The Color Red

 For the next 7 weeks or so until June, I plan to focus on colors. I plan to start with red, yellow, and blue and then move on to the other colors as we master those colors. Our first color, we started this week: red!

As they arrive in the morning, and while the others eat breakfast, I broke the manips to only red toys for the tots to play with.  They could choose to play with red legos, red mega blocs, red uno stacko blocks, or red magformer magnets.  I also brought out Elmo and an Elmo chair along with red Step 2 chairs to sit on while watching learning shows such as Sesame Street and Mickey Mouse.

 Using pictures off Google images, I made up Sesame Street flashcards.  I realized how easily the tots learned the names of these characters and decided they could learn the colors of each character just as easily.  Thankfully my son has almost every character so that I can use them as props as we learn each color. Thanks Sesame Street all the learning your items provide! Your shows and toys are amazing!

Before heading downstairs to our day care room, we went outside to ride our 'bikes' and 'cars' each day it was not raining.  I made sure to point out the red ones.  And of course that made them all want to ride only the red ones!

While playing one morning, I gave each of them a chance to match pictures for me.  I found each picture on Google images, and then printed each one out twice.  I laminated them both and taped the first one inside a red folder.  The second one of each is inside the pockets.  They pick one out at a time and match it to the matching red picture.  They loved doing this and some even wanted to do it more than once.  My little guy would have done it the entire time we were outside if I would have let him.  

After teaching pre-k for so many years, I decided to teach them their colors based off a method called Daily Five.  Our first group is Listening to Reading. (These groups may not be taught in the same order each day.  It just depended on the activity, so we are not getting up and down out of our chairs several times.) During this group, I read to them the following two Elmo books.  The first one was to get them interested and ready to learn. It was a fun interactive story.  I try to make sure I introduce each story with the Title, Author and Illustrator. I then pause on a couple pages throughout the stories to allow time for the tots to tell me what they think is going to happen or just to tell me about the pictures.  I feel these help them learn the basics of learning how to read.

 

Below are the stories I read for day 2.  Again I focused on the title and asked questions throughout the stories. They did really well
telling me what each picture was in the Colors book; however, the colors for them were still a little tricky. They really enjoyed making dog and cat sounds. I think we will go over this book every day to review the colors as a whole instead of individually.  The I Love You story was a just for fun book because it was red on the outside.







Day 3, we read Big Red Kite. This story was definitely one of their favorites for the week. We read it several times...so much that most of them can point out parts of the story before I read that part.


The book to the below is the book we read on Friday (Day 5) for Listening to Reading.

 
(For the book we read on Thursday see Working on Writing.)



 After the reading and bikes, we sat at our learning table and did Working with Words/Letters.  I used these placemats to introduce the color red again with Elmo in the center! I tried to start out with going over all the colors each day using these mats.

Day 1, we listened to the Red Song and watched it on Youtube.   The song is very catchy and easy to follow along with.  The tots enjoyed it so much, they kept saying "again, again!"  We listened to it several times while pointing out the letters r.e.d. as well as pointing to the words as they sang them.  During this time, we also worked on our names.  Each tot has their own song that teaches them to spell their names.  We took turns singing each tot's name as I pointed to the letter on the paper on the board.
Day 2 we focused again on the color word "red" and practiced their names again.  However, this time I showed them their names on a name card and asked who's name was who's.  I only had one who figured them all out.  The rest were very interested and usually could figure it out by the time I started singing each individual name songs.  (I use the tunes to BINGO and Mary Had a Little Lamb for each name.)
Day 3: We reviewed our alphabet chart. sung a couple of alphabet songs, and reviewed the color R.e.d. song and our names again.
Day 4: We repeated what we did days 1-4.  Tots can never have too much practice.  The more they hear it, the better chance they have at remembering it.  As long as we make it fun each day, they seem to enjoy it singing and learning our words and letters.

(Also during this group, we tried to work on our counting and number chart.  I don't want to forget the importance of math.)
 Day 5: We for a walk outside and tried to find as much red items as possible.  As we would find a red item, we would sing our R.e.d. song.

Our next group was Working on Writing.  During this group, I used the pages that I wrote their names on as well as the color red on and allowed them to color with red marker (I let them choose marker, crayon, or colored pencil.  They all wanted marker; however, if they do not use it right and color on table, on themselves or try eating it, I take it away after a couple warnings.) Most do well with this; however, there is usually at least one that wants to test me.





