The toddler class is making the most of our time indoors on these cold days. We have enjoyed some extra center time, baked, painted, crafted, crawled through an arctic cave and bounced “snowballs” on the parachute!
Sensory play supports language and cognitive growth, fine motor skills, and problem solving skills. It aids in enhancing memory functioning and is great for calming. The sensory tub and discovery bins are popular in our room. This is truly hands-on learning!
We provide an environment that is safe and interactive. Learning centers allow children to understand the social world, develop communication skills, and build relationships. Our classroom is designed as an invitation to play and explore.
Our dramatic play center was converted into a veterinarian office. The toddlers enjoy pretending to take care of the puppies. They use new vocabulary, take turns, and get a little puppy snuggle.
Creating is important for the toddlers. They improve their fine motor skills, experimenting with materials is the foundation for science, and it provides a sense of pride which boosts self confidence. We often do crafts in small groups which allows for instruction and discussion of shapes, colors, letters, counting, and theme vocabulary.
Cooking with children provides practical experience with many skills such as following directions and measuring. It helps toddlers develop fine motor skills, eye hand coordination and even early concepts of math and science. We make chocolate chip muffins when talking about the letter M then oatmeal cookies when focusing on the letter O. The toddlers also tasted chicken soup with rice after reading the book by Maurice Sendak. Fun process – yummy product!
Large motor skills helps children gain strength and confidence in his/her body. It also helps them to get exercise and physical activity, which is important for a healthy lifestyle. The toddlers love to play outside but the parachute and tunnel are a special treat!
