ARTS & CRAFTS

Each week in our Tot School plans I include a variety of arts and crafts activities. Believe it or not, these types of projects can play a major role in your child's development. 

In this short Tot School Tip Tuesday video, I share 7 reasons why they are important and a few of my favorite craft staples to get you started!

Click the photo below to watch the video.

Let me know in the comments below of any fun art projects you've done with your little one. I would love to hear your ideas and connect. Come follow me on Instagram @toddler_fundamentals for lots of arts and craft ideas! 

Here are the links to my favorite Craft Staples {please know that these are affiliate links and at no additional cost to you, I make a small commission when you click through a link}:

1. Paint
2. Play-Doh & Tools
3. Crayons & Markers
4. Construction Paper
5. Dot Markers

You might want to check out a few of my other Tot School Tip Tuesday videos on Gross Motor Skills & Fine Motor Skills (click the photos below). 

Thanks for stopping by!

TOT SCHOOL: COMMUNITY HELPERS

"Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping." ~Fred Rogers

For our Community Helpers themed week will be talking about the ways people help us in our neighborhoods and what their roles are. We'll learn more about doctors, nurses, construction workers, mechanics, pilots, garbage workers, firefighters and police officers.

Here is a quick video recap of our week (click the photo below). 

GROSS MOTOR ACTIVITIES

I found this great little community helper clipart pack and turned it into a gross motor activity. I cut out the helpers and their buildings and then hid all of them around our house. He had to find them and match the worker to their building. We reviewed the titles of the workers and went over the name of the places they work. 

We read the story, Trashy Town and then he used his Tonka garbage truck to pick up the "trash shapes" I scattered around the house. I used math manipulative shapes I had but you can make construction paper shapes. Also, if you don't have a garbage truck you can use any truck you have. Once he gathered all of the trash, it was time to sort by shape! 

I made three signs out of construction paper and taped a popsicle stick to each one. I played some music (Moana soundtrack as per request), and he started to dance. If I held up the green sign it meant dance fast, the yellow meant go slow and red meant stop. It was a lot of fun and a great way to get some energy out! Now he is familiar with what the colors mean, he loves to point out the traffic lights when we are in the car together. 

I used the community helper building photo cards from earlier in the week and taped them around the house. You can do this outside as well but it was raining here. We reviewed each place of work and things we might do at them. Then, he went for a drive! He has a little ride-on Mack truck that he drove around but you can let them run to each building. He went to the restaurant to grab us a coffee, then to the post office to mail a package and the garage because his truck got a flat tire! 

FINE MOTOR ACTIVITIES

We put on his Melissa & Doug doctor costume and I printed out the Bear (link on calendar below) and set out some bandaids. He knew just what to do! I told him Bear had a few boo-boos and he needed Dr. G's help. He loved it! OH! And peeling the backs off the band-aids were a big hit! 

 My son loves to use his hammer to fix everything (things we don't even want him near) around the house. This activity was a great alternative for him. He suited up in his Melissa & Doug costume and got straight to work! I called out a letter and he hammered in the nail. To set this up, I took a box (one with thick cardboard or you can use a foam flower block) and wrote the letters in his name on one side. Then I gathered some skinny nails (you can use thicker ones) and poked them into each letter a tiny bit, just enough so they stood up. 

We did a similar activity earlier in the week but this one he wanted to add in his cars. I put some paint in a muffin tin, added a little water to thin it out and he painted the construction paper. For the cars, I added a few blobs of paint to a paper plate and he rolled the tires in it and then drove the cars on his paper. I also put out some Q-tips so he could spread the paint around. 

SENSORY PLAY

To set up, I squeezed some paint of his choice into a muffin tin and added a little water to thin it out. Next, we reviewed the names of the tools that a doctor uses.  Then, he got to painting! He would pull the paint up the syringe and then push it out real hard. One time a bubble formed and he thought that was very exciting! He also experimented with putting the syringe directly on the paper and pushing out the paint (note, it will go all over the place, so be careful). 

