Coaching toddlers

  Walrus craft for toddlers While having veggie straws for snack, one of my toddler students put two of them in his mouth and was showing them off.  We told him he looked like a walrus and that was the inspiration for the craft.   I am not an artist.  If I can do that so can you.  It is just a circle for the head, two somewhat ovals, 4 flipper legs, 2 eyes (I don't like googly eyes, they don't stick well and they are a choking hazard for toddlers), two veggie straws and a big black "mustache".  We made it purple like in the book: "Polar bear, polar bear, what do you hear?" There you have it, have fun with your little ones!

  Art and craft for toddlers Nowadays there is a lot of positive talks about process art and some negative ones about craft.  I think they are learning opportunities for toddlers in both.  I was told that teacher shouldn't demonstrate how to do a project because it kills the creativity of  children and make them feel bad about their skills.  I don't think it's true with the toddlers.  Most of them are mostly interested or not in the process anyway.    I like to show them the finish product and if they are not interested it's ok.  For example when we did our hand print polar bear, i show them mine first.  The older ones were interested and the younger not at all.  We did an icy lanscape first.  I gave them a blue construction paper and 3 light blue ones, with glue and paint brush.  When they were done I gave them 1 or 2 snowflake stickers.  They were all different and they were all perfect for the polar bear back groun...

  Penguin song ,  by The Learning Station Lyrics  Have you ever seen a penguin come to tea? If you look at me a penguin you will see. Penguin attention (stiff your body),   penguin begin (salute). Right flipper ( flap your right hand like a penguin). Then you start over the lyrics then add left flipper, right foot, left foot, bob your head, stick out your tongue and turn in a circle. You can watch it on YouTube.  Last year this song was a hit singing by me.  This year I needed help from the video to convince them that it was fun .  We watched one time then they were convinced.  I use my phone or my tablet sometimes but the less the better.   I wrote the song and hang it on the wall in the circle area so I can read it whenever I want to sing it. By now I know it by heart. I'm not a singer but I think a real but bad singer is better for your kids than a perfect one on a screen.   If I can sing it you can you.

  Arctic Fox  Craft for toddlers You need a paper plate cut in two.  You fold one part in three to make a triangle for the head.  Use another plate and cut two triangles for the ears, four sticks for the legs and a long curved triangle for the tail.   Three black circles for the eyes and nose. I applied the glue for the kids this time and gave them the parts to put on those glue spots.

  Language and Literacy  activities for toddlers  Language and Literacy is divided in 5 categories: Literacy, Receptive Language, Expressive language,Print concepts and Phonological awareness. Literacy  Literacy is simply a book I choose for the week.  It is usually a story, often seasonal but I am always on the look for clues from the children to cultivate their interests or respond to their needs.  I use the book to inspire me for the other activities.   For example, the first week of January, we read : " Flip and Flop"  , a story about 2 penguins and we did different activities to go with it, like "Feed the penguin"  https://coachingtoddlers.blogspot.com/2021/01/feed-penguin.html for fine motor, playing "boomba" like the two characters in the story, for relationships with peers or gross motor... Here is the lesson plan I wrote about Penguins, Arctic Fox and Snowy Owl :  https://coachingtoddlers.blogspot.com/2021/01/first-week-of-...

Feed the penguin Fine motor activity for toddlers   I used a pretty big spice container with a black lid (Montreal steak seasoning).  I painted the inside.  I put too much in it so it took a while before drying.  I was changing it of side every so often to make sure it spreads everywhere. I painted a white oval in the middle, eyes and beak on the lid and orange feet on the bottom.  Next time I will mix the paint with glue because the paint peeled away. First I drew some fishes on strips of paper for a scissor session one day.  The penguin was up to dry and I told them it was for him to eat. During nap I cut out some of them but you don't have to.  One child cut a fish in 2, I told him that the penguin didn't mind. Then the following day during center time, I put the penguin on the table with the fishes and they intuitively knew what to do, even the younger ones.

Hand print Polar Bear This year my group is rather young,  some of my kids are 1 year old so their span of attention is short.  We made this project in 3 steps.  Some were not interested in some steps and it is ok. First step: Cutting light blue paper  Fine Motor Activity I gave them a piece of light blue paper and a pair of scissors, asking them for 3 pieces.  Some understood, some not.  Either way I just let them exploring and  I gathered 3 pieces per child out of the "mess" without writing their name on it.  I helped some of them.  Some cut many, some none.  Step 2: Icy landscape  Cognitive Activity  I  put some glue in a egg carton separated in 2 cups and gave them a paint brush, a dark blue construction paper and 3 pieces of light blue paper. When they were done I gave them a couple of snowflake stickers. Step 3: Hand print Polar Bear I traced their hands, cut them out and drew and cut out a bear face ( I am not an a...

  Fine Motor Activities for toddlers I read somewhere that today's  children have poor fine motor skills which makes them having a hard time to learn to hold a pen and learn how to write.  So I make sure that I provide such activities every day.  I have paper scraps and scissors under easy access and it is always a hit when I get them out. I have also tweezers that we use with plastic bugs or cotton balls, pompoms etc.  The pictures above are from my Arctic animals lesson plan:

A prefect song for encouraging receptive language and to start circle time.   Polar bear, polar bear jump up and down "Polar bear, polar bear, jump up and down, jump up and down, jump up and down. Polar bear,  polar bear turn around. Polar bear, polar bear touch the ground. Polar bear, polar bear sit back down." Of course it can also be your gross motor activity and you add all the movements you want.  You can also ask your kids, turn by turn to decide the next movement. It encourages communication and confidence.

(   ARCTIC  One week lesson plan for toddlers MONDAY  Language and Literacy (Literacy) Polar bear, polar bear what do you hear?, by Bill Martin Jr./ Eric Carle Fine Motor  Cutting 3 pieces of light blue paper for the art project  Art Icy landscape  (First step of the Hand Print Polar Bear) https://coachingtoddlers.blogspot.com/2021/01/hand-print-polar-bear.html Cognition (Engagement in Learning) Letting the children spreading the glue themself during the art project. https://coachingtoddlers.blogspot.com/2021/01/cognitive-activities-for-toddlers.html Social  and Emotional  (Sense of self) Asking each child, during the day:"What is your favorite book?" and read it. https://coachingtoddlers.blogspot.com/2021/01/social-and-emotional- Gross Motor "Penguin song" from the learning station. Click below for the lyrics: https://coachingtoddlers.blogspot.com/2021/01/penguin-song.html TUESDAY   Language and Literacy  (Receptive Language) "Pola...

 Arctic Animals  One week lesson plan for toddlers Monday Language and Literacy  (Literacy) Flip and Flop by Dawn Apperley  https://coachingtoddlers.blogspot.com/2021/01/communication-activities-for-toddlers.html Fine motor Cuting fishes drawn on strips of paper to feed the penguin tomorrow  https://coachingtoddlers.blogspot.com/2021/01/fine-motor-activities.html Art Penguin  Cognition   (Counting and Cardinality) Couting penguins If you want to know more about my cognitive activities, click the link below: https://coachingtoddlers.blogspot.com/2021/01/cognitive-activities-for-toddlers.html If you are intimidated about drawing I encourage you to give this penguin a try, click on the link below for clear instructions:  https://coachingtoddlers.blogspot.com/2021/02/how-to-draw-penguin.html Social and Emotional  (Sense of self) Bringing each child to the mirror with a wet wipes and asking them to wash their face themself after eating. Click the ...