Toddler Basics

Let me start by saying that this list if by NO means exhaustive! This list is the result of one brainstorming session ... and I even kept adding as I retyped it from my notes to here!

You will also find many more great ideas and printables on a lot of the blogs/sites list on my Links page. I will also show what I've done on each relevant blog post.

I have referred you a few times to School Sparks. A blog/site WELL worth looking at.

Aside from heaps of beautiful 'clean' free printables on many 'subjects', there is also an Assessment for School Readiness, information on Early Childhood Development Areas, and of course, a blog :)

Ideas to introduce LETTERS / ALPHABET

• Find the letter around your home/yard/out and about
• Flash Cards
• Books from bookcase or library
• Alphabet wall/desk chart
• Jigsaws/puzzles
• Foam bath letters
• Colour and decorate the letter (great alphabet printables from School Sparks)
• Cut the letter (or things that start with the letter) from magazines and catalogs to make a scrap page
• Draw the letter in sand/rice/salt/flour/sauce/paint etc using your finger
• Trace over an outline on paper with pencil/crayon or on a chalkboard
• Make letter 'stepping stones' and allow your child to follow them around the room (as the child gets older, add incorrect letters to make it a little more difficult)
• Cut biscuit dough or playdough letters
• Cut the letter from fabric/paper/board etc and make a mobile
• Search through your toy box for things in the shape of letters or with letters on them
• Find songs and rhymes about letters/the alphabet

Ideas to introduce NUMBERS

• Find the number around your home/yard/out and about
• Flash cards
• Books from bookcase or library
• Jigsaws/puzzles
• Number wall/desk chart
• Foam Stickers
• Colour and decorate the number
• Cut the number from magazines and catalogs to make a scrap page
• Draw the number in sand/rice/salt/flour/sauce/paint etc using your finger
• Trace over an outline on paper with pencil/crayon or on a chalkboard
• Make number 'stepping stones' and allow your child to follow them around the room (as the child gets older, add incorrect letters to make it a little more difficult)
• Count blocks/Lego/sultanas/pebbles anything you can find!
• Make biscuits or cut playdough numbers (if you don't have number cutters, then cut 2 of what you do eg 2 circles, 2 dogs etc)
• Print the number onto a page and have your child stick the right number of stickers next to it (you may like to put the right number of circles on the page for the stickers to be stuck on to help the young ones)
• Cut the number from card/fabric/paper etc and make a mobile
• Search through your toy box for things in the shape of number or with numbers on them
• Find songs and rhymes about numbers

Ideas to introduce COLOURS

• Find the colour around your home/yard/out and about
• Flash Cards
• Books from bookcase or library
• Jigsaws and puzzles
• Colour wall/desk chart
• Use only the one colour pencils/crayons/paints etc for the week
• Find the colour as you read, or cut it from magazines/catalogs to make a collage
• Make coloured 'stepping stones' for them to follow around the room (as the child gets older, add incorrect colours to make it a little more difficult)
• Make coloured playdough
• Make a stained glass window in the colour
• Make biscuits/cupcakes in that colour or ice them with colours
• Wear only that colour
• Keep some old milk cartons and quarter fill them with coloured water for your child to play with (make sure you 
• Sort pegs/blocks (anything you have!) into colours (or just play with the one colour block for the week)
• Eat that colour food for the week (eg brocolli, beans, peas, zucchini or carrot, sweet potato, pumpkin etc)
• Search through your toybox for things of the colour
• Find songs and rhymes about colours

Ideas to introduce SHAPES

• Find the shape around your home/yard/out and about
• Flash cards
• Books from the bookcase/library
• Jigsaws/puzzles
• Shape desk/wall chart
• Colour/decorate in the shape and cut it out
• Make a stained glass window in the shape (instructions here just under the picture of Little Mister's toys)
• Cut the shape from magazines/catalogs and create a collage
• Draw the shape in sand/rice/flour/paint etc with finger
• Trace the shape on paper with pencil/crayon etc or on a chalkboard
• Make shape 'stepping stones' for child to follow around the room (as the child gets older, add incorrect ones to make it more difficult)
• Make biscuits or cut playdough using the shape
• Cut the shape from card/fabric etc and make a mobile
• Search through your toy box for things in the shape or with shapes on them
• Find songs and rhymes about shapes

Ideas to encourage GROSS MOTOR SKILLS

Using BEANBAGS

• Toss a beanbag into a hoop on the ground
• Have your child throw and catch the beanbag
• Toss beanbags into a bucket
• Have three hoops on the ground, throw all bags into one hoop, then jump in that hoop and toss bags into next hoop etc