I started by cutting a paper plate into the shape of the car. Next, he painted it blue by either using a sponge brush or his fingers (his choice). Once it dried, he added the windows, wheels, a star and siren. 

We read the story, Doctors and What They Do, and made our own Doctor kit. We reviewed the names of the tools they use and then he glued them into his bag. After it dried, I added the front label with his name.

THEMED SNACKS

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I used one banana and cut in half. I cut one of those halves into half again to make the wings. We added raisins for the windows, a strawberry and some whipped cream as the jet stream and clouds. 

He got on his Melissa and Doug chef costume to help prepare this fun snack. I cut a graham cracker into fourths and he spread a little peanut butter in the center of each. You can add a little strawberry jelly as blood if you'd like, but we left that part off. 

I used an apple slicer to slice a red apple (body of car). Next, I placed two toothpicks into the side and added purple grapes (wheels), one on each end. 

Click the photos below to grab your FREE weekly plans and materials list. 

Have fun and don't forget to tag me on Instagram @toddler_fundamentals !

EARTH DAY

"It's not about what it is. It's about what it can become." -Dr. Seuss, The Lorax

This quote from the Lorax is a great reminder that it's never too late to change our ways. We can show our little ones that it doesn't have to be about big, grand gestures, but many little ones that can have a huge impact. Let us be intentional about educating and motivating our children to take care of the Earth. 

At the end of the post you will find the calendar with a brief description of each activity, the links to them, books we read and additional resources. 

Share any questions or comments you have below. I'd love to hear and see how you are incorporating these activities at home with your little ones! Please follow me and tag me on Instagram @toddler_fundamentals and hashtag your photos #todfunearthweek

If you like to learn by watching videos, click the photo below to be directed to my YouTube channel (and PS don't forget to Subscribe while you are there).

GROSS MOTOR ACTIVITIES

I made truffula trees out of construction paper by making a circle first and then going around the edges and cutting slanted triangles to make the points (hope that makes sense!). Then, I cut strips of yellow construction paper for the trunks. On each trunk I wrote the same letter four times to look like the stripes. For the activity, I hid the tree tops around the house and he had to run and find them all and match to the correct trunks. He got in some gross motor practice, letter identification and letter matching.

I found these free, adorable garbage letters (link in calendar) and printed out the letters in his name, since those are the ones we are currently working on. I also added in some plain, white crumbled pieces of paper to add more "trash." Next, I used painters tape to make a square on the ground. Then, he used his broom from Melissa & Doug (I love their toys!) to clean up the garbage by sweeping it into the square. When he was done cleaning up the garbage, he opened each piece of paper and spelled out his name. 

Found this Nature Walk/Scavenger Hunt free printable (link in calendar), added it to a clipboard and we headed on our daily walk. I let him use a marker (woah!) to check off the items as we found them. This was such a great way to talk about things in nature and where some of the animals might live or where we might find them. 

FINE MOTOR & ART ACTIVITIES

When I saw this idea online I knew it was going to be a big hit with my son! He LOVES to use scissors!! I made the truffula trees by hot gluing pom poms to the top of a straw and then stuck them in green play dough so they would stand up. He pretended he was the Once-ler and had to cut down all the trees. It was interesting to watch him problem solve when trying to figure out how to hold the scissors to cut the trees. The child scissors he had weren't the best for cutting, so I let him use mine instead. He kept cutting until all the trees were super tiny. Of course he wanted to keep going once he was done, so I gave him some straws to cut on his own. 

To start, he painted a paper plate blue (water). After it dried, he added little squares of green tissue paper (land). Then, he added accordion legs and arms. And finally, he added googly eyes and I drew on the mouth. 

Such an EASY idea that hits so many skills at once. To start, I went through my pantry and grabbed a few boxes of things that were almost empty and others I took a few of the food items out of the packaging and added them to a ziplock baggie. Next, I cut out the front of each box. Once they were cut out, I cut most of them in half (using zig zag lines or curved) and the bigger box I cut into fourths. He got in some fine motor practice by putting the pieces together, spatial awareness skills, problem solving skills and sorting practice! 

