Add A Little – 1 Year Old Curriculum – Unit 2

Mountains

Vocabulary: Pillow, Soft, Container, Put In

Disclaimer: All activities require adult supervision and discretion. Read more…

Let’s Wiggle

Pillow Mountain

Supplies:

  • Large thick blankets
  • Pillows
  • Open floor space
  • Optional: Giant stuffed animals (if entirely soft)
  • Optional: Couch cushions, etc.
  • Optional: Foam mats, exercise mats and/or similar

Prep:

  • Clear a large floor space by removing any hard objects, including any tables or chairs that have hard legs which could pose a bumping hazard.
  • Place any mats on the floor.
  • Spread your largest blanket on top of the mats (this will help keep everything else from sliding, especially on hard floors).
  • Spread any other thick blankets you have on top.
  • Heap all your pillows and giant stuffed animals on top of the middle of the blankets.

Let’s Play:

  • Lead by example. Climb onto the pillow mountain. Roll around enjoying the softness.
  • Encourage your toddler to join you.
  • Have fun tumbling around on the mountain.

Let’s Explore

Pieces of Nature

Supplies:

  • Two bowls or containers, etc.
  • 3-7 items from outside that are taste-safe and not choking hazards, consider:
    • Pine cones
    • Flowers (taste-safe only)
    • Rocks (too big to choke on)
    • Leaves

Prep:

  • Clear an area for playing on the floor
  • Place one bowl with all the objects on the floor.
  • Place the other bowl beside it.

Let’s Play:

  • Model how to pick an item from the first bowl, examine it, and put it in the second bowl.
  • Encourage your child to explore the items.

Let’s Sing

She’ll Be Coming Round The Mountain

Let’s Read

Who

Author: Jaye Garnett

Illustrator: Ariel Silverstein

Note: For 1 year olds, read as a point and name book.

Buy it on Amazon.com

Buy it on Amazon.ca

(These are affiliate links meaning I earn a small commission when you make a purchase at no expense to you.)

Let’s Sing

Christian Song

My God is So Big

Words and Actions for “My God is So Big”

 

 

Add A Little – 1 Year Old Curriculum – Unit 1

Open and Shut

Vocabulary: Open, Shut, Hiding, Lid

Disclaimer: All activities require adult supervision and discretion. Read more…

Let’s Wiggle

Big Box Hide and Seek

Supplies:

  • One or two of your child’s favourite toys
  • One cardboard box big enough for your child’s favourite toy to fit in
  • Or (even better) one cardboard box big enough for your child to hide in

Prep:

  • Consider making the box easier for your child to open and close. To do this, remove two of the flaps from the opening leaving only the largest two flaps.
  • Place your child’s favourite toy in the box.

Time to Play:

  • Open the box just enough for your child to see that their toy is hiding inside, then encourage them to open it and retrieve their toy.
  • Laugh with your child while making the toy say, “Boo!”
  • Place another toy in the box for your child to find.

Or

  • If you have a big box, encourage your child to crawl into the box and pop out saying, “Boo!”

Let’s Explore

Lids and Containers

Supplies:

  • Various non-breakable containers and lids. Consider recyclable items such as:
    • Yogurt container with lid
    • Cream cheese container with lid
    • Grated parmesan cheese container with lid
    • Box with lid
    • Cookie tin with lid
  • Tips:
    • The lids don’t have to be the originals. Rather look for something that is easy to place on top of the container without becoming stuck.
    • Beware of lids that are small enough to be choking hazards.

Prep:

  • Place various containers with matching lids on the ground.

Time to Play:

  • Sit down with your child and show them which lids go with which containers.
  • Encourage them to try.

Let’s Sing

Open and Shut Them

Let’s Read

Where’s Spot

Eric Hill

Buy it on Amazon.com

Buy it on Amazon.ca

(These are affiliate links meaning I earn a small commission when you make a purchase at no expense to you.)

 

Let’s Sing a

Christian Song

He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands

Words and Actions for He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands

 

Add A Little – 1 Year Old Curriculum – Intro

Parent / Teacher Guide

 

Intro

Why name a curriculum “Add A Little”? Because that’s exactly what this curriculum is designed to do – add a little enhancement to your child’s development by providing ideas and activities for you to do with them. This light curriculum was developed with the busy parent or caretaker in mind. It is divided into monthly units of repeatable activities.

 

Activities For 1 Year Olds

Every 1 year old develops at a different pace. The Add A Little 1 Year Old Curriculum is designed to be easily adapted to your toddler’s developmental level and interests. Units 1-5 target children aged 12-18 months while units 6-10 focus more on activities of interest to children aged 18-23 months. Units 11-12 are optional Christmas and Easter themed units designed to hold appeal for ages 12-23 months.

