20 Eric Carle Activities for Toddlers and Preschoolers Literacy is a very important part of our toddler and preschool curriculum. We read several books each day and often will invite the children to create a craft that connects to one of them. Our 3 year olds also enjoy circle time activities that go with the books, and we will also extend related activities to other areas of our classroom, such as the light table and writing table....
Download the free list to use with the links provided in this post! You are stuck indoors. Your 2 year old is bouncing off the wall. You need to put something together now! Yep, many of us have experienced this. Especially where I live because it rains often. So I asked my Facebook community what some of their favorite toddler indoor activities were, and compiled them in this post. I’ve also provided a free printable list that you can find towards the end of this post....
Some of our 2 year olds and young 3 year olds have been showing interest in letters. We don’t formally teach letters to this age group, but we love to provide activities that expose them to the alphabet. A perfect example is our alphabet construction sensory bin and our ABC soup sensory bin. They are hands-on and playful! I also love to add literacy to the art table. That leads me to this post....
Inside: Add some bug painting to your toddlers’ day with this fun process art activity! When finished, let the bug tracks dry. Little prep is involved because it’s all about the process. Simply put the few materials on the table and invite your toddlers to start painting. Even our busiest little friends stopped awhile for this engaging art! This type of art focuses on the action involved, not the end result....
Once the glue has been applied, it’s time to add the colored pieces. March is a great month to introduce colors to toddlers! After a winter of dreary skies and dull landscapes, we love a pop of color in all areas of our classroom. There are loads of great ideas for older preschoolers, but require knowing the order of the colors. For our younger crowd, I like to focus on the colors themselves, not the order they go in....
Watch: My Secret to a Successful Circle Time Put together a simple and fun song and activity for your toddlers and young preschoolers! Here is a Beehive is a fingerplay that I have been reciting with my young students for decades. While we sing it most in the spring during our bug theme, it’s can be part of your circle time any time of the year! Not only will your students use their listening skills, but they will be part of the activity by holding their own bee props while also working on number recognition and counting....
Every spring we love putting together a fun butterfly craft for preschoolers. We order our caterpillars and they arrive after spring break. This is a highlight every year! We read books about how caterpillars turn into butterflies, we explore the butterfly life cycle on our science shelf, and we make butterfly art! For this particular art activity, we wanted to add lots of fine motor opportunities. We included painting, squeezing, twisting, and threading!...
Check out our favorite counting activities here! Games have always been a fun and hands-on way for preschoolers to build skills. We make sure to play these types of games in our classroom regularly. Sometimes we will play them as a large group at circle time, sometimes in groups of 4 during small groups, and they are also used as an activity during centers time. I’ve put together my favorite collection of preschool learning games that are fun and educational!...
Inside: Our favorite ideas for the preschool science center that encourage hands-on exploration! Science is an important part of a preschooler’s day, especially when it involves hands-on exploration. Teachers, are you wondering how to set up your preschool science center? Does it intimidate you a bit? It doesn’t need to be intimidating! With just a few simple tips, you can have a science area that is inviting for your young learners....
When I first started teaching at my current school over 16 years ago, we talked about having an event that would be just for our preschoolers and their dads (or other special person). The first year we had them participate in a Christmas wreath activity, but realized that it really wasn’t interested to many of the dads. (My husband was one of the dads in this group.) I recalled a pumpkin night that our oldest son and my husband did at his preschool years earlier....
Inside: Printable Toddler Winter Counting Props – 6 Sets for Circle Time! Toddler circle time is perfect for working on counting skills, especially when you have visuals. These toddler winter counting props can be held or displayed on flannel or magnetic boards. They can also be used as counting activities at the table – perfect for toddlers at home! Each set works on numbers one through ten. A great addition to the winter theme!...
How to Dye Rice Rice is a favorite filler for sensory bins. You can dye it different colors, add your choice of accessories, and young children love the way it feels in their hands. Because it’s so versatile, you can use it year around, adding seasonal or specific themed pieces. Super easy to make, fun to work with! Pouring. Over and over again. This is what toddlers love to do!...
Watch the video: Circle time offers so many fun ways to teach skills. This spring bunny circle time activity keeps young children engaged as they work on counting and number recognition while using colorful props. It can be adapted depending on the level of your children. Just print and laminate (for durability) and you have props that will last for years! Watch: Our Favorite Spring Circle Time Activities The Activity Preparing this Activity Print one copy of all ten bunnies as the set that will be on the board....
You are looking for an art activity to go with your toddler winter theme. There’s lots of cutesy crafts out there, but you know they aren’t necessarily realistic. Plus they take so much time to prepare! You want simple process art. You want something your toddlers will enjoy. Well, I’ve got an activity that is all of that and more. And you most likely won’t need to purchase anything new....
Inside: This pig painting craft only uses two ingredients and strengthens fine motor skills by using cotton balls and clothespins. A fun addition to the toddler and preschool farm theme, and comes with a free printable! Have your toddlers and preschoolers painted with clothespins and cotton balls yet? This is one of our favorite ways to strengthen fine motor skills, especially when using two-ingredient puffy paint. By thickening the paint with shaving cream, the hands need work harder as they move the cotton ball through the paint and then onto the paper....
Inside: This collection of light table activities is full of hands-on exploration that build a variety of skills. Perfect for toddlers and preschoolers! The first time I saw a light table in a preschool classroom, I was drawn to the display on top of it. I knew I wanted one for our classroom! I immediately started searching for fun light table activities that would work well with young children. I never dreamed how many different fun light table activities existed!...
Have you noticed how preschoolers are fascinated by things that move? Whether it’s pushing, throwing, or falling, they are very into it! So why not tap into this interest? Here are 7 fun preschool gravity experiments that you can add to your classroom or home activities, or for weekend fun. During our morning meeting or circle time, we demonstrate what happens if we drop an item. We notice that it went down instead of up....
Inside: Looking for an easy toddler rainbow art activity? Recycle pieces of cardboard and add felt shapes with glue! Here’s a super easy way to expose toddlers to the colors of the rainbow … while also build shape recognition skills! You won’t need to break the budget for the supplies, either. We recycled cardboard, cutting it into rainbow arches, and then cut shapes out of felt scraps. A hands-on activity that is fun for home or the classroom!...
Inside: This fall apple sensory bin is not only for preschoolers, but it can easily be adapted for toddlers, too. Lots of hands-on play! What we used in our sensory bin: dry oatmeal pretend apples (use larger apples for those under 3, or if your child is still putting things in his mouth) small burlap bags cinnamon sticks various tin scoops Then we added child-size cookware to make “pies”. Here are more fall activities you might be interested in: Fall Activities for Kids Easy Applesauce Made By Kids Apple Prints by Toddlers...
. More bubble wrap activities: . Bubble Wrap Rainbows Rolling Paint on Bubble Wrap DIY Bubble Wrap Circle Stampers Create a Rainbow on Bubble Wrap Bubble Wrap Printed Snowman . You might also like these ideas: . Art resources: Here is my Privacy Policy
