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I presently have 3 children in my care, my grand-daughter she is 16 month old non-walker yet, a two year old and 2, 18 month old. I need a good program or suggestions on what kind of activities we should do, flash cards, etc. I look forward to your suggestions, thank you.
They are a bit of a younger group but you could start introducing circle time, I also like to do yoga time, kids LOVE it even the younger ones. Coloring and play dough is fun too. You could try some simple craft, stickers. Outside you can blow bubbles for them to chase...
Because of their ages I would be doing my "lessons" in the midst of play as compared to a separate time. Then when they seem to be starting to actually pick up the information make it more focused. Example play with the blocks and name the colours, ask a child to hand you a "red" block - if they don't show them which ones are red, etc. Count how many cars are lined up and then send them down the ramp one at a time. Name the farm animals and the sounds they make and sing old macdonald had a farm as you do.
I don't do a lot of crafts with my group because it requires too much of me doing it or being right there with each one as they do it although we do colour with crayons and playdough etc.
This is a good age to introduce the feltboard because you can leave the pieces out and while not recommended as teething toys can take a lot of toddler abuse. Then gather them around the board for a "lesson" or if someone shows interest start with them and gradually others will get in the habit of drifting over. Continue as long as there is interest. Put up some seasonal things or shapes in assorted colours to be sorted, matched, etc.
My age group is 10-17 months including my own son. Every time we have attempted a craft such as crayons, painting, playdough its ended up being eaten and wayyyyy to messy so we will be holding off. Our winters are LONG enough and by then this group "should" be out of the "Everything in the mouth" stage... I hope.
We do our circle times in the high chair during meals. We sing and do finger play and also have story time then. I do a lot of hands on play and instruction with them during free play time. More like guided play. I will get out the Little People farm with all the animals and also my picture book with real life pictures of farm animals. What does the cow say etc. Where's the dog? What colour is the car?
We also spend the majority of our time outdoors and exploring nature. Smelling the flowers, looking at the birds and squirrels, seeing all the dogs and cats while we are out on our walks. Children learn so much from exploring nature.
Don't fret too much about having a strict schedule. As long as you your meal and nap times in place just go with the flow.
My schedule is lose in the sense that I intend to accomplish certain things and have a few ideas in my head how that will be accomplished but if a different opportunity comes along we go with that one and set mine aside. Every day I plan to:
1) review colour names and point out at least one thing that is that colour
2) show one shape and something that is that shape
3) count to 10
4) sort objects by at least two different ways (size, shape, colour, use, etc.)
5)........
The idea is that you cover everything you would cover in a planned everyone sit down circletime but you don't necessarily have to do it in a one stop lessontime. Sometimes the learning is actually much better when it is done in context of play because it becomes easier for the child to see the lesson and repeat the lesson over and over on their own.
I rarely use flashcards, once in a while they are fun, but songs with finger movements like the itsy bitsy spider are great. I have 100 of those. Jumping around and pretending to be animals, stretching tall like a giraffe (then use your flashcard) slithering like a snake, growling like a lion, these are all simple learning tools for a young group. Put on the firefighter hats and pretend to put out fires, there are so many role playing things you can do if you think about it.
Science is all around us, shapes, textures, tastes, fingerpaints made from flour, water and food colouring is nice and safe, hiding things like seashells in a container of pasta shells, home made playdo is safer than storebought. I use the washable markers for little children because they get better results than they do with crayons. Go outside and pick up pinecones, leaves, smell the flowers, explore, look at the ants.
Just a few ideas! As soon as babies start with me, even if they are not a year old yet, they participate in everything we do. I chatter away inside and outside and they are absorbing everything.