Grab a roll of painter's tape to create these simple and fun learning activities for kids at home or on the go.
Have you ever started out doing one thing and ended up with something totally different? That's what happened when we tried an exploding milk experiment. It started off as a completely innocent experiment using milk,
Vestibular input activities can provide some of the best stimulation for active sensory seeking kids which can keep their sensory needs met for hours.
Easy seed science experiments and parts of a seed activities for kids to dissect seeds, label the parts of a seed and observe germination as they grow new plants!
A collaborative quilt is a creative way for children to work together! The children made group quilts for our continuing celebration of the Indiana State Fair. As I walked into this classroom, I observed the children all gathered around something, so I had to take a closer look to see what all the hub-bub was about.
Use sensory seeking activities to calm and organize sensory seeking behaviors in your "wild" child or toddler that seems to never stop...
Raising high energy toddlers is not an easy feat, as any mom out there will tell you. If parents had a nickel for all of the times when they have said, “I wish I had that much energy” or “If I could bottle up just a fraction of that energy”,…
If you're looking for activities for one year olds we've got you sorted. This collection of 1 year old activities will keep you busy for months!
Here's a fun LEGO fractions activity for kids! Teach about fractions in a hands-on way with these fun math activities.
These are list of activities you can do with your newborn, activities suitable for baby 0-2 months. These will help your baby grow and learn. Activities which will develop their communication, motor, social and personal skills. It worked effectively with us and I hope it will for you too.
Vestibular input activities can provide some of the best stimulation for active sensory seeking kids which can keep their sensory needs met for hours.
A great list of senosry activites for babies, 6 months to 12 months. Edible sensory activities included, such as our famous baby sand...
Kids love the Inside Out movie. Parents love it - it gets kids talking about their emotions. Mix the two for Inside Out crafts for kids!
Learning by doing is the best way to understand and remember basic concepts. Here’s a list of easy science experiments for kids that will make learning fun.
I have been on a math kick lately. I think it is because my kids are strugglingggg with basic math concepts lately and it’s killin’ me! We have been learning addition strategies and practicing addition within 20 for two weeks now and my class has just started to pick up their momentum. They are […]
Someone once told me that 12-18 months is the hardest of the baby stages. And so far, I couldn't agree more! It's that difficult stage where they are developing their personality, know what they want, but can't verbally tell you their needs (so then get mad when you can't understand them), and are always on-the-go. But the hardest part in my opinion, is keeping them entertained for more than a few minutes! If you ever watch my Instagram stories, you'll know I'm super into making little activities for Marlowe to play. I think it's the teacher in me, I can't help myself. I'm constantly searching on Pinterest for activities appropriate for her age, and I've tried A TON. Below I've compiled a list of activities that were successful with Marlowe. Three things to keep in mind, babies at this age have a SHORT attention span so it's completely normal for them to be done with an activity after no more than 10 minutes. Second, it's normal for them to want to taste everything at first, so make sure everything is supervised. Marlowe almost always puts the activity in her mouth just to see that it isn't food. Luckily, they are old enough where they understand what "no" means, and after a little reinforcement and modeling, they will play with the activity correctly. Finally, with every activity, show them how you want them to play with it, what they can do with it, and spend a few minutes to play WITH them. The activity always lasts so much longer when I do this, and then you can leave them to discover the rest on their own. Most of the the things you need can be purchased at the dollar store! I've also linked to some resources from Amazon below as well. I've compiled a little list below of things that come in handy often, and can be used for multiple activities. I store everything in plastic three-drawer carts for easy access. Sensory Play Helping your toddler to explore all of their senses is crucial for development at this age! If you expose your baby to all kinds of different textures and smells early on, they are more likely to be a better eater in the future and try new foods without hesitation. Sensory play can often be VERY messy, so I recommend buying a LARGE plastic tub. I often put Marlowe inside the plastic tub and then give her the activity so that the majority of the mess stays in the bin. -Rice Bin: Go the dollar store and get a bunch of bags of white rice! Dump the rice into the bin and give your toddler all kinds of scooping and pouring devices (funnels, spoons, toilet paper rolls). You can make the rice more