Category: Preschool

Buildings – 1.8 – Add A Little

Posted on by S. J. Little

 

Add A Little – 1 Year Old Curriculum – Unit 8

Buildings

Vocabulary: Tent, Blanket, Build, Knock Over

Tent, Blanket, Build, Knock Over

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

Want to learn more about Add A Little Curriculum? Check out the Parent / Teacher Guide

Let’s Wiggle

Blanket Tent

Supplies:

  • Large, but not heavy blankets
  • Soft blankets
  • Pillows
  • Furniture that can move but won’t tip, such as a side table, couch or chair.

Prep:

  • Create tent or fort using what you have available.
    • Consider pulling your couch a foot or two away from a chair and draping a blanket over both.
    • Consider pulling a side table to the middle of the room and draping a blanket over it.
    • If you have two couches, consider moving them back to back leaving a crawl space between.
  • Optional: use pillows or a small blanket to create a bed for stuffed animals inside the tent.
  • Test your tent to be sure nothing heavy will fall on your child.
  • Be sure to supervise your child to ensure the blanket does not smother them.

Time to Play:

  • Show your child the tent and encourage them to try going inside. 
  • If needed model by crawling inside yourself.

Let’s Explore

Tower Tumble

Supplies:

  • Blocks – try to use something other than what your child typically uses.
    • Alternatives to standard blocks could include:
      • Small cardboard boxes
      • Small unopened cans
      • Other clean containers

Time to Play:

  • Model how to build a tower with the blocks.
  • Encourage your child to help.
  • Talk about the colours and shapes on the blocks as you build.
  • Invite your child to knock over the tower.
  • Celebrate when they fall down.
  • Work together to build the tower again.
  • Consider counting how many blocks you’ve used.

Let’s Sing

London Bridge is Falling Down

Let’s Sing

Christian Song

Wise Man Built His House Upon the Rock

Let’s Read

Biscuit Visits the Big City

Author: Alyssa Satin Capucilli
Illustrator: Pat Schories

Note: This is not a board book, but the simply told story is excellent for 1 year olds.

Coat Flip Trick

Posted on by S. J. Little

 

Getting a toddler or preschooler ready to go outside can be quite the hassle. This is even more the case when one or two teachers must prepare a whole class of children to go outside.

Here’s a simple trick your child can learn to enable them to independently put their coat on.

How young is too young? I learned this trick from a preschooler whose parents taught him to put on his coat this way. Then, when my daughter was one and a half years old and desiring independence, I tried teaching her. Within a few days she was happily putting on her coat all by herself (though I still had to do the zipper).

 

 

The Coat Flip Trick

 

  1. Place the unzipped coat on the floor or a low ottoman with the hood towards your child.
  2. Direct your child to put their arms into the sleeves of the coat.
  3. Help your child lift their arms straight in the air, flipping their coat over their head.
  4. Assist your child with doing up the coat zipper or buttons as needed.

 

There you have it. A simple little trick to make your day go so much smoother.

My House – 1.7 – Add A Little

Posted on by S. J. Little

 

Add A Little – 1 Year Old Curriculum – Unit 7

My House

Vocabulary: Kitchen, Bathroom, Run, Puzzle

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

Want to learn more about Add A Little Curriculum? Check out the Parent / Teacher Guide

Let’s Wiggle

Can You Find…

Prep:

  • If needed, clear your hallway so that it is safe for you and your child to run through.

Time to Play:

  • Tell your child you are going to play a game. Be excited.
  • Explain that you will tell them which room to find and then they need to run and find it.
  • Start with the easy rooms such as:
    • “Can you find the bathroom?”
    • “Run to the kitchen!”
  • As your child catches onto the game, choose rooms or furniture they have to think about to find.
    • “Can you find the white bookshelf? It’s somewhere upstairs.”
    • “Run to the big couch.”
  • Optional: For more advanced children, add to the fun by including movement instructions.
    • “Can you crawl to the bedroom?”
    • “Now take big steps to the living room.”

Let’s Explore

Home-Made Puzzle

Supplies:

  • A file folder, or a sheet of cardboard, cardstock or other stiff paper.
  • A marker or pen
  • Several familiar household items or small toys. Be sure they have unique shapes. Consider:
    • A tablespoon
    • A soup ladle
    • A clothes pin
    • A measuring cup
    • A role of masking tape
    • A block
    • A toy car
    • A toy animal
    • A teething toy
    • A rattle
    • A plastic chain link

Prep:

  • Lay the sheet of paper flat. Position several items/toys on top of it. Once satisfied with their positions, trace each item creating outlines.
  • Place the items/toys nearby.

