Homeschool activities for Toddlers

Here are some easy recipes your toddler is sure to love:
Colored Playdough
Materials
1 cup water
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/2 cup salt
1 tablespoon cream of tartar
Food coloring
Saucepan
1 cup flour
Directions
1. Combine water, oil, salt, cream of tartar, and food coloring in a saucepan and heat until warm.
2. Remove from heat and add flour.
3. Stir, then knead until smooth. The cream of tartar makes this dough last 6 months or longer.
4. Store this dough in an airtight container or a Ziploc freezer bag.

Peanut Butter Playdough

Materials

2 cups peanut butter
6 tablespoons honey
Nonfat dry milk

Directions

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix, adding enough dry milk or milk plus flour to reach the consistency of bread dough.

Shape and eat!

Picture Resource: http://oleanablog.com

Homemade Fingerpaint
Ingredients
1/2 cup cornstarch
3 Tbsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
2 cups cold water
food coloring

Directions
In a medium pan, mix all the ingredients together to make the finger paint. Cook over low heat 10 to 15 minutes. Keep stirring the finger paint mixture until it is smooth and thick. After the finger paint has thickened take the pan off the stove and let the mixture cool.
After cooling, divide the finger paint into storage containers depending on how many colors you would like. Add a few drops of food coloring to each container. Stir the coloring in to the paint to determine the shade of color. You're ready to finger paint! Cover tightly when storing.

Picture Resource: www.tipnut.com

Mix and Mash Bag

Materials
1 cup cornstarch
1/2 cup sugar
4 cups cold water
Food coloring
2 gallon-size ziplock bags
Duct tape
Instructions
1. Over medium heat, combine the cornstarch, sugar, and water in a saucepan, stirring continuously.
2. Once the mixture begins to thicken, remove the pan from the heat and stir for another minute or so until it thickens to a pudding like consistency. Let it cool for 30 minutes.
3. Spoon the mixture into two bowls, stir a few drops of food coloring into each (we used red and yellow), then divide the colors between the ziplock bags. Seal the bags with duct tape and let your child mix and mash the colors (they'll keep for up to a week).

This project is excellent for tactile learners. You can also reinforce learning about colors and how they combine to form secondary colors. You can modify this project by using water and oil with blue food coloring. You combine equal parts water and oil. Be sure to add small plastic fish or marine creatures to complete an ocean scene!

Homemade Chalk

Materials

Toilet tissue tube
Duct tape
Aluminum foil
Disposable plastic container
Plaster of Paris
Water
Liquid tempera paint
Spoon

Instructions
Step 1
Cover one end of the toilet paper tube with duct tape. Loosely roll a piece of aluminum foil and slip it into the tube so that it lines the inside, fitting snugly.
Step 2
Set tube upright duct tape side down on clean surface. Use another piece of aluminum foil here to protect countertops.
Step 3
In a disposable plastic container, help your child mix 1 cup plaster of Paris with 1/2 cup water. Stir slowly and thoroughly until plaster is dissolved, about 1 minute.
Step 4
Immediately add 2 tablespoons paint . Mix thoroughly.
Step 5
Spoon into the tube. Tap gently so mixture settles to the bottom.
Step 6
Let dry overnight before using.

Picture Resource: www.faqs.com

I mentioned briefly that my grandmother taught using Montessori methods. While having a method or philosophy is not necessary, I want to share with you some of the concepts of Montessori.
According to Wikipedia these concepts are::

Inner guidance of nature All children have inherent inner directives from nature that guides their true normal development.
Freedom for self-directed learning The Montessori method respects individual liberty of children to choose their own activities. This freedom allows children to follow their inner guidance for self-directed learning.
Planes of development The natural development of children proceeds through several distinct planes of development, each one having its own unique conditions and sensitive periods for acquiring basic faculties in the developmental process. The first plane (ages 0-6) involves basic personality formation and learning through physical senses.
Prepared environment The right precise conditions around children allow for and support their true natural development. For young children, the environment must be prepared in this way by providing a range of physical objects that are organized and made available for free, independent use, to stimulate their natural instincts and interests for self-directed learning.
Observation and indirect teaching The teacher's role is to observe children engaged in activities that follow their own natural interests. This indirect teaching to control the environment, not the child, contrasts sharply with the ordinary teacher's role of implementing a pre-determined curriculum. For example, a Montessori method class has the teacher resolving misbehavior by refocusing the child to some positive activity, rather than engaging in the ordinary system of rewards and punishments.

