During my years as an early childhood educator, I have taught kindergartners to infants. While all of these age groups differ greatly, one fact remains the same: they all have an insatiable appetite to learn!
Learning and growing is pivotal for even the youngest of children. They are learning how to engage with other children, demonstrating basic self-reliance (picking up toys, throwing out a paper cup with help), increasing their fine motor skills such as holding a crayon or turning the pages of a book, improving gross motor skills such as jumping or hopping and so much more!
For this reason, I have created several toddler packs that help develop children's natural wonder and burgeoning abilities. Just because one is little, they can do quite a lot! Most of the packs relate to basic skills around a theme such as Fall or Thanksgiving.
I feel that themes work best for all children. They are a way that the youngest children process and organize, straightforward, and methodical information. Most educators feel that any topic at any time of the year is perfectly fine, but themes are just my personal preference, and are definitely not a requirement.
I would often do a simple circle with the toddlers, as well as drum roll please, infants. Yes, I said infants. They were some of the most amazing and engaged children I have ever worked with. I know what you're thing, but they're not mobile and really don't have an attention span. Why are you even doing a circle time with infants? It's developmentally-inappropriate, right? It depends. If you keep it short, colorful, and fun, no way. Long, dragged out, and boring, you will have lost them before you even started.
Here is my version of a typical
Infant/Toddler Circle time (Performed Daily)
- Opening Song: "Hi, Hello, and How Are You?" with a rattle to mimic the song's beat.
- Attendance Song: "Who Is Here Today?" with a scarf. Gently tickle each child's head with the scarf as you say their name. This promotes name recognition.
- Weather Song: Since my room had windows, I would point out the window as I sang a song called "What Is the Weather Like Today?" with a weather puppet created from paper cutouts and glued to a Popsicle stick.
- Color of the Month Basket: I would sing a color song and then show children a new item of that color each day of the week . All the items were placed in a small basket. We would wear the color during the month too.
- Animal of the Month: I would find a song about the Animal of the Month and as I sang the song, would hold up a stuffed animal or puppet of the animal.
- Read a short story based on the weekly theme or do a thematic activity matching game, flannel board etc.
- Tell children about art projects and anything happening that day.
- Do art projects or Free Play
It's your turn, do you do an infant/toddler circle time? If so, please add your comments below!
As I stated previously in this post, I have begun creating toddler packs because of a wonderful suggestion from one of my former toddler teacher parents, who was interested in learning packs for her child. This is where the story began and I have created several packs since. Some of the themes include
cats, dogs, fall and Thanksgiving.
Please click on the following links below the covers to see these packs. Each pack provides simple matching games, color identification and recognition activities, sometimes crafts, patterning and other activities to build on toddlers' skills.
In closing, remember that infants and toddlers are just small people with big imaginations, lots of personality, and a never-ending supply of untapped knowledge!