fun by dying it different colors too! Also, you can have your little one search for objects in the rice by dumping out wood puzzles into it, cars, animal figurines...for Halloween I dumped a bunch of plastic spiders into the rice for Marlowe to fish out! I've reused the same rice countless times! -Bean Bin: Same idea as the rice bin, but instead use dried beans! I like giving Marlowe a muffin pan for her to scoop the beans into each section. -Ice Play: Dump out a bunch of ice onto a cookie sheet, go outside, or in the tub, give baby a kid friendly hammer to crush the ice, or washable paint and a paintbrush to paint the ice is fun too! This exposes them to "cold", and makes for a good resource to teach that key word. -Spice Bottle Smelling: This one is for their little noses! You know all those spices you have in your kitchen cabinet you never use? Get a tray, put all the plastic spice bottles on the tray, and give it to your toddler. First I let Marlowe explore them and she likes to look at them closely to see what's inside, shake them, and roll them. Then, sit with your toddler and open each bottle one at a time and let your toddler smell them! Talk about the smells! -Contact Paper Activities: Buy a roll of Contact Paper (you know the stuff you can line your kitchen drawers with! Get the clear version, with a sticky back!), and tape the contact paper to the wall or sliding glass door. Give your baby light objects they can stick to the contact paper. I like feathers, pieces of colored tissue paper, pom poms, and cotton balls. You can make the activity fun by printing off an animal picture, putting it behind the clear contact paper, and tell your toddler to put the feathers on the bird/spots on the cow/wool on the sheep etc. For Christmas, we did a Christmas tree and Marlowe had to put the ornaments (felt circles) on the tree! Other ideas for contact paper include having them walk on the contact paper by sticking it to the floor so they feel the stickiness on their feet! -Sensory Bags: Take large ziplock bags, fill the insides with various things like paint, shaving cream, ice, oobleck (cornstarch and water), tape them down to the table or cookie sheet using painters tape, and let your toddler explore their textures WITHOUT the mess. -Jello Play: This one you need to prepare ahead of time, but make a batch of jello, put blocks or various toys into the jello as it sets, and then let your toddler get messy by finding the toys in the jello! You probably want to go in the tub or a large bin for this one! Fine-Motor Activities It's never too early to help your little one develop their fine-motor skills! The best part is that most of the activities below require things you already have at home. And stock up on those pom poms because they come in use ALL the time! -Pom Pom Push: Use any tupperware or shoe box with a lid, cut a hole in the top, and give your child a bowl of pom poms to push into the small hole. I've seen versions where they decorate the hole to make it look like you are "feeding" an animal a pom pom too! Mine is simple and boring, but Marlowe LOVES IT. -Popsicle Stick Push: Same idea as the pom pom push, but with popsicle sticks instead! You can also use cotton balls, poker chips, or cut up straws. -Pom-Pom Dropping: Save those toilet paper rolls, wrapping paper rolls, and paper towel rolls! Use blue painters tape to tape the rolls in whatever fashion you want to a wall and give your child a bowl of pom poms to drop into the hole. Children this age like watching things fall! -Card Slot Drop: Get a Quaker Oats Container, cut a slit in the lid, get a deck of playing cards, and let baby drop each card into the slit! -Egg Carton/Ice Cube Tray Sort: Keep an old egg carton, ice cube tray, OR muffin pan and model scooping a pom pom into each hole of the tray. I give Marlowe large cooking spoons and she stays occupied for awhile! Plus it's great fine motor practice for eating with utensils! Bath Activities Sometimes bath time is a ton of fun, and other days bath time is a total fight. I've finally figured out that I have to rotate the toys in the bath weekly so that bath times continues to be fun. Here's some other ideas! -Glow Stick Bath: I save this one for nights when I'm just really tired, but turn out the lights in the bathroom, and crack open some glow sticks! It's like a party in the tub! -Painting in the bath: Use this recipe for tub safe paint (shaving cream and food coloring!). Let them get messy in there, and then wash it all away! -Pom Pom Bath: Again with the pom poms...just dump the bag into the bath, give your toddler a colander and a cooking spoon and they won't want to come out. -Lego Bath: Dump the box of mega sized legos into the bath. That's it. -Give the Baby/Truck a Bath: Buy a baby doll that is meant for water use (meaning it won't get moldy, and will dry quickly, without any holes for water to get in!), put the baby in the tub and show your little one how to wash the baby with a washcloth and soap! The same can work for washing cars, trucks, etc. -Tupperware Bath: Sometimes I take a whole shelf of Tupperware and dump it into the bath. Boom. They will pour, dump water, and try putting lids on for a LONG time. -Pool Noodle Bath: Take a few cheap-o pool noodles from the dollar store, cut them into a bunch of smaller