"One test of the correctness of educational procedure is the happiness of the child."--Maria Montessori

Normalization During the 0-6 plane of development, children have the ability to shift their fundamental being from the ordinary condition of disorder, inattention, and attachment to fantasy to a state of perfect normal being, showing such external behavior as spontaneous self-discipline, independence, love of order, and complete harmony and peace with others in the social situation. This psychological shift to normal being occurs through deep concentration on some physical activity of the child's own free choice.
Absorbent mind The young child (0-6) has an absorbent mind which naturally incorporates experiences in the environment directly into its whole basic character and personality for life. This mental faculty, which is unique to young children, allows them to learn many concepts in an effortless, spontaneous manner. It also allows them to undergo the key phenomenon of normalization to return to their true natural development. After the age of about six, this absorbent mental faculty disappears.
Work, not play Children have an instinctive tendency to develop through spontaneous experiences on the environment, which Dr. Montessori referred to as 'work'. In this sense, the children's normal activity is attached to reality in the present moment, rather than idle play through such means as toys and fantasy.
Multi-age grouping Children learn from each other in a spontaneous manner that supports their independent self-directed activity. The ordinary Montessori classroom therefore consists of a mixed-aged group, such as 2-6 (primary level) or 6-12 (elementary level).

When working with toddlers, it is essential to have a variety of activities available.
Toddlers enjoy activities that include:
Novelty They enjoy new and exciting things because they are exploring a new and exciting world!
Hands on activities Toddlers are working on their manual dexterity. Be sure to include plenty of manipulatives (blocks, playdough, puzzles).
Mimic the Real World You may notice that your toddler mimics your behaviors. They are learning and discovering the many roles we play in life. Include things like play food, vacuum cleaners, kitchen utensils.
and
FUN!!! Toddlers want you to be engaged. I know this can be hard when you are teaching, but a simple clap or smile will encourage your toddler to complete their activity.

Being outdoors is always an adventure for toddlers. They love exploring and learning about the environment around them. Here are some ideas to spur on their sense of adventure:

Squirt and Paint

Materials:

Old Bed Sheet

Squirt Bottle

Washable Paints

Instructions
Secure an old bed sheet to a clothesline or in a convenient place. Fill a squirt bottle full of washable paint. It is not necessary, but if the paint is washable then you can reuse the bed sheet over and over! Now your toddler can squirt to their hearts content!



Picture Resource: www.familyfun.go.com

A sandbox is always a fun option for toddlers. This can be very messy, so prepare for cleanup! Provide shovels, sifters, spoons, measuring cups, funnels, or any other tool that mimics what you use in the kitchen. Children this age love to mimic you, so they will enjoy mixing and pouring.

Picture Resource: www. digital-photography-school.com

The garden is a place of discovery and fun. Your toddler can help dig in the dirt or pull up weeds. You will want to designate where your toddler can work because they will be enthusiastic gardeners! You do not want them pulling up a healthy tomato plant!

Picture Resource: www.gardening.savvycafe.com

Kiddie Pool

Yes it can be used for swimming, but you can do so much more than that! You can fill the pool with balls and let your toddler throw and kick them. One cute idea I saw this past Easter was that someone used Easter grass to fill a pool. They then put Easter eggs inside. My kids had a ball searching for eggs!
Another great idea is to make bubbles!

Bubble Solution

Ingredients

Liquid Soap (Joy, Dawn)
Water

Directions

Use equal parts soap and water. Add extra soap if the solution does not bubble well. Some soaps bubble differently. You will not need much!

Now it's bubble time! Pour bubble solution in your kiddie pool. You will not need much . Just add enough to cover the bottom of the pool for about 1/4th of an inch. Hand the kids a bubble wand and watch the fun begin.


Picture Resource: www.crafttutorials.net

Here are some ideas for keeping your toddler engaged in play:

Spray Bottles-- I often fill a spray bottle with water and let my son squirt the table and chairs in our classroom. Be sure to place something on the floor so your little one does not slip! A shower curtain or area rug is a good way to handle the falls and spills.

Washclothes --My son loves to pretend he is cleaning. I give him the squirt bottle and a wash cloth and let him clean! He will do this for a good 15 minutes!

Pudding-- If you do not mind them making a mess, you could give your toddler a pudding pack to smear on the table and eat. Vanilla is preferrable since it will not stain as much as chocolate.

Blocks-- This is a good tool to use during math. My daughter is using linking cubes for math. This gives her brother an excellent opportunity to mimic her actions!

If you are one of those parents that is blessed with a toddler who has a good attention span (which I don't), then you could incorporate educational videos into your day. This can help free up valuable time to teach your older children. Some recommended videos include the:
Bee Smart Series
Baby Einstein Series

Unit: Erosion
Lesson: Water Erosion

Toddler
You can incorporate many activities into this lesson. You can give your little one a bucket or cup to pour with. A field trip to the local stream would be great on a warm day.
Kindergarten-2 grade
You can work with this group in guessing how much erosion will take place if you use different amounts of water or pour water at different heights. Hands on is the key for learning.
3-5th grade
Introduce the scientific method. Use observation and data gathering to record changes in erosion. Use different types of water and observe changes (for example use an acidic solution vs a base solution).

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