NB: If you can't see the Toddler Ideas header above, set your email provider to allow images from clever-toddler-activities.com
Learning Activities
For Active Toddlers
Toddler Ideas is the insightful ezine delivered to your inbox monthly from clever-toddler-activities.com
November, 2011 Issue 23
Featuring:
- Opening Thoughts – Changing Perceptions
- Q&A with Claire – Learning Activities for Active Toddlers
- Tip of the Month - Child Led Play
- Featured Page – Learning Toys for Toddlers
Opening Thoughts
Changing Perceptions
We have often been conditioned to believe that learning activities for little kids need to include letters, shapes or numbers or at least crayons or puzzles.
Then we often despair at the sight of a young child pulling out the pots and pans, emptying laundry baskets, exploring the contents of the refrigerator or trying to use the dustpan and brush. It can appear to be naughty behaviour or that the tots are just messing around.
I see all the above examples as valuable learning activities. Basically young children have a strong desire to learn about and practise being adults. With that in mind, doesn’t it make sense to allow children to explore safe pieces of our world?
I think an important part of creating learning activities for toddlers out of household items is to clean up quietly with a neutral or joyous attitude. Mess is part of the toddler learning process.
I sometimes invite toddlers to tidy up with me but I’ve stopped encouraging/forcing because found it's not worth the pain it causes both sides. By modelling the cleaning-up process children not only imitate when they’re ready but also tidy because they want to rather than out of fear or to simply get a reward.
I hope you find the tips on learning activities especially for active toddlers useful in this issue of Toddler Ideas.
Q&A with Claire
Learning Activities for Active Toddlers
Question:
I have a two-year-old and I don't know how to make him play with the toys or try to draw and do other learning activities. All he wants to do is run around screaming, play in the kitchen and he just loves to play in the refrigerator or just sit in it. What should I do? I don't know please HELP ME!!!??? :) Lianna
Answer:
Hi Lianna,
The active behaviour your son is displaying must be tiring and might be worrying you. I have come across this before a few times and it might be nothing to worry about. Some toddlers have more energy and active learning styles, while others like to sit and play, draw or 'people watch'.
You have a valid point about wanting your two-year-old to be involved in learning activities. I've found that some of the very active young children I've cared for enjoyed the following educational activities.
- Painting with poster (liquid) paints on large paper especially while standing at an easel. Also painting cardboard boxes is a hit (the cardboard should be non-shiny though)
- Drawing on a large piece of paper taped or weighted down to a hard floor surface (the back of leftover wallpaper is great for this)
- Drawing on an easel or paper/card taped to a wall or cupboard door
- Pouring, transferring or drawing in sand, water play or other tactile activities indoor or out
- Active games such as racing, chasing or a home-made obstacle course
Did you know that running and other active movements actually aid brain development? I sometimes join toddlers while they run about. Some tots think it’s hilarious or fascinating when I hop, skip, jump, take big slow steps or tiptoe in little fast steps. I describe what I’m doing so it aids their understanding and language skills too.
Kitchens and especially refrigerators attract all the toddlers I've cared for! It sounds like your son would probably enjoy the kitchen activity ideas and simple cooking activities too. Playing with or doing an activity ourselves that we want a toddler to do, often encourages them to join in.
Many young children are very active and healthy. However some children also display hyperactive behaviour, which can have negative effects on their development and health if they're hyper all the time. Many children calm down dramatically after sugar, MSG, preservatives and artificial colourings/flavourings are eliminated from their diet.
TV portrays such a fast-paced world yet often suppresses the natural desire to participate, so afterwards children may have more energy than they know what to do with. Here's more information and studies about the effects of TV on young children.
I hope this helps Lianna!
Take care, Claire
Tip of the Month
Child-Led Play
Everyone knows tots need lots of action and what better way to give it than to play together?! It’s very easy to notice things and ways which we think tots would love or learn from, isn’t it? Guidence is of cause needed throughout the day. Even though we may suggest a fun thing to do in a playful way, it maybe seem like yet another request to be fulfilled to a tot.
Letting your child choose how you two spend time together (safely) benefits your bond, trust in each other and themselves as well as raising their self-esteem, self-worth and self-confidence.
It’s ideal to have regular play sessions where your total focus is on your child while you be their play assistant. Try to hold judgement (even praise) about what you think about the game or their play because that would imply that what they do is being tested which is proven to hinder play and learning. Using descriptive phrases is a way to avoid judging and aid learning at the same time.
Remember how much children have to play by our rules - well, it’s only fair to give them some practise at taking the lead. I found this give and take method naturally encourages children to obey us when needed.
Featured Page
Learning Toys for Toddlers
Wondering about which learning toys for children are best? We’ve recently greatly improved our toys page. Check out our summary of learning styles and developmental areas in which toys should facilitate on our learning toys page.
What Do You Think?
If you liked this ezine please do a friend and me a big favour and tell them about Toddler Ideas. If a friend DID forward this to you and if you like what you read, click here to subscribe. When you subscribe, you'll receive a FREE download of 'On the Spot' Toddler Activities that can be done anywhere with whatever is around you.
I would be happy to answer any questions you have about toddlers. I'd also love to read a cute/funny story about young children, a parenting tip, a great toddler activity or a comment you have about Toddler Ideas at our Contact Form.
|
