Themes and Projects

Themes and Projects

The toddler curriculum may be theme or project based. Teachers must plan themes or suppo= rt projects that are relevant for the children. Toddler themes should include art, sensory and science experiences, songs, books, finger plays, puppets, stori= es, photographs, pictures, and interesting objects to share. Teachers need to include objects t= hat toddlers can investigate and manipulate.

Suggested toddler themes are: balls, what our hands can do, up and down, shoes, hats, clothing, what’s up in the sky, the people in my family, babies, nurs= ery rhymes, cats, dogs, pets, transportation (a rich theme for toddlers in the city), the garden, insects, food, cooking, boxes and cartons, animals on a = farm (especially at sites near a farm), machines, black and white, recycling, dinosaurs, among others.

Toddler classes may go on field trips. Directors must approve of the field trip before it is planned. There needs to be a goal for the f= ield trip. The minimum supervisory requirement is one adult for every two children. The MDS field trip policies must be strictly enforced. Toddler te= achers need to train parents as well as children- usually neither have been on a field trip before. Toddler field trips may include: visiting a farm, the zoo, a bus rid= e, a bakery, the super market, parents at work or the library. It is also suggested that classroom visitors be encouraged: pets, babies, parents and friends.

Fine Motor Activities

Children need to be encouraged to create, explore, and manipulate materials. Two year olds love to mix paint, s= queeze glue bottles, and rip paper. = Many enjoy easels, stuffing bags, finger-painting, clay and creating collages. Toddlers spread glue and paint all= over their hands and arms and friends! They will pile objects onto one piece of paper until the paper tears. They will mix colors, = dump the paint, and lick the grossest brushes.&= nbsp; An art experience must not be confused with an exercise in following directions. Some appropriate = fine motor activities are:

· Mixing, squeezing, kneading

· Bake bread = with the children

· Puzzles with knobs

· Duplos

· Squeeze glu= e, glue different materials together

· Paint on ea= sels, paint with brushes, rollers, vehicles, utensils, sponges<= /p>

· Paint on fa= bric, wood, plastic, paper cut into different shapes

· Cut play do= ugh with scissors

· Tear paper-= stuff paper in bags (great to make creatures)

· Cooperative sculptures

· Crumple pap= er into balls and throw them

· Stick items= onto clear contact paper

· Play with b= ubble wands and strawberry baskets, etc.

· Hammer golf= tees into Styrofoam

· Drop object= s in a can

· Different t= ypes of play dough and clay

Art, Science and Sensory Explorations

Toddlers learn primarily through their senses. Whether it is eating foods, crawling on the floor, or exploring outs= ide, sensory and science experiences also happen all the time. Additionally, children need planned sensory activities. Sensory materials and bins must be available every day. Sensory experiences are calming and encourage emotional release.

Art, science and sensory are integrated experiences for toddlers. Toddlers learn through their senses. Whether is crawling on the floor, exploring dirt, rolling a ball, blowing bubbles, eating, or washing, scienc= e, sensory and art are happening all the time. Food, eating, drinking and cooking= are rich art, science and sensory experiences.= Few things are more colorful than a lunch table when toddlers have finished eating!

Sensory materials and bins must be set up every day. It is best to give each child a separate bin or tray with sensory materials in it= . Cat boxes are excellent for this. By having his/her own bin children feel owner= ship and can relax as they interact.

Teachers need to understand that they are often messy and should focus on the richne= ss that sensory exploration provides for the children. Sensory experiences are calming and encourage emotional release. = When engaged in sensory exploration children socialize, learn to collaborate, use gross and fine motor skill, and practice language skills.=

Always gather all the materials ahead of time.&nb= sp; Encourage but do not force children to wear smocks. It is helpful to mix liquid soap detergent in the paint. Expect children to leave and return to an activity. Chat with children during the activities. Whenever possible= have toddlers be part of the preparation and clean up process.=

The teacher’s role is two fold. One is to set up different experiences for children to explore. The other is to take advantage of “teachable moments”. Comment about your observations and ask the children open-ended questions. The teacher needs = to sit with the children and join in the activity. It is important to interact with t= he child without being intrusive. Teachers need to:

= 1.&n= bsp; Describe ch= anges that children can observe. “Look, you are washing the blue paint off your hands. Now the water has turned blue.R= 21;

= 2.&n= bsp; Share what = you see. “Oh, I see you put= black paint at the top of the paper.”

= 3.&n= bsp; Help childr= en problem solve. “The pai= nt spilled, what do you think we should do?”

= 4.&n= bsp; Write the child’s name on her projects. Always write in printed block letters.

= 5.&n= bsp; Comment on = the children’s actions: “Lulu, you are pounding that clay very hard.”=

= 6.&n= bsp; Always valu= e the process- not the finished product.

· = ; Flour, c= orn meal, rice, used coffee grounds in the sensory bin. Never salt. P= ut in approximately two to four inches. Give the children cups, funnels, toilet paper rolls, or different objects to explore with.

