paper taped to trays or the tabletop and a small selection of washable markers in an acrylic cup. At this age, removing and replacing the caps on the markers is often more interesting than making marks.
Intent: Build fine motor skills, provide materials for creative expression and mark making.
Music/Movement Invitation: Pom Na Tu Ri (Springtime Outing)
Sung here by Elizabeth Mitchell
This sweet Korean nursery song is a wonderful one to sing with young children and ties in with the outdoor offering of a springtime walk.
Intent: This song is an opportunity for movement, language development, and musicality.
Outdoor Invitation: Neighborhood Walk
Take a walk anywhere around your home! You can do this with your child riding in a wagon or stroller, or go at your toddler’s walking pace. During a nature walk take time to notice the world with your child: the sky, the trees, and ground. What are the signs of Spring you can see in your neighborhood?
Intent: Sometimes the walk is more important than the destination because it is where we observe the most.
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