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Hey everyone!
I have been feeling quite burnt out lately which is making coming u with good activities kind of difficult! I don't want to just go out and buy a ton of expensive toys either.
Would you all mind sharing your big hit activities with me? I would love to know what you are all doing to keep your daycare toddlers happy and busy!
Thank you in advance!
At home we have a large tupperware container (long and short if that makes sense, it is about 6-8 inches deep and I filled it with cloud dough (flour and baby oil) it dosent go bad, and it is a great indoor "sandbox" I put a couple sand toys in the box and open it up for play every few days.
I also have one with rice in it, that requires more cleanup....
I have been asking my hubby to make a stand for them so they can be at waist height for my daughter, and I can interchange the containers (and get more contaiers to fill with other sensory items, like beans/pasta, or maybe even jello or shaving cream (which would be a one time use)...
My daughter is almost 2 and ahalf and she loves this.
Mostly we have been mixing up the toys playing zoo animals and taking them for rides in the school bus so it takes 2-3 activities they like to do and combines them into a more creative activity. It makes switching back and forth very easy. In other words we are still using the same toys we always did just refocusing the kids to push them creatively so when they play on their own they have practiced a few options.
Trace some of the toys (baby toys work well for this) onto paper and then give a child a piece of paper with the outline on it and they have to find the toy that fits it so they go around the room and play picking things up and putting them down and if they get inspired and put the paper down and play with what they find great as the goal was to again get them thinking out of the box.
Don't feel you have to be the one to come up with the ideas. Put a box of "things" in the middle of the room and let the kids come up with their own ideas.
I agree with woodsy. The cloud dough is a big hit around here. I don't know how long it lasts as I usually throw it out every week but that's good to know it lasts for awhile!
Water play is another hit. I have lots of "dish tubs" that I got from the dollar tree and I give each kid one with a few toys in it. A long shallow rubbermaid container works too and turns it into group play.
I also use the same dish tubs for other sensory play like rice (altho, after last time's mess I have said no rice for awhile lol), macaroni, feathers, pom poms, tissue paper(they love to rip it)
I have made homemade slime and playdoh with them and it's fun. The slime isn't nearly as messy as I though it would be. I found the recipes on pinterest but if you need them let me know and I'll get them for ya, they are downstairs on my board right now.
We do art almost daily. Anything from bingo dabbers, stickers, gluing(anything and everything lol), painting(brush, hand, shake), crayons, markers, chalk.
We made a group picture doing the melted crayon. Warning...it does splatter and it can be hot! We also like to use the broken crayons to make new ones!! Peel the paper off, let the child throw in whatever broken colours they want in a muffin tray(almost fill the cup) and melt in the oven. Take out when they are liquid and let cool. They pop out of the muffin tray pretty easily and then they have a big round crayon to use and it makes them giggle seeing all the different colours come on the page.
I've bought an inside mini trampoline and that has been keeping them busy this last little while.
Great ideas, ladies!! :)
Good question!
Isn't cloud dough super messy? That is what I had read online so have avoided it so far.
My kids are pretty good at entertaining themselves and I find the less I initiate the better. I find those days e.g. rainy days when I initiate more, the next day they look more to me for entertainment then they normally would.
I have a collection of quiet activities they do in small groups/on own like puzzles, lacing cards, big wooden beads (too big to choke on) for threading/small motor etc. We have costumes, I keep blankets at the ready and they make a fort almost every day, board games (they don't play them correctly but this is of course OK). Colouring, stickers, bingo dabbers etc. I find other crafts are nor really something they can do independently.
I have a harder time with the little ones who want to do what the big kids are doing. I would like the big kids to do their thing, the little ones free play and then once I am free I can help the little ones with something (they can't even be left with markers)
I HAVE to get one!Quote:
Originally Posted by 5 Little Monkeys
Torontokids-
I agree! I really encourage free play but would like to go back to doing at least 1 guided activity a day (aside from standard drawing and circle time).
I really appreciate you all taking the time to post your activities, feeling very supported! :)
My group is all right around the 2 y o mark. I have my playroom set up so that there are little stations or areas. It took about a month to encourage the kids to leave the toys in these areas but they have the hang of it now and I love my set up.
Some of the things they love to do:
1 . kitchen (play food, pots, pans, accessories from my 'real' kitchen). I have a picnic table set up, as well, and they could literally spend an hour cooking dinner.
2. babies. I have 2 babies, a cradle and a stroller. They like to dress/undress the babies, change their diapers, bathe the babies (I put out a little plastic container for pretend baths)
3. books. I have a ton of books that I picked up second hand, put them in a basket beside some a huge comfy pillow, and every so often they like to drop and read. I change these up every few weeks.
4. Blocks, legos, etc. I have these accessible for them to use as they want.
5. Nature table: I have a table set up according to seasons and add things that we find outside. I add on other little playsets that I think fit our theme. So right now we have leaves, pinecones, acorns and branches. Also a little felted set with little peg people and a house. Some branch blocks, and some wooden toys and animals. This is a favourite play area.
6. I cover our activity table completely with paper, set out some markers, and let them have at it. Alternately, I will set up a few learning things to do here. Puzzles, alphabet games, etc. Simple and easy to put together. Switch these up every so often and they love them.
7. Playdough. I also will use our nature items here. Pinecones, acorns, etc. My group loves playdough.
8. Sensory stuff. I actually love rice. It is easy enough to sweep up and the kids love it. Cloud dough I do outside :)
9. Outside time. I would probably cry if I couldn't get my group out. We spend up to 3 hours/day outside. 2 hours in the morning and 1 hour in the afternoon.
Good luck!
Daycare123...My fiance found one online at ToysUs.com and phoned our store and it was the same price so my in-laws went to pick it up for me (the nearest store is 2 hours from me :( ) It was $70 plus tax. Sears has the same one for $80 if you don't have a toyrus near you either. It's been a good investment so far and I'm sure on the colder winter days it will be even more of a lifesaver for them to burn off some energy lol.
Cloud dough isn't that messy but it depends on your tolerance for messiness I guess. I don't particularly enjoy messy things but I do it for the kids. It's less messy I find if each child has their own container of it. It smells soooo good too!
I encourage free play a lot too but I have to admit that I don't feel like I'm doing my best if I don't do at least one guided activity a day. That is just me though. This group of kids is also a very active one and they are not content to just free play all day either so it's actually easier for me to do something structured as it helps decrease the fighting and boredom. There are definitely days where it's more free play though as I do think it's important for them to learn how to play and how to play nicely.
This group is all only children except for one but she may as well be an only child. There are definitely issues that come with that! They learn to share at dc but then go home and don't have to share so it's re-learning every day it seems lol.