Peacefulmann Toddler

Toddler Activities

2007-10-08T09:02:00.000-07:00

Practical Life: Nut and bolt activity

Sensorial:

Graduation Cards. These are 5 cards that have the same picture on the that go from Large to small

Mystery bag.

Language: Animals of the World. The child will match the plastic animal with the picture of the animal.

Math:

Match animals 1-5. The control card will have squares across the top with the correct 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 sequence across the top. The matching cards will have 5 cards, the first will have 1 animal, the second will have 2 animals, and so on. The child matches his card by putting the card under the control card.

Match animal fur pictures to the animal.

Art: Animal Sponge pictures. Pieces of a large panda. Match the black pieces to the panda then glue then on.

Music: Musical Triangle

Science:

Collect Duck Feathers. Using water and a dropper experiment to see if water really does run off of duck feathers.

Choose an animal and show what they eat. Such as carrots and lettuce that bunnies eat.

Starting Out

2007-08-28T05:11:00.000-07:00

Read about the Montessori Philosophy. Several books are available for free download here: http://peacefulmannlinks.blogspot.com/

I also highly recommend Aline Wolf's, Nurturing the Spirit.

Simplify and reorganize your living space to give your little one access to a few nicely arranged toys at a time. The best toys are generally basic, old-fashioned, and kid-powered: blocks, books, puzzles, instruments, and manipulatives.

Allow choices and have them help you with daily tasks in small ways.

The activities are meant to be presented in a general order, but how and when is based on observation of the child, the child's strengths and interests, and previous experience. The work provided for the children is a small part of the overall philosophy. Read through some magazines, view a video from the library, or even observe a Montessori school.

The 0-3 age is heuristic play (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heuristic) and most of the child's day should be in guided exploration and not structured lessons. You can research Piaget and Erickson and focus on where your child is developmentally.

Respect the child and what they are capable of, allow the child to be as independent as possible, create an environment that encourages the child to learn, and use positive discipline strategies such as redirecting their focus.

(information in this message is both a compilation of others recommendations and some of my own, HTH)

Cooking With Toddlers

2007-08-27T06:21:00.000-07:00

From about age 15 months, children are able to participate in preparation and cleaning up. Provide a low work surface or a stool at the kitchen counter.
The toddler child can:

wash fruits and vegetables
tear lettuce
slice fruits, vegetables, cheese (unless very hard)
peel fruits, vegetables, hard-boiled eggs
pour water a cup at a time into a pot (for boiling pasta)
pour ingredients (rice, flour, liquids) into a pot or mixing bowl
crack eggs
stir batter
spread peanut butter, cream cheese, butter
knead dough
roll out dough, cut cookies
set the table
carry dish to the kitchen
wash the dishes
load the dishwasher
scrub counter, table
sweep and mop the floor (provide child-sized tools)
put groceries and dishes away in low cabinets

http://www.littleredrobin.com/pages/cooking_with_toddlers.asp

Ideas For 18 Month Olds

2007-08-21T14:49:00.000-07:00

at 16 month old, the children are developing skills, fine motor, gross motor, language.

-Use a play hammer to beat golf tees into a piece of Styrofoam.
-Use spring loaded tongs to pick up cotton balls and place them in a muffin tin.
-Put skinny straws or toothpicks in a cheese shaker or spice bottle.
-Opening and closing doors without slamming or pinching fingers.
-Opening and closing drawers without slamming and pinching fingers.
-Pouring water into a funnel.
-How to say hello/goodbye on a play telephone.
-Sorting light and dark socks/buttons.
-Sorting cutlery.
-Sink and float?
-Different measuring utensils in the water
-Unrolling a carpet and rolling it to put it away.
-Carrying a tray of easy materials to the carpet then putting it away.
-Dusting shelves.
-Using a water sprayer to wash a mirror (spraying is still a hard movement but...)
-Pouring his own juice
-Various sizes of box lids and trying to match them
-Unscrewing peanut butter size jars or we a travel pack at the dollar store with a toothbrush holder, soap holder and various jars....Old spice shakers
-Cleaning up spills with a washcloth.
-Sweeping with a handbroom
-Putting clothes pins in a small neck plastic bottle
-Sound Shakers
-Tape a large piece of butcher paper to the floor and give him some crayons
-Chalk outside on the sidewalk or tape a black piece of paper to the refrigerator...
-Clear plastic cosmetic bag with items to take out and put in velcro
-Put masking tape to the refrigerator by sticking only a small portion to the fridge and let him pull it off an put in a container or trash can.
-They love to be little shadows and help.
-Flour in a container to wiggle his toes in...and of course to play in, measure, etc.
-Painting with tempura pain and using an apron
-Homemade playdoh (that's safe to eat, I have a recipe if needed)
-Stacking blocks
-Pour large balls from cup to cup
-Spoon large beads for bowl to bowl
-Matching of colors and objects
-Put popsicle sticks through a slit in a large coffee can
-Peg boards with the large pegs

-Mystery box......
Fill with fresh items from outside
Different sizes of large shoes
kitchen utensils to explore
different size socks
hats
gloves (including an oven mitt)
sensory items (fresh herbs that smell when you rub them,
winter items...scarf, gloves, hat and a picture of snow or cold
Summer items, short sleeve shirt, shorts again a picture of a sunny day or activity...be creative (a swimming box...goggles, floaties, picture of swimming)
Heavy - Light items
Anything that you can add a picture of will help him to "get the jist" as he gets older......perhaps a picture of an item from a G'ma and then the item itself..or if G'ma isn't near...Dad or Mom....
Jammies are always fun....(we are a family of 6 now so there is lots to do) My little one takes the jammies to everyone and then puts Dad's jammies back until he comes home.....Poor Dad as he walks through the door and is handed his jammies by the little one...LOL He never knows what he is going to walk into....
ETC.... you get the idea....LOL
-Make a book of him doing activities and read it to him...this is "name" doing sink and float, this is "name" talking on the phone saying....this way he is reminded of the activities he can choose for himself.