Day 2 and 4, I decided to start doing journals with the tots.  I feel it is never to early to start teaching them about journaling.  I am not using a notebook though because I feel it is too easy for them to turn the page rather than stay on the page we are working on.  Instead I am giving each of them a piece of lined paper (because I have so much of it lying around the house already). Each day we do journals, I write the date and their names on the paper.  Then today I drew an apple because some apples are red and wrote the word red.  They each colored their apple red. After they were finished I put their pages in an individual folder.  I plan to keep these folders for a year before sending them home and starting new ones. Since I started these towards the end of the school year, I plan to continue them throughout the summer and the following year and hoping to send them home the following May.  The first two are from my youngest two and the two on the right are my older two. (My oldest was not here on this day.)  I like to be able to compare what a few months does for a toddler!

On day 3, we painted a red apple with  q-tips! I cut out the center of a paper plate and they painted that.  Then I glued to construction paper and added a stem and leaf. 

On day 4, we read an easy reader about Cookie and Elmo eating colored food for our Listening to Reading time.  Then, for Working on Writing, I asked each of them individually what food, they like to eat and what color it is.  Most needed help coming up with the color of food, but they all were able to name a favorite food!

 A couple days (when we couldn't get outside) we took a break before lunch to enjoy some ball pit and library room, their favorite hangout!  I also put puzzles in this room so I can work one on one with them if they feel up to it.  Above he is working on the color fish puzzle.  I love this one because it teaches matching colors as well as has the color word written on it.
On day 2, our active play was going on a red scavenger hunt inside our classroom.  

As I prepare lunch each day, we sing our worship songs and read, tell or watch our Bible story.  On day 1 we watched a video on Parting the Red Sea from the Bible as I explained a little more to them as they watched.  I also took this time to explain the Red Sea wasn't really red. It is just a name for it.  They may not understand yet, but at least they are getting exposed to the word red and how it can be used for a name and a color.  We also took this time to pray not only for our lunch but also for always protecting us.
Day 2 and 3:
To the right is our story bus.  Inside we used Noah as Moses and his wife as the people.  We used the Skylanders' guy as our army because he looks like a military man from the past with the helmet and suit.  Then, I used a magic stick to wave over the water as it splits.

 We do not officially do Reading with a Buddy or Reading Alone; however, we have a reading nook area that I allow them to go to after lunch to look at books.  I encourage them to share as they look as well as hold the book correctly.  I feel just getting them looking at books and reading the pictures as well as learning to repeat their favorite books such as Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed is teaching them to read.  I also let them free explore with my flashcards, their name cards, and any stories we read throughout the week.  They love pretending to be teachers, and they're learning at the same time!

 

There are a several activities I did not mention that we do on a daily basis, but this is based on the color red, and I mainly wanted to show how we learned that color throughout the week.  Even the week after, we are continuing singing our red song and point out things that are red.  I don't want them to forget everything we have done; therefore, I am constantly repeating days, weeks and months after we learn something.  I also introduced ketchup and tomatoes to them at lunch time as an extra!

St. Patty's Day for Toddlers

We had a busy couple days celebrating St. Patty's day this year! The kiddos loved learning about the color green!

They played in green sensory play.  I found as much as I could that would fit and mixed it in green Easter grass.  The toddlers loved looking through the grass and trying to find the green items.

They also played in green goop (flour, water, and green food coloring) that the leprechaun left for them.  They searched through the goop trying to find gold coins.  Once they found the gold coins, they enjoyed washing them off in warm water.

They helped make Shamrock pudding by stirring the milk, green food coloring, and pudding mix.

We had a green scavenger hunt and found as many green items as possible around the room.  I then allowed them to play with these green items as they were encouraged to also say the word,"green."

They dot painted with a green bingo dabber, and then I cut their pictures into a shamrock.

We also enjoyed Lucky Charms and Fruit Loops for snack as well as tried to put the Fruit Loops on dried spaghetti for fine motor practice.

Presidents' Day for Toddlers

Presidents' Day Learning!

 Washing pennies in warm soapy water...Then rinsing them and drying them to make them all shiny.

 Then 'counting' them as we put them in a piggy bank for fine motor practice. 

 Free Painting while others were getting their hands painted to make Abe Lincoln.

We also colored a book about pennies and read about Abe Lincoln.  We focused on the color brown for the color of the penny and had a brown scavenger hunt where the toddlers brought items that were brown from around the room to the sensory table.  They then played with the brown items for awhile. As they played, I encouraged them to say brown.

We also focused on the letter P for penny. To go along with the letter P, we learned all about prayer.  We learned how to fold our hands and bow our heads during prayer.  We also focused on who we can pray for by learning the five finger prayer: Pinkie-for themselves, Pointer-for those that teach them and direct them, Middle-for our president, pastors, and those that run our country and churches, Ring finger- for those that are weak, little or sick, Thumb-for those that are closest to us (our family and friends).

