Pom Pom Transfer Activity

Here's another great activity to practice those fine motor skills. They simply transfer one Pom Pom at a time to each compartment in the ice cube tray, then they put the Pom poms back one by one into the small basket. The different tools the children can use are; their hands, tongs, spoons, olive grabbers, and anything you can imagine! Also using different size pom poms allows them to practice picking up different size items. Don't forget to review color as well! Ask them to pass you different colors, even sizes. Example "can you pass me the large pink Pom Pom..."

Welcoming Calvin Timothy!

Welcome our new little Sprout!

Toddler preschool paper cutting

There is nothing more fun (or more scary!) then teaching and watching a toddler learn how to cut with scissors. And once you get them started, there is no turning back! Usually before scissor handling is taught the child is taught to rip pieces of paper, simply by taking a long thin peice of paper, cutting slits about 1 inch apart, and showing the child to rip apart at the slits. The next step is teaching them how to hold the scissor with their two hands (their usually not ready to use one hand right away) and teaching them "open" and "close" while the adult holds the paper for them. If they start going crazy then you tell the child "gentle, we hold the scissors like this...", if they listen, GREAT! If not, then for safety reasons take the scissor privelages away for a few days and try again another time. They will learn that proper scissor handling = scissor privelages! Click here for the link to this apple paper cutting activity sheet! (it is uploaded to google docs)

21 months old, practicing his cutting techniques

Geoboard Fun

Geoboards are something that is great for all ages. As a pre-k (3+ years) child it's a great way to practice those fine motor skills, concentration, shapes, vocabulary and even creativity.

Below is a picture of one of the children creating different shapes and even a picture of herself!

We got ours for only $3.50 on amazon (prime shipping!)
11x11 geoboard on Amazon

Some helpful websites
Pre-kinders: math and geometry
Creek side learning: printable cards for learning shapes

Bean Transfer Activity

Here is a great activity for building concentration and those helpful fine motor skills. You simply get two attractive cups or small bowls (porcelain or metals are best because children are attracted to the sounds it makes when the beans fall into them). Then you place whatever you like in one, it can be dried beans, rice, beads, get creative. Obviously these are "choking hazards" so you always want to be around when you are showing the child how to use them, also some kids are fascinated with sticking things up their nose and in their ears, so teaching them the proper use is very important! If you find that they are throwing the materials constantly...and after many times of saying "these are for transferring...we keep them on the tray....." then you might want to take the tray away for a few weeks and present again later. 

The idea of this activity to have to have the child transfer the materials from one cup to another by hand. They feel the texture, they hear the sounds as it drops in. Any items that spill they leave for last and pick up one at a time with their pincer grasp (finger and thumb). 

I got this cute set from the second hand store, for very cheap so if you don't have one keep your eyes open or maybe go to grandmas house and ask if she has something. :)

Making Butter

I don't know one child that doesn't like cream or butter! Walking through Costco I saw a container of heavy cream and had a flash back of being in elementary school, passing around a container and shaking my heart out to see the cool reaction that was about to take place...so I wanted to share this experience with the kids and they loved it! At first they shook their jars for not even a minute so I had to get it started a little. I kept opening up the lid to see if any reaction occurred, and finally there was cream! They looked so excited and when they tried it they wanted more...I told them "if you shake it really well then I'll open it for you!" so they did and finally it almost magically appeared to be butter! They loved it and put it on their broccoli for lunch and ate it all up!

Shaving cream fun!

Kids of all ages love to play with shaving cream! It is even more fun to add colors and see what happens when you mix two or more! With toddlers you have to watch them more closely because they tend to get silly!

If the older ones start to look bored (which takes a while) then you can have them draw shapes, letters, numbers, stories, ect.