· = ; Bubble solution: Toddlers usually love to play with bubbles. Help them mix: 2/3 cup of liquid detergent (Joy o= f Dawn are suggested), 1-quart water, and 1/3 cup of glycerin. They can use strawb= erry baskets, bent pipe cleaners, or bubble wands that are purchased.

· = ; Toilet p= lunger art: Spread paper on the floor and the table. Give children both small and large plungers and put paint in paper plates (that are taped down).=

· = ; Ice chun= ks: F= reeze ice in containers of varying sizes and shapes. Children can add food coloring to = the water before it is frozen. Th= ey can also add rocks, flowers, leaves, or any small objects.

· = ; Washing = chairs and tables after messes: Give children sponges, spray bottle= s with water and rags to help clean up. Never give children Envirocare bottles.<= u>

· = ; Easels w= ith fresh paint: Easels need to be set up daily. They need to be cleaned and paint = put away in the evening. Use diff= erent kinds and shapes of paper. Use different kinds of brushes and sponges as well.

· = ; Beginner= s play dough: 3 cups flour, 1 cup salt, 1 cup wa= ter, 1 tablespoon salad oil. Knead a= ll the ingredients together. Form in= to balls.

· = ; Goop: 3= cups corn starch, 2 cups warm water. Gradually add water to cornstarch.&= nbsp; Mix ingredients together with hands. Goop is ready when it goes from lu= mpy to satiny texture.

· = ; Baker= 217;s clay: 4 cups flour, 1 cup salt, 1 ½ cups warm water. Mix all ingredients to= gether.

· = ; Moist mo= deling clay: 1 ½ cups flour, 1 ½ cups warm wate= r, 1 cup salt, 2 tablespoons salad oil. Mix all ingredients together, form into a ball.

· = ; Cloud do= ugh: 6= cups flour, 1 cup salad oil, water to bind (approximately 1 cup). Knead ingredients together.

· = ; Soap cra= yons: 1= cup soap flakes, 1/8 cup water, 3 drops of food coloring. Grease a plastic ice cube tray. Mix ingredients together in a bow.= Pour mixture into the tray. Allow time to harden.

· = ; Painting= : C= hildren may paint with fingers, brushes (thick, stubby), toothbrushes, foam rubber brushes, dishwashing sponges, pom poms, cotton swabs, spray bottles, etc. They may paint on paper, cartons, sheets, wood, clay, etc.

· = ; Shaving = cream: S= et it up on trays and encourage children to add colors.

· = ; Scribble Wafers: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees an= d turn it off. Sort crayons by color= , or create rainbows. Remove the p= aper from the crayons. Place crayo= ns in separate sections of a muffin tin. Put the muffing tin in the oven.&nb= sp; Remove it and let it cool.

· = ; Bars of = soap in the sensory bin: Sail the soap boats.

· = ; Tape: P= rovide colored masking tapes and objects to tape together.

· = ; Finger-<= /span>paint: 3 cups of liquid starch, 1 tablespoon powdered tempera. Mix all the ingredients. Add texture with sand, coffee grai= ns, or small rocks. Give children co= tton balls to experiment with.

· = ; Ooblick: F= our boxes of cornstarch and water. Mix the ingredients in tub or dishpan.&= nbsp;

· = ; Dancing = on paper: Put sand in the bottom of a nylon-stocking. Tie the stocking. Let the children use the stocking = to dance paint onto the paper.

· = ; Clay: P= ounding and working with clay is wonderful for toddlers. They enjoy adding water to it.

· = ; Toddler shakes: Children can put strawberries, ban= anas, milk, ice cream, etc. in a blender.

· = ; Water pl= ay: W= ater play is popular and fun. A teacher must supervise it at all times. It can be set up in individual bin= s or in the sensory bin. Always di= spose of it after it is used. Some = props you might have available for children are: wire whisks, funnels, turkey basters, squeeze bottles, squirt bottles, cups, etc.<= o:p>

· = ; Toy wash= ing: C= hildren love to wash babies, toys, vehicles etc.&n= bsp; Be it a car wash, or washing chairs in the classroom- toddlers love to bubble things clean.

· = ; Vegetable soup: Children bring a few vegetables from home. They identify what they brought to school. Children wash, peel a= nd with direct supervision, help cut up the veggies. Children put them in a pot of chic= ken broth.

· = ; Mash pot= atoes: C= hildren can try to peel potatoes. The= n the teacher cuts them up. Childre= n feel what the potatoes are like before they are boiled. After boiling them they mash them = with potatoes mashers. Children ca= n also mash avocados or yams.

· = ; Cream ch= eese delights: Using a plastic knife or craft stick, toddlers c= an easily spread whipped cream ch= eese on crackers or bagels. They c= an add a few drops of food coloring and make rainbow snacks.

· = ; Eggs: C= hildren can crack, stir and scramble eggs.

· = ; Jell-O:<= /span> <= span class=3DSpellE>Jello is a hit with toddlers. They can make jello jigglers and wigglers, use cookie cutters, or g= rate carrots and put them in the jello.

· = ; Foot pai= nting: C= hildren paint their feet and walk or dance on large pieces of paper.