A few things that we had planned but never quite got to were: penny rubbings, flag handprint, sorting coins, making our own monument out of play dough and blocks, and coloring or painting a flag. This week fell on a week that we ended up with lots of snow and some were not able to come because of it, but we still fit in as much as the toddlers could handle without getting bored or upset.

Favorite Toddler Play Ideas

1. Felt Boards (I have discovered that my little guy loves felt pieces.  My brother's girlfriend bought him a beach theme one when she was out of town, and he's finally old enough to play with it, and it fits in the diaper bag so we can take it to church and restaurants.  I even got creative and made several of my own.  I stick them in individual baggies and we only get one set out at a time.  I did mine according to Bible stories,, but have also made some for my nephew for each month of the year:decorate the jack-o-lantern's face, decorate the tree, add accessories to the potato head, etc.  Look up quiet books or busy books and you will find all kinds of ideas.)He's playing with the Armor of God set right here.
2. Coloring with crayons and markers (My little guy is constantly asking to "color".  He will even get specific when he wants markers.  He asks us every time we go into a restaurant if he can color so be sure to keep a coloring book and crayons in your diaper bag.)
3. Painting: watercolors, finger-painting, painting their hands and feet, water painting books for on the go, etc. (Edible paint, baby food, and water painting are great ideas when they're younger than 1).
4. Magic marker books (These are like coloring books but only comes with one clear marker.  When he colors it shows up on the book, but no where else.  It is amazing and great for on the go!)
5. Lego's, Mega Blocks, etc. (He loves to build! When he was younger he loved to knock over what we built.  Now, he actually tries to build his own towers.)
6. Foam blocks, cardboard blocks (Melissa and Doug sells really nice ones that were passed down to my little guy from his cousins.)
7. Books, books, and more books! (Toddler love when you read to them! My little guy will sit for well over twenty minutes now listening to stories he loves. His favorites are the ones you flip open pockets and look inside or the ones that you press the buttons and they play sounds or songs.)
8. Sensory play with all sorts of objects such as formula, play dough, flour, sugar, Easter grass, snow, water, ice, socks, cards, baby food for the younger ones, etc.
9. Putting things into something else such as: pennies in a piggy bank, pom pom balls in a water bottle, pipe cleaners in a container with holes, etc. (def. need adult supervision with these ideas).
10. Little figurines (We have all sorts but his favorite ones are his cowboys and Sesame Street characters)
11. Stickers (Let them stick them everywhere on them.  We stick them on our face, clothes, feet, hands, etc.  He loves sticking stickers on himself and others! And honestly stickers work great as rewards for folding their hands when we pray, cleaning up their own messes, picking up their toys, etc.  We use them often!)
12. Magnets (We have magnets that look like the picture below called Magformers.  The toddlers love them!) 
13. Puzzles (Puzzles with pegs are perfect for little hands.  The ones with matching pictures on the board along with the piece are even better.)

Toddler Valentines Lesson

Lesson 1

First, I teach them the verse, "We love because He first loved us." 1 John 4:19. I taught them motions to go with the verse, and we said it several times. Then, I taught them the song "Jesus loves me." I precut out hearts for them to color with this verse on it as a way for them to practice it at home. We then continued practicing this verse almost daily for the next few weeks. 

We (arms spread out) 

love (arms across each other touching shoulders-love symbol)

because He (point to the the sky)

first (put up one finger for the number 1)

loved (love symbol again)

me (We switched us to me and they pointed to themselves.)

Lesson 2

We reviewed 1 John 4:19 with motions and all. We then sung "Jesus Loves Me."  After that we talked about the verse "There is a friend that sticks closer than a brother." Proverbs 18:24. 

There is a friend (We point to a friend then to the sky as if pointing to God)

that sticks closer than a brother. (we lock arms with a friend next to us.)

While we reviewed, I gave the toddlers a picture of a magnet with the verse written on it so that again they have something to take home with them to review their verse. I've learned that giving the children something to do while I talk usually keeps them in their seats as well as keeps them listening.   The older ones will actually talk back to me and answer questions as they work.  The younger ones sometimes will join in on the motions or repeat words that they recognize.  After most of the children were finished coloring, I gave them toy magnets to play with.
(Just make sure they are big enough not to swallow.  I actually had one student trying to throw the magnets instead of actually playing with them; however the others enjoyed seeing them stick together and stick to the cookie sheet. Toddlers love to explore so give them chances to do this as much as possible.  Sensory play is always a great idea!) I have Magformers like the picture before, and they work perfect for young children!