pieces, and dump the pool noodles into the bath. Again, it's just something new for them to play with that is water safe and fun! -Identify Body Parts: I think the bath is the BEST place for babies to learn and identify their body parts. Print or find flashcards with various body parts on them, hold one up while your baby is in the bath, and ask them to show you where it is. The key here is lots of praise when they get the part correct! Book and Reading Activities Toddlers at this age are capable of so much more than we think! Read, read, and read with your child! Did you know the first stage of reading is just teaching a child how to hold a book right side up, and turn the pages from right to left? You'd be surprised how many Kindergarteners don't know this when they first come to school! -Post-it Note Peekaboo: I think my teacher friends will laugh when they see this one. I can't tell you how many teacher trainings I went to where the subject of using "post-it notes" during reading was taught. So, I thought about how I could use them with Marlowe too! Toddler's at this age LOVE peek-a-boo books or lift the flap books. Take your post-it note and cover up some pictures in your child's favorite books. Voila! Now you have a lift-the-flap book! -Matching Animals: For this one, you need to find a good ole book with animals in it (here's my favorite). I'm sure you have one already if you have a baby. Then get some animal figurines, and have your baby match the figurine to the picture. You can open a page and say, "Let's find the giraffe!" and then model how to put the giraffe figurine on the picture of the giraffe in the book. This is soooo great for learning animals. -Question and Point: This stage of reading is mostly about identifying objects in books. Marlowe loves getting a book she's read a hundred times, sitting on my lap, and me asking her to find something in the book or on the page. For example, I say, "Where's the horse?" and she points to the horse, and then I tell her how amazing she is, and maybe ask another question such as, "What sound does a horse make?" Easy peasy. Magnet Play For these activities, get all your magnets from the fridge, your paper clips, or purchase a few sets of magnets. Letter magnets are great (although it's too early for letters, you'll use them later), and Melissa and Doug makes a really nice set of animal magnets. The goal here is to let your toddler explore magnetism. -Cookie Sheet: I often just get a bag of magnets (usually the animal ones above!), put down a cookie sheet, and let Marlowe stick each animal magnet on the cookie sheet. Then we talk about the sounds the animals make and search and find the animals. She loves taking them off the sheet, and putting them back on. -Refrigerator Transfer: Again, give your child a bowl of magnets, and let him/her stick each one to the fridge. Then watch as they take each magnet off and put it back on again. -Magnet Wand: On Amazon, they sell these really cool magnet wands (they are actually used for bingo chips!). This one is great for dumping out paper clips and letting your little one play with the wand and the paper clips on a tray! Great exploration here! Painting I know so many moms out there that are so afraid of paint at this age! If that's you, don't be afraid, painting is a ton of fun for them! Some words of advice though, make sure you strip them down to their diaper because even if the paint is washable, that doesn't necessarily mean it will come out of clothes. Learned the hard way. If you can, paint outside. Also, have the wipes ready for clean up when they are done! My last word of advice is to tell them how great their work is and put it on the fridge! For Marlowe's very first painting on paper, we hung it on the fridge and she literally would pull anyone new who came to the door and show them her painting. She was SO proud. -Paint Objects: Obviously you can just have them paint on paper, and I suggest starting there, but when that gets old, paint other objects! They can paint rocks from outside, a leaf, wooden blocks, toy cars (and then throw them in the bath with them later for them to wash!), a pumpkin during fall, pinecones during winter etc etc. -Dot Paint: This is a way less messy version of painting and totally fun! Just buy this dot marker paint, and let them make dots all over the paper! -Paint with Water: Get construction paper, some water, and paintbrushes, and they can paint the construction paper using water! They love it, and I love that there's virtually no mess. Crafting Activities Pull out that box of crafts and let your little one try whatever you have in there! Coloring and crayons are the easiest choice here, and at this age you will have more than a few moments of accidental eating of the crayons... -Sticker Transfer: This one is easy, put stickers on anything and everything. I always grab the pack of dollar stickers found in the dollar section at Target, and the Dollar Store has a whole aisle of stickers as well. If Marlowe is ever quiet, it's because she's busy with a pack of stickers. It literally only took a few times to show her how to peel a sticker off, and then we've been able to stick stickers on paper taped to a wall, the dog, our face etc. Just kidding about the dog...ok not really. Stickers are my go-to when I'm in