Coaching toddlers

  Aim the heart Gross motor activity for toddlers for Valentine's Day  Supplies: - big piece of cardboard (I cut it from a box)                    - big strong scissors Draw a big heart in the middle of the cardboard.   Cut it out and hang it somewhere.  I have a clothesline in my classroom to dry art projects so that's where I hung them (I made 2 that I kept from last year so one thing less to do this year).   I give a piece of paper to every child and show them how to crumple it to make a ball (it's a good fine motor skill). Then we aim the heart, even my youngest (1 year old) worked very hard at it.  I love games with paper balls they are so much fun and safe. You can check out my post about social and emotional activities where I wrote about snowball fight. https://coachingtoddlers.blogspot.com/2021/01/social-and-emotional-activities-for.html

  Cardboard snowshoes  (Art and gross motor activity) Supplies: - cardboard                    - markers                    - hole punch                    - yarn or string First activity : decorate them with markers  I first try to use tape for the children to wear them  It didn't work very well.  So I punched 4 holes on the edges and used a piece of yarn to make an attachment.  We had fun pretending to walk in the snow.

  Waddle like a penguin Gross motor activity for toddlers. Song lyrics: "To  climb up the great iceberg, you have to waddle like a penguin.  Waddle, waddle, waddle, waddle, waddle like a penguin. Waddle, waddle, waddle, waddle, waddle like a penguin." (Demonstrate to waddle by doing so all across the classroom.) It is a liberal translation from a song from a TV show of my childhood.   If you are interested in watching it, you can search it on YouTube and fast forward to the 11 minutes of the show to hear the tune: "Franfreluche chez les esquimaux".  My kids were interested even though they don't speak French.

  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.

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.