One of my favorite ways of getting our toddlers involved in circle time is with props. I’ve talked about it in the video My Secret to a Successful Circle Time. Props get the children engaged. They become part of the activity instead of just sitting and listening. I truly believe this is why our 2 year olds enjoy our gatherings on the carpet. They are involved. And that is what I consider successful.
What we used: White washable tempera paint Shaving cream White glue Paper plates (the cheap flimsy kind work great) Black construction paper Black crayon or marker Large wooden sticks Because 2 year olds have a short attention span, I assembled the puppets before we meet at the art table. Assembling the polar bear masks: Cut small circles from a few of the extra paper plates so that you have 2 ears for each mask that is being made. Cut 2 holes for each paper plate. These will be for the eyes to look through. Cut circles from black construction paper and set aside. These will be the noses that the children will apply. Staple 2 ears on each mask. Use the crayon or marker to create dark color in the middle of the ears. Staple 1 large craft stick to the bottom of each mask.
Provide a container for each child that has an even amount of paint, glue, and shaving cream. Add a brush.
Allow to thoroughly dry. They are now ready to be used during circle time!
This actually makes sense, as this is the only way they could see the face!
Mighty polar bears! We then read the book Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You See? And we marched around with our masks to music.
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