Try these toddler activities to add to your creative-curriculum!
Looking for creative-curriculum ideas to keep toddlers busy and happy while you teach? Try some of these ideas!
Rainy-day and around-the-house ideas for a creative-curriculum with toddlers:
Indoor activities using things around the house:
STRING "BEADS" WITH COLORED CEREAL SUCH AS FRUIT LOOPS!
*Your child can learn to sort by arranging the "beads" into piles according to color.
*He/She can practice counting skills and even learn the basics of addition and subtraction by "giving some away" to their brother or sister.
*Hand/eye co-ordination is developed by stringing beads.
*This is a quiet and soothing activity that keeps toddlers busy AND happy for a long time!
*They have some lovely edible jewelry when they're finished!
Stringing fruit loop beads is a wonderful tool for developing a creative-curriculum for your "youngest students" at home!
My kids LOVE this dough recipe because it keeps for a long time if you seal it well in baggies. (We've also used empty play-dough containers, and that works well too!) Ingredients: 1 C flour 1/2 C salt 2 t cream of tartar 1 T oil 1 C boiling water food coloring of choice (multiply recipe to suit family size...I usually double and that gives at least 6 children a small ball) Instructions: Mix first four ingredients, add water and stir until ball forms....knead in color! NOTE: food coloring does makes messy hands...but for ADDED fun...we love to let the kids make "surprise" dough! To do this, I make a hole in the center of the dough ball....squirt in some drops of food color, and gently fold the dough back up....then I let the kids start squeezing and kneading that ball of dough and it turns color right before their eyes! They LOVE the surprise of finding out what color they've gotten! NOTE: Offer some cookie cutters, rolling pin, an perhaps an old tin or plastic cookie serving platter and let the kids "open a bakery or candy factory"! You'll be AMAZED at your toddlers' creations and THEY'LL be content and happy while you get some work done with the older students!
Speaking of older students: They LOVE to roll and cut dough too!And their OWN creative-curriculum can be enhanced by allowing them to use their math skills to assist you in making dough for their younger brothers and sisters!
You can make your OWN paper dolls by drawing some characters on heavy card stock and then making outfits and accessories with a lighter-weight paper that the kids have colored and designed! (simply add "tabs" on the clothing so that you can dress the dolls). NOTE: My older girls have made "packages" of these in the past and have given them to their little sisters as gifts! They've even drawn the characters to LOOK LIKE the girls! This fun activity can be used as a supplement for your creative-curriculum in Art class.
If you don't have time to create your own dolls, here are a few links for you where you can PRINT SOME FREE!
A creative-curriculum includes FUN ways to develop necessary skills! Use cardstock to draw and cut out twelve even squares. Draw simple pictures, two of each, on the squares. Some ideas are: stars, hearts, flowers, letters of the alphabet, numbers, cars, houses, ice-cream cones, etc...
Don't like to draw? Use a clipart or graphics program to print out images and then paste them on the squares!
To play: Turn all cards face down. Children take turns turning over two at a time, trying to find and keep a match. Most matches in the end wins! Make sure everyone sees the cards that have been turned over so that they can remember where they are!Memorization can be a useful part of your creative curriculum with students of any age! This little game is a great way to introduce the concept of memorizing to your younger kids.
Toddlers LOVE to build things...AND knock them down again!
Save a stock of empty cardboard tubes from paper towels and toilet paper. Add empty tissue boxes and shoes boxes...cereal boxes as well. Did you know that these everyday household items can be a beneficial addition to your creative-curriculum? It's TRUE!
Use NON-TOXIC paint to paint the blocks with bright colors...or in muted tones of gray and brown to look more like "castle" blocks.
Use the cereal boxes to roll and fasten into cone shapes for the tops of towers...and cut small square patterns out of the tops of the cardboard tubes for the same.
I have known people to also save large appliance boxes and paint those to be houses and forts! You can either paint them a solid color and allow your children to add details of windows, doors, curtains, etc... with crayons or markers...or you can add those details when you paint.
These blocks are MUCH less expensive than Lego or wooden blocks...and it's all your children need to build castles, houses, or abstract art right in your basement or living room!These activities will hold their interest for DAYS!
If your family is like ours, you enjoy having lessons OUTDOORS once in a while! The outdoors is a perfect place to find creative-curriculum ideas for your children!
At times, you like to let your toddlers run and play. But other times, you want to keep a closer eye on them and wish to have them occupied where you can see them.
Here are some simple and FUN activities to keep those busy little hands happy while you have your teach the older children!
WATER PAINTING
All you need is a few paint brushes and a pail of water "paint" to keep your toddlers happy on a warm outdoors day! Your Littles will feel like they are in "REAL" art class now! And you willactually be implementing creative-curriculum FUN that prepares them for the painting and art skills that will come later!
Allow them to dip their brushes into the water and "paint" your stone walk or railings, steps...even the HOUSE!
You'll find that they "go to town", painting everything from pictures of flowers, letters, shapes, etc...to pretending they are "handy-girls" and "handy-boys", helping Dad around the house!
This is a fun, safe activity that DELIGHTS your children AND keeps them cool on a warmer day!
Start saving lots of empty spice jars, tin foil pie tins, plastic silverware, cups, etc...
Providing opportunities for your children to use their imaginations is a crucial part of developing a creative-curriculum...especially with toddlers!