SENSORY PLAY ACTIVITIES

I taped a piece of white construction paper to our area using painters tape. Then I placed two plates in front of him, one with blue paint and the other with green paint. I then let him paint his hands and make handprints on the paper. Once it dried, I cut out an Earth shape. 

 I added two piles of shaving cream to a bin. In one pile I added blue food coloring and in the other I added green food coloring. Next, we added some land and water animals (and some that go in both, like penguins!). Then, he explored! We talked about which animals have legs and walk or run on land and which animals didn't have legs and swim in the water. We also talked about how penguins can waddle on land AND swim in the water. When doing sensory bins with shaving cream, I keep a bowl of clean water nearby so we can easily clean up when he's done. 

THEMED SNACKS

I originally had planned to use orange and watermelon slices but I didn't make it to the store in time so I just used what I had at home already. For one of the trees, I cut a carrot into slices and then used a knife to make slanted cuts around the edges. For the other tree, I sliced the edges off an apple and made the same cuts. I used celery stalks for the trunks. 

This was such a simple themed snack recipe that I found. You pop some plain popcorn (we just used one bag) and then divide it into two separate bowls. He added blue food coloring to one and green to the other along with 2 tbsp of agave nectar in each bowl. We put on the lids and shook, shook, shook!! Once the food coloring was spread over the popcorn we spread it out on a parchment lined baking sheet and baked in the oven for 7-9 minutes at 350 degrees (recipe link in calendar).

When I found this yummy recipe I couldn't wait to let my little guy make it! We set it up by cutting the grapes and blueberries in half and placing them in bowls. Next, we combined vanilla extract with cream cheese and spread that on a plain rice cake. Then, he topped it with some green grapes (land) and blueberries (water). I introduced the term, "island," to him by explaining that sometimes land is surrounded by water on all sides. 

Here's the Weekly Plans and Materials List. Click the photos below to grab your FREE copies! Be sure to tag me @toddler_fundamentals so I can see all the fun you're having! 

Thanks for stopping by! 

FINE MOTOR SKILLS

Helping my son develop his fine motor skills is probably one of my favorite things to do with him! It amazes me what he's capable of doing when I provide tons of fun and engaging opportunities for him to cut, thread, use tweezers and eye droppers!

Let me know in the comments below if you have any fun fine motor activities that you do with your child at home. I would love to hear your ideas and connect. Come follow me on Instagram @toddler_fundamentals for lots of themed fine motor activities.

Remember, all children develop at their own pace. If you have any concerns, contact your child’s pediatrician.

In this video on FINE MOTOR SKILLS, I share what they are, why I include them in my weekly plans and ways you can help your child develop this skill at home. Click the photo below to be directed to my YouTube channel.

Here are the links to my favorite Fine Motor Tools {please know that these are affiliate links and at no additional cost to you, I make a small commission when you click through a link}:

1. Tweezers 

2. Eye Droppers 

3. Fine Motor Tools 

4. Letter Beads & Lacing 

You might want to check out my video on Gross Motor Skills (click the photo below). 

Thanks for stopping by!

TOT SCHOOL: EASTER

Easter week is here! I love working on holiday activities with my little guy. Here are the activities I plan to do with him this week. I will update with photos on Friday. In the meantime, come follow us on Instagram @toddler_fundamentals for daily pics!

Grab your copy of the FREE calendar and materials list by clicking on the photos below.

Be sure to tag me so I can see all the fun you're having!

EDITED TO ADD VIDEO & PHOTOS OF THE ACTIVITIES

If you like to learn by watching videos, click the photo below for a quick recap of our week (and PS don't forget to Subscribe to the channel).

Here are some photos and a brief description of the activities we did this week.

GROSS MOTOR ACTIVITIES

I found these adorable colored bunnies at Toddler Approved (link in calendar) and had originally planned to do this activity inside but it was a beautiful day here so I taped them to our fence in the backyard. As I called out a color he had to hop, jump or skip to that bunny. 

This is another activity that we took outside! I was going to use painter's tape inside but I decided to use sidewalk chalk outside. I drew a two different lines and along each one I added plastic Easter eggs. If you are doing this outside, be sure to put something in the eggs so they don't blow away. I added blue gems and plastic letters (I chose the ones in his name) and once he collected the eggs he had to sort and spell out his name. 

