Our PreSchool Blog

Our theme this month is scary cute… MONSTERS! We read “Go Away Big Green Monster” and our toddler friends are already starting to make monsters of their own!

We also have lego-eating monsters. Our lego-eating monsters are used to teach our toddlers to match the color of the lego, with the color of the monster. With feeding the monsters, our friends are learning how to sort colors, use fine motor skills, and take turns!

We had our first rainy day of the school year this week. You know what that means… indoor recess! Our friends had fun with parachute games and songs. We also had Ms. Joanie come in Tuesday for music. Combine that, with a lot of dancing during music and movement, it was a rainy day well-spent!

Hello, parents! We know that some of our toddlers may not be able to tell you what a typical morning looks like in our toddler room, so we want to show you! Here at Creative Tots we follow a daily schedule. Following a daily schedule is beneficial in several ways, such as giving them a sense of familiarity, and helping them to learn self-discipline and independence. Below you can find our schedule and some pictures of our toddler friends going about their daily tasks!

9:00-9:25 | Morning Tables and Free Choice

9:30-9:40 | Whole Group Story Time

9:40-10:00 | Outside

10:00-10:20 | Pre-Academic Group Time (10 minutes in each)

10:20-10:30 | Snack Time

10:30-10:50 | Art/Discovery Tables

10:50-11:10 | Outside

11:15-11:25 | Music and Movement

11:25-11:30 | Dismissal

(After school, we’re sure our friends look forward to their lunches and naps!)

Let’s Do It Again … and Again … and Again …
Through repetition, toddlers figure out how things fit together and work. They might fill and dump a pail over and over to learn about full and empty and in and out. They may want you to read the same book, and sing the same song, night after night. This kind of repetition helps children know what to expect. This gives them a sense of security and control over their world. It also helps them master new skills, which boosts their self-confidence.

Source: The Power of Play

We have been discovering the circle this month!

At around 18 months, there are notable changes in cognitive skills that help real friendships blossom. Toddlers become more consciously aware of herself and others. This stronger sense of self also helps the toddler become more aware of how other people feel. An emerging understanding of cause and effect helps the toddler to know that grabbing her friend’s shovel will make him cry. An equally new understanding of order and sequence gives the senior toddler the tools to begin to take turns.

These emerging thinking skills are embedded in the emotional life of the toddler who often struggles with urgent and sometimes volatile feelings. For instance, the 2-year-old’s strong push toward independence and autonomy might take the form of grabbing her friend’s shovel even though she knows her teacher won’t approve – and her friend will cry. The child’s need for feelings of control or power become focused on possessing that particular shovel, no matter what! How we intervene can make a difference in how the child learns to navigate the give and take of friendship. Give him/her the language so that she/he can label and express their needs. “You really want that shovel, but Nicholas is using it now. You can use it when he is finished. It is so hard to wait for something you really want.” Empathize with the toddler while you set clear social rules. You can offer an alternative toy but refrain from quickly distracting her. Give her a moment to think about how she is feeling and adapt to the demands that come with learning how to play with other children. Sometimes 2-year-olds who are having a conflict can work things out themselves, so wait that extra moment before moving in.

Developing friendships depends on the toddler’s growing ability to regulate or control herself. A friendship between two toddlers can be very intimate and meaningful, especially when they are together each day.

source:  Ages and Stages:  How Children Build Friendships

Playing outdoors allows our toddlers to learn about the world around them. Can sticks stand up in the sand? How does mud feel? Why do we slide down instead of up the slide? How do I make my truck go faster? How does the tree create cool shade from the sun? Why is the water in the water table cool in the morning and warm in the afternoon? Not only do children learn many of the basic and fundamentals about how the world works around them, they are more apt to remember what they learned because it was a concrete and personally meaningful experience!

Man, have our toddlers grown! On Friday, the boys and girls sat so patiently while we came around to help them build boats with pool noodles, straws and foam triangles. After the children finished their boats, they were able to go see if they would float! Our sensory tub was filled with water, along with some other tubs around the room. The boys and girls really enjoyed splashing, dunking and floating their boats!

During group time, the boys and girls went hunting in Ms. Laurel’s tub for things that live in a pond. They found snakes, turtles, fish and frogs!