Lesson 3

Again we reviewed our verse 1 John 4:19 with the motions.   We sung our song along with other favorites.  Some that we do daily are:

“Lord I Lift Your Name on High”

“Awesome God”

“This Little Light of Mine”

“I’ve Got the Joy”

“Abcdefg Jesus Died for You and Me”

After a short worship time, I acted out the story of the “Good Samaritan.”  I used Little People characters to tell the story.  At the end of the story, I showed them Elmo who was hurt and showed how God would want us to help him.  I got a toy doctor set out for them to play doctor.  We discussed how we should love like this man.  We love because God first loved us and therefore, we need to love like him.  God wouldn’t want us to bite our friends, hit them, push them, take their toys away etc.  I tried to come up with every type of scenerio that happens throughout the day to explain that God wouldn’t want that.  Then I went on to explain that God wants us to instead help our friend when someone else hurts them. He wants us to give them hugs, and to sit by them or help them get their toy, etc.  We reviewed this story for a couple weeks.  Each time I allowed them to help Elmo as well as give them dress up and tools for them to act out other people in our community.  They love to dress up!

Lesson 4

Story, verse, and introduced the foam hearts first by themselves before adding them to the sensory table.  They also colored on lace, papered dolly hearts.  Then stuck foam stickers on their hearts. 

Lesson 5

We reviewed 1 John 4:19.  Then, we discussed Valentine’s Day and read a Valentines story.  We made our own Valentine according to what the story says.  We painted it red, added stars, lace, etc.  This is where I introduced hearts to them again and allowed them to play in the sensory table with hearts.  I had a few foam hearts, felt hearts and paper hearts.  They loved playing with them and feeling the textures.  Some of the foam ones were sparkly.  Those seemed to be their favorites!

Lesson 6

We read another Valentine Story. Reviewed our verse and painted with q-tips. Once they were dried, I cut out several hearts from their artwork, so that they could take them home and hand them out as Valentines to family members.   

The last day we had a Valentines party with cookie cake! We handed out our Valentines, played a game of Past the Heart.  (We played it just like The Magic Ball Goes Round and Round except we used the word heart instead.) We also read a story and then played Heart and Seek.  This was their favorite game.  I heard,"again...again!" several times after we would finish.  For this game I used the felt hearts from the sensory bin and hid them around the room for the kiddos to find.  Just remember hiding for 1 year olds, you have to keep it simple where they can actually see it just walking by it.  We also  read a story about an art teacher who painted hearts all over the children.  This teacher stuck sticker hearts all over the toddlers.  They love stickers!

Dr. Seuss Toddler Week

Dr. Seuss week was a busy week for these little toddlers! We had a Dr. Seuss spirit week where the children were to wear something special each day. Our Bible lesson for this week was to discuss the importance of reading your Bible every day.  It is important to read books every day, but the most important book to read is the Bible.  Our goal was to read through our kids Bible throughout the two weeks.

Monday: I introduced Dr. Seuss and read a few of his stories and introduced some of his friends from his stories.  (Kohls stuffed animals that go with each book)

Tuesday: The children wore their favorite, silly hat.  We read The Cat in the Hat while the kiddos sat in front of the big living room window like in the story. 

 Other activities to go along with the story include: building a fort out of cardboard boxes,

riding on an indoor teeter totter, and making the Cat in the Hat hat out of strawberries and bananas.


Wednesday: The children wore silly socks. We read the Foot Book, Wacky Wednesday, and started Fox in Socks. The children tried on 'clown' shoes and tried walking in them.
The children played sensory play in flour.  They pressed the animals and people into the flour to see the different footprints.

b

Some tried matching up socks while others enjoyed feeling the different textures of socks.


Thursday: We had a snow day and no one showed up.  The toddlers were to wear shirts with words on it.  We were going to read ABC Book and review letters and letter sounds.  We had play dough with letter stencils to practice seeing letters.

  Instead my son and I painted snow inside with food coloring and water,

colored,

played in old formula,

did some fine motor practice, and eventually went out to play in the snow for awhile.


Friday: PJ Day! The students wore their pajamas, and we watched "Horton Hears a Who" in three different segments while laying on blankets and pillows on the floor.  We glanced through The Sleep Book. Again it was a little long for toddlers.  We read I Do Not Want To Get Up Today.

Monday: We read Green Eggs and Ham.

 The toddlers ate green eggs and ham for lunch and played sensory play with plastic Easter eggs.  They tried matching up colors and some even tried shutting the eggs as they found a match.


A couple other activities, we hope to enjoy later this week as we began talking about St. Patrick's Day along with Dr. Seuss is:
   
We are hoping to have an aunt who is a dental hygienist come in and read the Tooth Book to the children and discuss with them about taking care of their teeth and show them the proper way of brushing.

We are also hoping to have a dad who is a worship pastor, read the story the Ear Book and teach the children about sounds and instruments and even add in some worship songs.  (We try to sing worship songs daily while I prepare lunch.)
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