Time to Play:

  • Show your child the sheet of paper with all the outlines on it.
  • Model how to match an item to its outline.
  • Encourage your child to try. Be excited when they match an item correctly.

Let’s Sing

Welcome to My House

Let’s Sing

Christian Song

Zacchaeus

For lyrics and actions, click here.

Let’s Read

I Love My Home

By Sebastien Braun

Easter – 1.E – Add A Little

Posted on by S. J. Little

 

Add A Little – 1 Year Old Curriculum – Unit E

Easter

Vocabulary: Egg, Surprise, Carton, Inside

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

Want to learn more about Add A Little Curriculum? Check out the Parent / Teacher Guide

Let’s Wiggle

Surprise Eggs

Supplies:

  • Plastic Easter Eggs that open and close, large ones if possible. (Alternatively use small boxes or hide the toys in cloths.)
  • Small toys that can hide inside the eggs (but are not choking hazards). Consider:
    • Small stuffed animals
    • Small cars
    • A soother (if still in use)

Prep:

  • Hide one small toy in each egg, then place all of them around the room “hiding” in plain sight.

Time to Play:

  • Hand your child one egg with a toy hiding inside. Encourage them to open it.
  • Next, tell your child there are more eggs hiding around the room. Encourage them to hunt for the eggs. If needed, walk around the room with your child. Be excited when you spot an egg.

Let’s Explore

Egg Carton Insert

Supplies:

  • One empty, clean egg carton
  • Popsicle sticks (alternatively consider Q-tips, spoons, or washable markers if your child can’t open them yet)
  • Optional: Markers or paint

Prep:

  • Turn the egg carton upside down and poke one popsicle stick into the egg carton creating one hole in every place that held an egg.
  • Remove all the popsicle sticks.
  • Optional: For children who have begun sorting things by colour, consider colouring the holes and popsicle sticks to make it a matching game.

Time to Play:

  • Show your child the egg carton and model putting one or two popsicle sticks into the holes.
  • Encourage your child to try.

Let’s Sing

Can You Shake Along With Me?

Grab a couple of plastic Easter eggs (or small plastic containers), put some dried rice or beans inside and use these as your shakers.

Let’s Sing

Christian Song

Ho-Ho-Ho-Hosanna

For lyrics and actions, click here.

Let’s Read

Where Are Baby’s Easter Eggs?
[a Lift-the-flap Book]
Katz, Karen

Let’s Read

Christian Book

The First Easter Day
Author: Jill Roman Lord
Illustator: Kimberley Barnes

My Fingers – 1.6 – Add A Little

Posted on by S. J. Little

 

Add A Little – 1 Year Old Curriculum – Unit 6

My Fingers

Vocabulary: Finger, Paint, Poke, Water

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

Want to learn more about Add A Little Curriculum? Check out the Parent / Teacher Guide

Let’s Wiggle

Poke It Through

Supplies:

  • A basket with holes in the sides. Consider a laundry basket, or a smaller organizing basket with holes.
  • Optional: A toy that can poke through the holes. (This is especially helpful if the holes in the basket are rough or pose a risk of getting fingers stuck in them.) Consider:
    • A spikey sensory ball
    • The tail of a dog toy
    • A spoon

Time to Play:

  • Sit with your child where one of you can reach the inside of the basket and the other can reach the outside. Poke your finger or the toy through a hole, then pull it back.
  • Repeat this action in another hole.
  • Encourage your child to try to catch the finger/toy or push it back in.
  • Play and have fun together.
  • Eventually consider trading roles. Can your child poke the toy through while you try to catch it?

Let’s Explore

Water Painting

Supplies:

  • Several dark-coloured pieces of construction paper (test ahead of time to ensure water makes them change colour)
  • One shallow dish
  • A paintbrush (alternatively pinch a large pompom or cotton ball in a clothes pin)
  • Water

Prep:

  • Cut the paper in half – approx. 8.5″ by 5.5″
  • Fill the dish with about 1/2″ of water

Time to Play:

  • Sit your child at a table or somewhere water-resistant with a piece of construction paper in front of them.
  • Show them how to dip the paintbrush (or alternative) in the water and then brush the paper. Be excited when the colour changes.
  • Encourage them to try.

Let’s Sing

Where Is Thumpkin?

Let’s Sing

Christian Song

This Little Light of Mine

Let’s Read

Hand, Hand, Fingers, Thumb

Author: Al Perkins

Illustrator: Eric Gurney

Buy it on Amazon

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