the shower because it never gets old. -Decorate a Box: You know those huge Amazon boxes that you usually just throw away? Keep it! Stick your toddler INSIDE the box with a tub of crafty items! Let them color, use markers (take off the lids), and put stickers ALL over that box! When they are done, throw it in the garage and pull it out another day for them to decorate again! Gross-Motor Activities Most toddlers will learn to walk at some point during this age, if not sooner. Once they can walk, feel free to challenge them with some gross-motor activities! -Laundry Basket Kick: Set up a laundry basket on it's side, get a few balls, and show your toddler how to kick the ball into the basket! -Throw the Ball: Before 12 months, you can roll the ball back and forth with baby, but try taking it a step up by practicing throwing. You can throw back and forth, aim at an object, or use the laundry basket like above and try throwing into the basket! -Pool Noodle Balance Beam: This one's pretty easy too, get a pool noodle, put it on the floor, and hold your child's hand while they practice walking on the pool noodle and "balancing". -XL Exercise Ball Play: If you have one of those big exercise balls, let your toddler have at it! They can push it, roll it, or try kicking it. Flashcard Activities Again, go to the dollar store and buy a pack of flashcards with pictures on them! I also really love the Seek-A-Boo game I've referenced before. -Search and Find: Put a small amount of flashcards face down and tell your toddler to find a certain picture. Marlowe likes to pick it up and bring it to me. Make a big deal when they find what you asked them to! -Flashcards in Envelopes: Put flash cards in plain envelopes. Give them a stack of envelopes that already have the flash cards in it, and watch as they sit there and take every flash card out of each envelope. Then show them how to put it back in the envelope! -Matching: Match a real object to the picture on the flashcard. Get a tub of objects from around the house that go with the picture on the flashcard and sit with your little one as you match each one and talk about it. -Family Pictures: Glue pictures of familiar people on an index card. For example, you can glue pictures of daddy, grandma, the dog...etc. I guarantee this will be a hit. I say, "Who is this?", and Marlowe can now tell me who each person is on each index card. Imaginative Play During this age, children begin to have imaginative play where they are able to take fake objects and use them as if they are real. The biggest thing here is to play WITH them initially, and help encourage their play. -Take care of a Baby/Stuffed Animal: Little kids want to take care of things and pretend they are the "big kid". Show your toddler how to take care of a baby doll/animal. Marlowe likes to pretend feed her baby (I give her spoons and fake food), put diapers on baby, put baby in the stroller, and loooooves wrapping baby up in a blanket and carrying her around. -Play Food/Grocery Cart: Play food is great for teaching this age to identify food! Get a fun little grocery cart, a play kitchen, or some shelves and let them go shopping or cook some food. -Spray Bottle/Wipe: Tell your child you want them to help you clean and fill a spray bottle with some water. Show them how to spray it themselves, and then give them a cloth or paper towel and let them wipe up what they sprayed! Marlowe likes to spray the sliding glass door and then wipe it up! This is also a great activity for when you are actually cleaning and need something for them to do. Outdoor Activities Sometimes you just need to get outside and get some fresh air! Here's a few of our favorite things to do to in the neighborhood! -Nature Walk: Bring a basket for your toddler to hold and encourage him/her to find things to put in the basket. Find rocks, pinecones, leaves, flowers, and twigs. Talk about each one, and bring it home. You can tape each item to a piece of paper and stick it on the fridge for them to see and talk about the items whenever you get the chance! -Push Baby in a Stroller: For this one, you need a play stroller, but it's pretty self explanatory. Stick a baby doll, or stuffed animal in the little stroller, and let your toddler push that baby outside until they are tired! Marlowe likes to push it all the way to the park, and then make me carry her AND the doll stroller home. Every. Single. Time. -Water the Plants: Probably Marlowe's favorite outdoor activity, because she LOVES water. Turn on the hose and let them water all the plants in the backyard! Don't have a backyard? Then get a little watering can and let them water the plants in the neighborhood. Other Activities -Smell the Flowers: This one seems dumb, but little kids like flowers. Go to Trader Joe's and buy those bouquets of cheap flowers, put the flowers on a tray, and just let your toddler explore them. They can smell them, pick the petals, sort them, water them. Whatever floats their boat. Trust me it works. -Foam Letter Play: You know those foam letters or shapes you usually use in the bath? Take them out of the bath, bring them to a window or sliding glass door, put them in a bowl with a little water, and show your toddler how to stick them to the glass! Somehow those foam bath toys become new again. Now, go get to playing!