Check out the Tips for Success below.

 

Materials

To keep things easier for you, most of the materials used in the Add A Little 1 Year Old Curriculum are things you likely already have or can access inexpensively. Some activities call for recyclables. If you don’t already, I recommend washing and collecting various recyclable items since they can make excellent toys. More specifically, recyclable materials you will need this year include:

  • Paper towel tube (or a couple of toilet paper tubes)
  • One aluminum pie tin or similar (holes in it are fine)
  • Several plastic containers with lids from things such as yogurt, margarine, grated parmesan cheese, or cream cheese
    • (Watch out for lids that are too small, thus creating a choking hazard.)
  • Cardboard boxes, including one big one
  • One clean egg carton

 

Each Unit Includes:

Theme

Each month, all activities will be loosely based around an age-appropriate theme.

 

Vocabulary

Try to find opportunities to incorporate the suggested vocabulary words throughout the month so that your child can learn to recognize them.

 

Let’s Wiggle

These activities involve full-body movements. Your child will strengthen their big muscles (gross motor muscles) and improve their coordination. Did you know that exercise and big movements are important for brain development too?

 

Let’s Explore

Here you will provide your child with an opportunity to investigate and manipulate intriguing materials. These activities often involve hand-eye coordination and smaller muscle strengthening (fine motor muscles).

 

Let’s Sing

Music is an important part of brain development and it’s fun! Each unit will include one suggested simple song. Sing this song often throughout the month so your child can learn it.

Want more songs or don’t like one of the suggested songs? Check out this list of songs including classics and originals: https://sjlittle.ca/preschool/big-list-of-simple-preschool-songs/

 

Let’s Read

Being read to is an important pre-reading experience. Books also help expand your child’s vocabulary and general knowledge base. If you don’t have the book I recommend, you could check with your library or buy it. If you don’t want to buy the book, no problem. Try searching for something similar at your local library.

Here are some tips for finding good books. https://sjlittle.ca/preschool/choosing-excellent-books-for-preschoolers/

Also, check out my board of recommended books for toddlers:

 

Let’s Sing A Christian Song

Each unit includes a bonus Christian song suggestion for those who are interested. Not your thing? That’s fine. Feel free to skip over this part. Want more Christian songs? Visit: https://sjlittle.ca/preschool/7-simple-christian-songs-for-preschoolers/

  

Tips For Success When Using Add A Little Curriculum

How do I get my child to participate in the activities?

  • Model Then Encourage

    • One year olds love to copy. If your child doesn’t immediately engage in an activity, sit down and do it yourself for a few minutes.
    • Once you’ve set an example of how to participate, encourage your child to join you. Try handing them one of the pieces. Cheer for them when they do join in.
    • If they still don’t want to join in, don’t sweat it. Put the activity aside and assess what their reason for not engaging might be (tired, hungry, feeling too wiggly, etc.). Try the activity again in a few days.
  • Adapt

    • Every child is different. That is perhaps never more true than when considering 1 year olds. Some one year olds can walk, others can’t yet. Some can talk, others just aren’t there yet. Some put everything in their mouth, others rarely put anything in their mouth. You know your circumstance and your child’s abilities and interests. Take a moment to consider the suggested activity, then adapt it to your own situation.
  • Repeat

    • 1 year olds thrive on repeated activities with slight tweaks to give them just a little more to explore each time. While the Add A Little curriculum only provides two activities in each unit, these activities could be repeated several times throughout the month, and during the following months as well.
  • Less Is More

    • Did you know that young children play better with less toys at a time? Try putting away most of their toys before attempting to engage them in a new activity. Putting most of their toys away also allows you to do toy rotation. If you haven’t tried toy rotation, read this article https://sjlittle.ca/preschool/toy-rotation/ . You’ll be amazed at the difference it makes to your child’s play.

 

Disclaimer

All activities require adult supervision and discretion.

Every aspect of the Add A Little Curriculum is suggested with the expectation that it will be done under adult supervision. Some activities include potential hazards. You and your child(ren) participate at your own discretion.

Every child, family, setting, and circumstance is different. Recommended tips and/or activities in this curriculum may work well for some children but not for others. Adult discretion is required. In some cases, you will need to adapt the curriculum to fit you and your child(ren)’s specific needs.

 

Want More? 

Do you want to receive notification of each new unit of the Add A Little 1 Year Old Curriculum when it is released? Join S. J. Little’s preschool email list today.

