Welcome to Teeny Tot Tuesday! I’ve got some fun ideas to share with you today to help keep your toddlers busy and learning at the same time!
Thanks to my All About Reading Level 1 kit, we had these fun word eggs to flip. Tinker Bell flipped each one over then read the word. The Teeny Tot insisted on playing too.
Then she got really serious.
She pulled out our Rush Hour Jr. game again too. Not sure why, but the kids all love this. The game is fun to play, but the Teeny Tot doesn’t play by the rules.
We always try to include our Teeny Tot in with our regular studies. Partly because it gets her used to doing school, and mostly because it keeps her from wondering around the house and say…coloring all over our mirror with mom’s lipstick. Here she is doing a self portrait.
One thing we both love are the Alphabet Alley puzzles. They’re so great for toddlers even kindergartners because the pieces are large, nice and thick, and super cute!
Okay, so this is probably one of the fakest smiles I’ve ever seen, but she insisted on me taking her picture once she was done. I think this whole blog thing is starting to create a picture hungry toddler.
I put these cute colorful bowls and a handful of colored counting bears in one of her drawers today, I’m missing the yellow bowl…hmmm. The cute cups are from the kitchen section at Target, I they’re called pinch bowls. I found a less colorful version of them here, maybe they still have the colorful ones in store.
Then I had the Teeny Tot sort the bears by color, she did a pretty good job, then took all the bears and went off to play with them somewhere else. We eventually found them.
I also put in these pattern block cards and blocks by Learning Resources. Normally she’ll do them, but today she passed.
We just got a this Letter Construction Activity set from Learning Resources to review and giveaway and she loves them. Although she made an Aa, she insisted on creating all kinds of other things after that.
So those were some of Teeny Tot’s activities this week, have some to share? Make sure to link up below or leave a comment!
Thanks so much for the great ideas!!! I’ve been really bad about adding our smaller children into my school day (I have a 5yo in 2nd grade, and then a 3 yo and an 18 monther), so I’m gearing up to get workboxes ready!
How early did you start your teeny tot?
She’s been doing school with us since about 2, but I use the term “School” very loosely! LOL! I just try to give her activities to help her feel included and keep her busy while we’re doing school. Otherwise she’s the type to tear down the house when no one is looking :o)
I was wondering, in the picture with your girls sitting on the floor, what is their paper attached to? Is it a cookie sheet, because if so, that’s a really good idea!!! Thanks!
It’s actually the backside of a chalkboard. They’re those thin Masonite chalk boards, probably got it at Office Depot or some place similar. Hope that helps!
Trays are such a wonderful thing! Been using trays for awhile. We will be taking the route of a visual academy next year and there will be a preschooler (my youngest), one first grader, two second graders, a third grader and a fourth grader in our home. So I’ve been really using trays with my 2.5 year old now so he’s accustomed to how it all works to make our transition into our new lifestyle smoother. 🙂 He’s very “orderly” and perhaps that’s just him or because that’s what he’s accustomed to, I’m not sure. But he takes to “work trays”, as he calls them, very well.
Love that Letter Construction Activity set! Your ideas are so helpful…my fourth is a bit younger than yours is, but always seems to find trouble if I haven’t set out stuff for her “cool” time. Thanks for sharing and the link up!
Here’s something I don’t get to do anymore that I did when mine were preschool. I made homemade edible finger paints and put the kids in front of their own large mirror. I had them do self-portraits with the finger paints over their reflections. Then we’d wash it off and they would decorate their reflections…with flowers, hats, hearts, whatever. It’s always fun.
SAFETY FIRST: Make sure the edges are smooth or framed! We wouldn’t want any fingers bleeding. Enjoy them at this age; they grow sooooo fast! My “baby” is now 8 and doing tricks on the snowboard!
cute! thanks
Erica-
You are such an inspiration. I just love those cute word eggs!
Have a fantastic day,
Rebecca
Thanks Erica for all the great ideas. Since I stopped nursing my youngest as a distraction technique during school, well let’s just say things are getting a little chaotic around here. I know she wants to be involved so these posts have really helped our family jump-start her beginning education and my sanity!
Awesome!
WOW do I want the letter construction set now. I’ve been procrastinating on printing and cutting out all the shapes in your Letter of the Week program. I just knew there was some out there. Do you have any idea when you’ll do the giveaway? I’ll be keeping a close eye, this looks like something up my 2.5 year olds ally.