Toddler Tuesday: Stocking Stuffers

Christmas is coming! Our 19-22-month-olds had so much fun stuffing their stockings, and they learned some great things in the process!

What We Used:

• Mini stockings – I got a pack of 10 at Walgreens for a few dollars, so there was enough for each child to have one.
• Bells – large red, green, and gold ones (make sure they’re big enough not to be choked on, because we did have some mouthing attempts)
• Bows – these were from a pack of 20 from the Dollar Tree
• Mini gift bows – pack of 10 from Hobby Lobby
• Christmas tree shaped dishes (plastic) – you know, just in case they decided they wanted to return items to the dish they got them out of

What We Did:

• We gave each child their own stocking and let them feel the soft texture.
• I pulled out a bell, then a bow, then a mini gift bow one at a time and very slowly showed them how to place them inside the stocking, then how to pull them out again.
• We placed several bells and bows on the Christmas tree dishes on the table and let the kids give it a try! They were so engaged in this activity!

What We Learned:

• Sensory Experiences – touching the soft stocking, listening to the jingling bell, feeling the textured bows, etc.
• Fine Motor Skills – It takes a lot of practice picking up little objects and poking them through holes! And this fun activity is a perfect way to develop pre-writing skills, especially if you place the plate to the left of the child, causing him to move the items from left to right.
• Sharing – we only had 2 Christmas tree dishes, and the kids got practice taking turns and even trading out for different items
• Seasonal Awareness – we love to sing Christmas carols while we play with all our Christmasy things!

This was such a fun activity that the toddlers stayed very focused on, and they learned so much!