Originally, I had planned on having "activity bags", but I have decided that I am going to have a basket specifically for Caleb's independent activities. This basket will be taken out whenever I am preoccupied with the baby and will go back in a location out of Caleb's reach so that the activities don't lose their novelty. Some of these items that I am having to purchase (such as the puzzles and Color Wonder set) will be given to Caleb as a "gift" from his little brother once he arrives.
Here are some ideas for the basket's contents. I intend for Caleb to be sitting at a table or on the floor whenever he is doing these activities.
Puzzles: The Melissa and Doug puzzles are great for 2-year olds and I have found that TJ Maxx is the absolute cheapest place to buy them (they are normally 1/2 the price of anywhere else). If you go to Amazon, you can also find the Melissa and Doug Latches and Basic Skills boards which would be great fine-motor practice for your toddler. And remember...you can use your Swagbucks to purchase items from Amazon!
Color Wonder Marker Set: Caleb enjoys using crayons (and if I am brave, markers), but he still isn't great with keeping them on the paper. The markers in this set will only leave marks on the specific Color Wonder paper, so I don't have to worry about my carpet (or sofa, pillows, and walls). :) I was at Michael's the other day and used the 40% off coupon to purchase a set with markers and paper very inexpensively.
Shape Matching Game: This has been the hold up on posting these activities. I wanted to have it entirely made, but then with our crazy sickness this week...I decided to just take a picture of it unfinished. I made this "game" out of cardstock and the thin foam available at craft stores. I cut out identical shapes, then hot-glued one of the shapes onto the paper. I then trimmed the edges of the cardstock so that it will fit in a gallon-sized baggie. I will then include a smaller snack/sandwich size baggie inside the larger one that will hold the loose shapes. I am planning to take it to OfficeMax to laminate it. The object of the "game" is for the child to put the shape on top of the coordinating shape on the grid. Even though my little guy should be able to do this buy himself, I can still interact with him while he is doing it by telling him the names of the colors and shapes. If you have an older child, I would suggest adding more squares to your grid to make it more of a challenge.
Cereal Necklaces: Consider this an activity and snack in one! Give your child a new shoelace (so that there is the plastic still on the end, otherwise it will be too difficult for little fingers to string). Put a container of Fruit Loops (or any other kind of holed cereal with large enough holes that the shoelace will fit) on the table and let your child go to town! Afterwards, he/she can either eat it, or have you tie it and wear it as a necklace.
Feelie Bag: This too is an interactive activity that you can do while nursing or any other "baby duty." All you need is a paper bag (or a cloth bag if you are feeling really ambitious) and a variety of items with different textures. Some examples include both smooth and rough rocks, a wooden block, a small part of a paper egg carton, feathers, different types of cloth or anything else you can think of!
Place the items in the bag. Hold the bag closed, leaving just enough room for your little one's hand. Tell your child to pick out something hard/soft, smooth/rough, etc. Even if you child can't do it by him/herself at first, praise him/her for picking out an item and then correctly identify the item's texture. As your toddler gets older, encourage him/her to describe the texture in a complete sentence. After the item is taken out of the bag, encourage your child to use his/her eyes and describe the way that it looks (color, shape, etc).
You can also turn this into a guessing game by taking turns reaching your hands into the bag and describing the texture/feeling of the item. After a while, change out the items in the bag to make it new and exciting!
"I Spy" Bottle: This "toy" is made with an empty 20 oz. pop bottle (washed out, of course). Just add sand (either regular or colored) or rice until the bottle is 3/4 full. Then add your choice of tiny items that will fit into the mouth of the bottle. I would recommend adding a little hot glue to the inside of the cap before screwing it on to make sure that your ambitious toddler can't get it open. You can use household items like paper clips, jelly beans, coins, plastic action figures, etc. You can also cut out shapes from the remaining foam that you have left from the shape matching game. If you really want to spice it up, they have alphabet beads and other miniature items at craft stores that you can add. Keep it simple if your child is young...I would suggest no more than 10-12 items for a 2-year old. As your child gets closer to 2 1/2 or 3, make another or add more items.
Make a "key" with items in the bottle (and their pictures). While your child is still young, use the key to ask him/her to find specific items by saying "I spy with my little eyes a _______" or "something_______". As your little one gets older and more independent, he/she can "read" the key him/herself and find all of the items on the list.
Make a "key" with items in the bottle (and their pictures). While your child is still young, use the key to ask him/her to find specific items by saying "I spy with my little eyes a _______" or "something_______". As your little one gets older and more independent, he/she can "read" the key him/herself and find all of the items on the list.
*Another version I have seen is to use 1/2 water and 1/2 corn syrup with food coloring instead of sand or rice. Then you can add glitter and sequins.
Note: The pictures shown are from this website. I was planning on making my own prior to this post, but since we haven't been able to be out of the house for a week, I didn't have an opportunity to get all the needed supplies. As soon as I make one, I will post a picture as this one just isn't as cute as I'd like. :)
Additional Activities to add as he grows...
Playdough
Of course playdough will eventually be a fun independent activity, but he is still too young to not make a mess with it by himself. Here is a great recipe that I used in my classroom when I taught first grade (prior to having children). However, I would keep it away from the carpet and any upholstered furniture as food coloring is not forgiving! :)
2 cups flour
1 cup salt
4 teaspoons cream of tartar
2 cups water
2 tablespoons cooking oil
Food coloring
Optional: Food extracts to make it smell good (almond, vanilla, lemon, or peppermint)
Optional: Food extracts to make it smell good (almond, vanilla, lemon, or peppermint)
Add the food coloring to the water. Then mix all of the ingredients together in a pan. Cook over medium heat, stirring until it forms a soft ball. Let the mixture cool. Knead slightly. Add food extract(s). Store in an air-tight container.
Ziploc Bag Painting
Even though the intention of this bag is for it to be fully sealed, I am still a little apprehensive about it being an "independent" activity at this age. In time, however, I think this would be a great way to learn about colors (and how primary colors make secondary colors). Just put a gallon-sized baggy inside another baggy (double-protection). Then add tempera paint. Start with just one color and add more if you'd like. Close the bag and seal the top with duct tape. Let your child sit at a table and make designs in the paint without any mess.
*Another version I have seen is to add shaving cream in the bag to create a different texture!
So, that's it! Those are all of my ideas exhausted. And most of them aren't originally mine anyway...they've been borrowed from other people/books and tweaked with my child in mind. Us teachers are really good at "stealing" the ideas of others. :)
From what I've read and been told by other moms, one of the best things to do when you bring a new baby home is to involve the older sibling as much as possible. If your toddler is like mine, he loves to be a "helper." Have him go get a diaper or a pair of pajamas. Encourage him to sing to the baby and show him pictures in the books he's reading. Even if he brings the wrong diaper or outfit or doesn't do everything right, at least he feels like he's helping and is still part of the family.
Do you have any ideas for additional activities I can add to our "Independent Play" basket?
1 comment:
Thanks for posting these! Some great ideas!
Post a Comment