Good morning! It’s Wednesday again. Looks like it is going to be a lovely spring day! Here are some invitations for toddlers that can be offered inside or outside.
Sensory Invitation: Pouring water
This simple invitation is often fascinating for toddlers as they explore the properties of water, work on their pouring skills, and build muscle skills.
You can set this up at the kitchen sink, in the backyard, or the bathtub. Put some warm water into a bowl and set out some cups, measuring cups, and possibly a ladle or spoon.
Literacy/Dramatic Play Invitation: Reading to babies/lovies
Last week we invited children to care for baby dolls or lovies. Today we extend that invitation, wondering what books children will choose to read to their baby dolls? Will it be board books that were favorites of theirs when they were younger? Current favorites? Would they like to make a book especially for their baby?
Extension: Making a book for the baby doll. You can make a book for a baby doll with pictures of daily activities or events printed on plain paper and stapled together to make a spine. You can also offer your toddler a homemade blank book (fold 2-3 sheets of paper together and staple along the folded edge) to fill with their own illustrations.
In offering care and connection to baby dolls, children are practicing self-care, building empathy, and exploring caregiver roles. This invitation also encourages language and literacy skills as children practice narrating what they see on the page and turning pages.
Art Invitation: Play dough explorations
While clay is our favorite sculpting medium, play dough is more accessible for most families (unless you want to dig some Carolina clay from your backyard). Perhaps today your toddler would like to make a play dough picnic for their baby doll? Or use everyday objects to make prints in the dough?
Sculpting is a way to build fine motor skills, facilitate creative expression, and explore texture, shape, and design.
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