Monday, November 30, 2009

School Day Snapshots - Toddler Activities

So you're homeschooling your grade-schooler and you've got this toddler running around the house distracting both you and your child - what do you do?  My 2-1/2 year old does best when I give him a fun, quiet activity to do.



 First up, try beading.  This is a great activity to build fine motor skills (which helps prepare your child to draw and write) - and it kept my son busy for at least 30 minutes!   Fat plastic beads and thick rubber string are perfect for little fingers to work with. A word of caution: if you child is still into putting things into his mouth then be sure to keep a close watch while he works.



Next, find a good sorting/matching toy.  Mimi bought the Fisher Price Matchin' Middles game for the kids about a year ago and both my kids love them.  My older child pretends to bake cookies with them while my toddler loves to find the matching pieces and put them together.  Sorting and matching builds beginner math concepts (think "toddler math") and the skill of putting the two pieces together works fine motor skills.



When my daughter is busy with her worksheets, crafts, or handwriting, my son will sit at the table with her and play with stickers and draw pictures of his own.  He feels like he's 'doing school' with us and is glad to be a part of what we're doing.  And it keeps him out of trouble :o)

Even if you do not homeschool your children, these are still great educational activities that most toddlers enjoy.  The kids in my preschool class last year loved beading necklaces and were so proud to show them to their mommies after school!

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