Take a few moments to walk around the yard with your toddlers and show them a variety of things that can be used to make a pretend "salad".
Choose items that vary in color and texture...dandelions and grass for the lettuce, small stones and pebbles (use parental discretion for age of child as to choking hazard), sticks and twigs...even DIRT!
Let them fill up their "spices" with sand and/or dirt so that they can sprinkle their "salt and pepper" on their salad when they serve!
This will keep your kids happy for a long time...and I'm sure YOU'LL be invited to dine on their exquisite culinary presentations time and time again!
Toddlers LOVE to collect things! And they'll amaze you at the plethora of items they can find in your own backyard! Have you ever met a little child that doesn't like to help the "big kids"?Allow your toddler's collection to add to your creative curriculum plans in Science class...start a "nature shelf" (we use our school room window sills) or a display case and include the treasures that your little ones find in the yard!
Do a little set-up work by clearing an nice spot, either on a picnic table, or blanket, or porch. Perhaps use a large piece of cardboard or a plastic platter and have it ready while the kids go exploring.
Tell them that this "collection" is not of things that are the SAME...but rather, it is meant to show how many DIFFERENT items they can find and display!
NOTE: Explain to your children before-hand, NOT to touch any broken or sharp-looking item they might find!
They will spend hours finding the most wonderful treasures to share with you! Tiny bits of fern, a shiny stone, a plastic lid, an old coin...the list of possibilities is endless and you will see smiles of delight as they carefully arrange and re-arrange their "collections" on the platter.
DON'T be in too much of a hurry to put that collection on the shelf! First, you can use it as part of a FUN game with your toddlers!
There are TWO ways to play this game:
A) Instruct your children to study the items on their collection platter as closely as they can....remembering AS MANY ITEMS AS THEY CAN! Give them 2-3 minutes to look closely and memorize the items. Now...REMOVE THE PLATTER from their sight. Have them take turns, one at a time, saying what was on the platter. Write down their answers as they go. (NOTE: The other children must go and play until it's their turn, so that they don't hear each other's answers)...Compare lists and see who remembered the MOST items!
LET THE WINNER CHOOSE THE LUNCH MENU FOR THE DAY!
B) Again, have your kids memorize as best they can, what is on the collection platter. This time, everyone can stay together as a group and work as a team. After they have had a good amount of time to study the items, tell them to close their eyes. While they are not looking, remove a few items from the platter. When the kids open their eyes, have them work together to try to remember what items are missing!
NOTE: You can play a variety of versions of this game...by having your children study everyone in the yard...and then having someone go away and hide...then they have to guess who is missing.
Yet another way to play, is by having a "model" stand in front of the group while everyone memorizes what that person is wearing to the finest detail that they are able. (It's more fun if you add lots of hats,a back-pack, jewelry, buttons, and accessories). Have the kids close their eyes...and tell the "model" to remove one, more, or NO items. When the children open their eyes, they guess either what is missing or say that nothing has changed!
Fill empty spray bottle with half water and have tempera paints...mix WELL. Hang an old solid color sheet (white is best) from a fence or railing, and let the kids "spray paint" until the cows come home!
This uses fine motor skills and you could even practice color recognition (if you're not busy with the older students) by lining up various spray bottles and calling out a color for your children to use. Developing a creative-curriculum for toddlers can be so much fun; and yet, these activities each serve a USEFUL purpose in learning as well!
BUBBLE BLOWING MAKE YOUR OWN BUBBLES: 1 cup water 2 tablespoons light karo syrup or 2 tablespoons glycerin 4 tablespoons dishwashing liquid
Mix together (Garbage bag twisties can be fashioned into bubble wands and any container with a lid will do!
DRESS UP Keep a variety of dress-up clothes nearby: old hats, beads, dresses, gloves, etc...and don't forget and old sport jacket and tie or two for your sons...they LOVE pretending to be the DADDY or UNCLE!
LEAF RUBBINGS: Place a leaf under white copy paper. Rub heavily back and forth with a crayon until the whole image of the leaf has appeared...do several kinds of leaves on one page! This makes a LOVELY piece of artwork! Incorporating items found in nature intoartwork is a great way to enjoy creative-curriculum ideas with your eager toddlers!
BUILDING TOWERS WITH SMALL PLASTIC OR PAPER CUPS! Toddlers will love building skyscrapers or racing to see who can stack a pyramid the fastest!
SPAGHETTI NOODLE CONSTRUCTION! Let your children have a box of dry spaghetti noodles at a table. They can break them to any size and form pictures on the table surface! They can spell their name, "draw" a house, dinosaurs, etc... This is one of my children's FAVORITE activities!
If your kids want more 3-D structures, they can build with mini marshmallow and toothpicks...Even the older kids LOVE this activity! My kids stay busy building skyscrapers for hours with this fun idea!
Remember! Let your toddlers be part of your homeschooling experience. Use these fun and easy activities to build a creative-curriculum and to keep them happy and busy nearby while you work with your older students!
ENJOY YOUR FAMILY! AND GOD BLESS YOUR HOMESCHOOL!
Helping you develop a creative-curriculum for your toddlers and enjoy your Homeschool Faith and Family Life!
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Thanks for stopping by our creative-curriculum for toddlers page!Hope these ideas have been useful to you!
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