Ever felt like your students could benefit from slowing down and taking a moment calm? Well, you're in for a treat. Mindfulness isn't just a buzzword; it's a game-changer. It's about hitting the pause button, taking a deep breath, and diving into the magic of the present moment. And here's the kicker – it's not just for adults; it's for kids too! So, picture this: A classroom where calm reigns supreme, thoughts find their chill, and focus becomes a superpower. That's the power of mindfulness. And guess what? We're not stopping there. We're bringing you the tools to create a Calming Corner that'll turn your classroom into a sanctuary of serenity. Let's dive in! (GREAT NEWS! I've put together exclusive FREEBIES for mindfulness. Click here to receive them!) Mindfulness meditation is a way of focusing the mind so that it is fully attending to what’s happening right now, to what we’re doing, and to the space that we’re currently in. Cultivating mindfulness means to be present, to pay attention, and to be aware of our emotions and the way that we respond to them. Recent neuroscience research points to many benefits of mindfulness meditation: ➧ increased focus ➧ a sense of calm ➧ decreased stress ➧ decreased anxiety ➧ improved impulse control ➧ greater empathy for others ➧ improved conflict resolution skills Our students need opportunities to practice mindfulness mediation. Since the human mind often wanders from the present. Our brains have a tendency to become absorbed with thoughts about the past or the future. This kind of thinking makes us anxious. Academic pressure now affects kids as early as kindergarten, resulting in less time for play and other stress-reducing activities. Today’s students are faced with an unprecedented amount of anxiety. The pressure only grows greater in middle and high school. Surveys have found students reporting stress and fatigue as much as 75% of the time. What’s needed is a way to decrease anxiety and help students to manage their emotions. That’s where mindfulness comes in. Infusing moments of mindfulness in the classroom is not only powerful, it’s also quite simple. In general, to practice mindfulness, have students start by bringing attention to their own body. Then, have them breathe in through their noses and out through their mouths. When they notice that their mind has wondered away from the present moment, they should gently bring their attention back to their breathing. It’s also a great idea to intentionally plan moments of mindfulness in the classroom! Here are some simple ways to do just that… 1. A Mindful Moment At the beginning of class, or after a transition, have your students close their eyes and take several deep breaths. Ask them to pay attention to their breathing and what it feels like. 2. A Mindful Break Once or twice during a standard length class, just stop. Have your students stand up and stretch and then sit back down and do 30 seconds of mindful breathing. This takes no more than a minute, and it gives everyone a needed break. 3. A Mindful Quote Use motivational and inspirational quotes to help focus students’ minds during a moment of mindfulness. It’s as easy as sharing a quote, or you can download this free set of mindfulness quotes and put together a container to pull from all year long. If you'd like me to send you a free set of 24 mindfulness quotes and the materials to make a container like above, add your name and email address below: Yes! Please send me MINDFULNESS RESOURCES! 4. Attention Check During a long lesson, stop and ask your students to pause and “check their attention.” Is their mind on what is being done in class, or has it been wandering? This gives kids the chance to deliberately redirect their attention to the matter at hand. 5. Finger Labyrinths Traditionally, labyrinths are used for mediation and relaxation. Often, people walk through labyrinths. Give students the same sensation with finger labyrinths. I’ve made a collection of them that students can use when they need to focus their minds. Students simply trace the spiral paths as they practice mindfulness. Add your name and email address below to receive the finger labyrinths and mindfulness quotes in your email inbox! Yes! Please send me MINDFULNESS RESOURCES! 6. Mindful Closure At the end of class, have students close their eyes and focus on their breathing again. Ask them to think of what they have learned and perhaps congratulate themselves on their progress and accomplishments. As teachers. we have many opportunities to introduce students to mindfulness practices. Of course, one of the most important ways we can do this is by cultivating mindfulness in ourselves. If we, as teachers, are present and aware of our own emotions and responses, we set an invaluable example for our students. Many of these mindfulness activities work well in a Calming Corner in the Classroom. Add the quotes or labyrinths to the calming corner to help students when they need to take a step back and become more present in the moment. Find more ideas for creating a calming classroom environment here. Thanks so much for stopping by! Mary Beth
Prone extension...It's a common term when it comes to occupational therapy activities! Use these prone extension activities to build skills.