 I taped together 7 solo cups and wrote one letter in his name on each. Then, I set a starting point a little away from the setup and he had to toss the eggs into the cups. Every time he landed an egg in the cup he had to tell me the letter he landed in. So he got in some gross motor practice and some letter identification as well! 

This got messy so prepare yourself!! I set out a sheet on our floor. Then I rolled out a large piece of butcher paper and taped to the sheet. (NOTE: It was a little slippery so if you can do outside or on another surface I would suggest doing that). Then I set out a few plates with some paint. When I told him he could put his feet in the paint, he looked at me like "REALLY?!" He stepped in the paint and hopped along the paper. Then he used the sponge brush to paint his feet and hop some more. When he was done hopping, we used the brushes to paint the paper and make letters. 

FINE MOTOR & ART ACTIVITIES

I save lots of random materials because I know I can always use them for an activity, like this one! I had a ton of empty toilet paper and paper towel rolls so I put them to use with some plastic Easter eggs! I set them up in an area and gave him a bowl of eggs. He had to balance them on top. We got in some language practice with using the words, "balance," and "on top." We also reviewed the colors of the eggs. He told me that he wanted to put the bigger eggs on the taller tubes and the smaller ones on the shorter tubes. 

SENSORY PLAY ACTIVITIES

For this activity, I taped a piece of white card stock to the inside of a pan. I let him use the paint bottles to squeeze on some paint. Then we added a few plastic Easter eggs and he rolled them around. When it was dried, I cut it into the shape of an egg. 

I found this adorable idea at My Bored Toddler (link in weekly plans) and the best part was I already had everything I needed. I printed out the bunny template, traced it on to contact paper. Cut out the bunny and taped to a canvas. Then my son used his hands and fingers to paint the canvas. When it was dry, I removed the contact paper and he added a pom pom bunny tail. 

This turned out to be a beautiful Easter egg! A friend shared the idea from Penny @mothernatured. To prepare, I drew a large Easter egg on a piece of cardboard (you can also use card stock but you want to make sure it's something sturdy). Then, we went outside and he gathered items in nature to decorate his egg. Once he gathered everything he needed, we went inside and it was time to decorate! He used glue to add the leaves and flowers and I used a hot glue gun to add the rocks. 

I created egg cards and printed them out. Next, I used the eggs I had at home and made different matches using the tops and bottoms (you'll want to make sure they fit together first!). Then, I used crayons to make the cards. I set out a bowl and the cards and he had to build the eggs using the cards.  

I added fake grass to a bin and stuck in the tops of plastic Easter eggs. I set out a bowl with matching pom poms and he used his tweezers to place them in the correct egg. 

 My son loves to add vinegar to baking soda and watch it fizz! This time was a little different and under each baking soda pile I added a few drops of food coloring. As we squeezed on the vinegar it created color fizz! 

THEMED SNACKS

These were such a hit we made two batches of them! They were so easy that my son could practically make them all on his own! We added strawberry yogurt to the mold, then some fresh fruit and granola and topped with some more yogurt. For the sticks, I cut popsicle sticks in half and added them to each one. Froze for about an hour and they were ready! My 11 month old enjoyed them as well! 

We made a similar snack during our Winter themed week using street tacos but when I saw these at Paper and Glue figured we could give the wheat tortillas a shot. They turned out great but I think I prefer the street tacos because they were a little thicker. Overall, they were a fun snack for my son to help with and they tasted yummy! 

For the string cheese bunny, I made ears out of white and pink construction paper and taped to the back of a string cheese (I folded down the top and taped first). Then I used permanent markers to draw the bunny face. For the carrot sandwich, I used a cookie cutter to make the carrot shape and then added peanut butter and jelly (a fave!). 

I used cookie cutters to make the pancake shapes and added a little syrup in the middle. 

That's it! I hope this inspires you to try some of the activities from the weekly plans. Tag me on social media if you do any and have a Happy Easter!