Using PEGS

• Give your child two ice-cream containers and show them how to tip from one to the other
• Use hands to take them from one to the other

Using a BALL

• Catch from sitting and standing position, forward and backwards
• Throw from sitting and standing position forwards and backward
• Roll from sitting and standing position
• Kick the ball
• Pass the ball backwards under the legs or over the head
• As they get older, have your child direct the ball into a 'goal' using the above methods
• Experiment with all different size and weight balls

RIDING

• Bike (suited to their age, progress from push along to pedal, and a lesser number of wheels)
• Scooter 
• Skateboard
• Rocking Horse
• Seesaw

WALK / JUMP / HOP / SKIP / ROLL

• In a straight line
• On a plank of wood (on the ground, then off the ground as they get older)
• On stepping stones (made from wood, large leaves from the garden, paper - cut shapes, colours etc)
• With hands on head, behind back, held in front, in the air or out to the side etc
• Over a rope (straight, moving, off the ground, progress to skipping)
• Hop Scotch
• Under the rope (limbo style - starting with it high enough for the child to easily move under)
• Star-jumps
• Balance on one leg with arms out to the side/in front/behind/on head etc
• Teach your child how to Somersault!
• Show your child how to roll along the ground on your side (find a grass slope to roll down on your side, lots more fun :))

CLIMB

• A ladder (start horizontal and work to vertical)
• Steps (hands, no hands, hands behind/in front/out to the side/on head etc)
• A sturdy fence or gate (eventually they will be able to climb over)
• Playground equipment is fantastic for this! climbing steps/slippery dips, moving bridges, swing ladders, rock walls etc
• Onto, over, under a chair/table/lounge/bed etc

SWING

• Traditional style - sitting, on belly, standing
• Hanging from monkey bars/swinging rings and able to swing with feet off ground
• See-saw style where they sit at one end (movement is different to get it going)

CLAP/STOMP

• In time to music
• To a chant - rhythm
• Copy an adults lead - think about teaching them a simple sequence to follow, including clapping the hands on the legs or each others hands, turning in a circle etc
• You could introduce simple musical instruments like a home-made drum (Milo tin!) or maraca/rattle etc

ACTION SONGS

• Simple Simon Says
• Wiggles
• Twinkle Twinkle Little Star
• Incey Wincey Spider
• Hokey Pokey (Little Mister LOVES this one!) 
• Dingley Dangley Scarecrow
• Everybody Clap
• More great ideas with the actions can be round at  KI Diddles

FOLLOW DIRECTIONS

• Ask your child to sit on, under, behind etc
• Ask your child to stand, sit, jump, hop
• Ask your child to copy your actions, for example, play Simple Simon

Ideas to encourage FINE MOTOR SKILLS

THREADING

• Using string/shoelace/pipe-cleaners etc

1. Pasta
2. Fruit Loops (or other cereal)
3. Large Beads
4. Large holes in cardboard/wooden shape/cut-out

CO-ORDINATION

• Use small tongs to pick things up, for example, pom poms, bottle caps etc
• Colour in while holding the paper down with the other hand
• Cutting with scissors

PLAYDOUGH

• Cutting with scissors
• Making shapes and getting them out of the cutter
• Rolling playdough flat and into balls, logs etc

PAPER/CARDBOARD

• Cutting with scissors (see School Sparks for great Fine Motor Skills worksheets)
• tearing into strips (thin/wide, long/short etc)
• Screwing into little balls to make a picture or line them up
• Gluing little balls onto paper
• Applying glue
• Putting stickers onto paper (not as easy as it sounds!)

PAINT

• Finger paint
• Foot painting
• With a bristled brush
• With a foam 'brush' or shapes
• With shapes made from different textures (wood, fruit, veg, foam etc)
• Within boundaries

DRAWING/COLOURING/PAINTING

• On a vertical surface
• On a horizontal surface
• With crayons, Textas, pencils, chalk, pens etc
• Colour/draw while holding the paper down with the other hand
• On a magna-doodle style board
• Follow dotted lines etc (see School Sparks for great Fine Motor Skills worksheets)
• In the confines of Mazes (see School Sparks again here for these)

 BLOCKS/LEGO/DUPLO

• Build stacks
• Line them up
• Make a shape (square/circle etc)
• Build something

 CARS/VEHICLES/PEOPLE/ANIMALS

• Make a road with masking tape on the ground and move the cars along the lines/road

 STICKERS

• Draw some squares (or other shape) on a page, and give your child stickers to stick inside the shape (perhaps as a reward chart for chores or toilet training)
• Use books with stickers provided (these have a spot for each particular sticker)

Anything to add?! Please do... we would love to hear from you :)