Check out this post for some creative ways to teach with counting bears. Free printables included!
These six free printable Human Body Worksheets contain activities to keep a child entertained while also teaching them everything they need to know about the human body. The human body is so important to learn about!
When your child is overstimulated by a situation, use these sensory activities to calm them down and give their bodies a chance to feel relaxed.
Solomon's Temple - Printable Bible coloring page for kids | Perfect Bible activity for Homeschooling, Sabbath School and Sunday School lessons
I´m very excited of posting my first collection of repetitive patterns. This is the first pattern, an AB collection of animal patterns. I´ve tried to make the cutest and useful cut and paste worksheets and you can see now the results. The first worksheet is for copy the two patterns. Just ask the children color all the pictures. Then they have to cut them and copy picture by picture as the example. Copy the patterns with bears, bees, birds and mice This second one, in a classic way of making cut and paste patterns, is for asking kids color all the pictures and cut them. Then they have to find each line pattern and extend with one of the pictures and paste it. Extend the patterns with sheep, fish, reindeer, monkey and bee It´s another version of the above worksheet with more empty spaces for extending the AB animal patterns. Extend the patterns with a pig, frog, snake, rabbit, bees, bears, jellyfishes and zebras This fourth worksheet is to complete the patterns with the missing pictures. Complete the patterns with a monkey, reindeer, bird, crab, bear and octupus In the final worksheet the children have to color, cute and make their own AB patterns. Make your own patterns with butterflies, frogs, reindeers, octupus, snakes and lions You will have 5 cute worksheets to color, cut and paste with animal AB patterns. You can find these five worksheets in my TpT store in the complete bundle with AB, AAB, ABB, ABC and MIXED patterns: BUNDLE OF CUTE ANIMAL PATTERNS
What can baby do? Tons!
Enjoy a brilliant science activity for kids with these fizzing fairy potions! Fabulously sparkly, colourful and frothy, they are sure to inspire some wows!
Use these 3 simple language games to improve your toddler's speech and help develop their articulation, language, and pre-reading skills. The following post 'Improve Your Toddler's Speech' was written in collaboration with my own mom, Jamie Bott, M.A., C.C.C. Licensed & Certified Speech & Language Pathologist / Reading Endorsed by the State of Florida. Every parent wants their child to grow up to become a
FREE science emergent reader book about the human body systems. Great science activity for preschool and kindergarten.
A free kindergarten math packet for at home learning.
This ladybug roll and cover math game is a fun way to practice math skills like counting and addition. It's perfect for your insect theme lesson plans.
Looking for activities to do at home with a 2 year old? Look no further because we've got you covered with 20 awesome at-home activities.
Looking for some super easy toddler activities? Check out this list of 40+ crazy easy toddler activities - no prep, lots of fun, and perfect for toddlers!
Teaching emotions has been a constant work in progress for my oldest son with Asperger's over the past few years. Although we've spent thousands of dollars in therapy helping him strengthen his social skills awareness and
FREE Princess dress-up playdough mats featuring 8 princesses including Cinderella, Ariel, Aurora, Tiana, Snow White, and Elsa & Anna from Frozen.
Looking for age appropriate science ideas for 1-2 year olds? Here's a bunch that are toddler friendly.
Teach kids self-regulation in the classroom and beyond with this collection of super fun Zones of Regulation activities, games, worksheets, and lesson plans!
Make your own simple textured print blocks.