 

 

Helpful Links

Smoother Transitions: https://sjlittle.ca/preschool/smoother-transitions/

Choosing Excellent Books https://sjlittle.ca/preschool/choosing-excellent-books-for-preschoolers/

Big List of Simple Preschool Songs https://sjlittle.ca/preschool/big-list-of-simple-preschool-songs/

Toy Rotation  https://sjlittle.ca/preschool/toy-rotation/

Preschool, Playschool; Daycare, Day Home, What’s the Difference? https://sjlittle.ca/preschool/preschool-playschool-daycare-day-home-whats-the-difference/ 

 

 

As a Christian, I believe prayer is valuable and makes a big difference.

In the Bible, God tells us to pray. I have read many stories of times in the Bible and throughout history when God answered someone’s prayer clearly and powerfully. I have seen answered prayer in my own life as well.

However, I’m not here to give you a theology lesson. Rather, I want to share a song with you.

I took the Apostle Paul’s prayer for the Christians in Philippi (Philippians 1:9-11), and adapted it as a simple song that is my prayer for my little one.

Prayer For My Child

Tune: She’ll Be Coming Round The Mountain

Song Writer: S. J. Little

 

 

May you grow to love the Lord with all your heart.

May you grow to love the Lord with all your heart.

May you grow to love the Lord,

May you grow to love the Lord,

May you grow to love the Lord with all your heart.

 

May you know and discern what’s best.

May you know and discern what’s best.

May you know and discern,

May you know and discern,

May you know and discern what’s best.

 

May you be pure and blameless in that day.

May you be pure and blameless in that day.

May you be pure and blameless,

May you be pure and blameless,

May you be pure and blameless in that day.

 

May your life be filled with fruit of righteousness.

May your life be filled with fruit of righteousness.

May your life be filled with fruit,

May your life be filled with fruit,

May your life be filled with fruit of righteousness.

 

May your life be for the glory of the Lord.

May your life be for the glory of the Lord.

May your life be for the glory,

May your life be for the glory,

May your life be for the glory of the Lord.

 

 

Will you join me by praying this for your child(ren)?

 

Are you feeling bored or stuck when it comes to your Christian kid’s music playlist? Then read on to discover three of my favorite Bible-based children’s albums you’ve probably never heard of. I’ve also included a list of honorable mentions you may like.

 

Creature Teachers – Amy Essen

If you are looking for high-quality, variety, and Bible-based kid’s music, this is definitely an album you will want to check out.

This album was released in May 2023. This highly professional album contains 14 songs each based on a different animal mentioned in the Bible. Some of the songs are closely tied to one Bible verse while others share multiple Bible stories or emphasize practical Christian principles.

I’ve been privileged to learn some of the behind the scenes stories and processes that went into this incredible album because I know Amy personally.

Each song is in a different genre including classical, celtic, folk, rap, or boogaloo jazz. In the midst of trumpets, percussion, choir, and so much more, the album carries a vibrant fun tone.

My little one and I have thoroughly been enjoying listening to these songs. I’m sure you will too.

 

Website:

https://amyessen.com/ 

Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/artist/1I0CAjuTWX05yKehXE1zz7

YouTube:

https://youtube.com/@amyessenmusic 

Proverbs – NIV Kids Club – Stan Blair

Do you prefer word-for-word Scripture songs for your children? Then I highly recommend the NIV Kids Club Albums by Stan Blair.

Each song is catchy and simple enough to easily sing along. The songs are in a variety of genres. Some of the songs include fun explanations about the meaning of the verse. All of the songs sing a verse (or two) in the New International Version Bible translation.

I love these songs so much that I purchased all four albums before I had my own kids. They make Bible memorization effortless. When I get one of them stuck in my head (because they are very catchy), I appreciate knowing that they are words from the Bible.

 

Website:

https://nivkidsclub.com/ 

YouTube:

https://youtube.com/@NIVKidsClub 

Zone Praise – Awana

Looking for something a little more upbeat? Then this might just be the album for you. I greatly appreciate the meaningful words in these well made songs. I enjoy singing with them even if my little one isn’t around.

Have you heard of the Awana kid’s clubs? They’re a fantastic Christian kid’s group that encourage Bible memorization and well rounded child development.

Did you know they have CDs? Neither did I until a few years ago. When checking out their music, note that the level of quality, style, and target age varies greatly between albums. Some are simple albums aimed to help young children memorize Bible verses. Others, like this one, are high quality Christian kids music.

 

Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/album/1LYVmucFsBb4zJiGWuNSmS

Website:

https://www.awana.org/

Honorable Mentions (to give you even more variety)

Steve Green Kids – Gentle high quality word-for-word Scripture songs for kids

Seeds Family Worship – Word-for-word Scripture memory songs 

Go Fish – Full of energy and Biblical truths 

Yancy – Original worship songs for kids

Getty Kids – Hymns chosen for kids 

 

What’s your favorite album of Bible-based kid’s music?