Toddler Tuesday: Picasso Turkeys

This is one of the simplest art projects that has turned into a classic in my classroom. It is so easy, but each child’s always turns into a unique keepsake.

First, just prepare what you will need for one turkey. I cut out a pear-shaped body (kinda looks like Mr. Potato Head!), and each child also got 2 googly eyes, a triangular beak, a little red gobbler, 2 feet, and some colored feathers.

Toddler Tuesday: 13 Ways to Play with Pool Noodles

We don’t have a swimming pool in our classroom, but pool noodles are a big part of our play and learning! I bought 3 different colors from the Dollar Tree and cut them up, and even I was surprised how much fun we got out of them! Some of these were my ideas, but the toddlers contributed some ideas of their own too. 

Here were the stages of our play with pool noodles! Odd numbers were toddler ideas; even numbers were my ideas.

Texture Turtles

Our toddlers just finished a month focusing on our five senses, and this was one of the many fun projects we made! 

Of course we try to incorporate our five senses in what we do all throughout the year, and this simple activity would be fun for an animal unit, learning about colors or shapes, enriching a study about textures, and more.

Western Roundup for Toddlers

Howdy, y’all! A few weeks ago (I know, I’m just catching up), our toddlers enjoyed a 2-week wild west theme. We enjoyed creating several process art projects together, and I wanted to share them here!

Fireworks for Toddlers

Happy Fourth of July! I’ve been hearing the fireworks all day and look forward to more tonight. Until then, here are some fireworks crafts that our toddlers painted last week! These projects are both great ways to practice fine motor skills, talk about colors, and get in some sensory play.

Stars & Stripes: Patriotic Crafts for Toddlers

Only 2 days until our nation’s birthday! Here are a few patriotic projects our toddlers have been working on.

Patriotic Star Garlands

It’s almost the 4th of July, Independence Day in the United States! We have been having a lot of fun with red, white, and blue to celebrate! 

Wet Chalk Painting

Yesterday the toddlers made something super simple and inexpensive, with impressive results.

Alphabet Book: U-Z

Here are the last few pages of our alphabet book! Be sure to check out all the other letters in the series!

Alphabet Book: P-T

Welcome back to the next installment of our awesome alphabet book! If you haven’t already, go back and read the explanation behind it and the previous alphabet page ideas!

Alphabet Book: K-O

Welcome back to the next installment of our awesome alphabet book! If you haven’t already, go back and read the explanation behind it and the previous alphabet page ideas!

Alphabet Book: F-J

Welcome back to the next installment of our awesome alphabet book! If you haven’t already, go back and read the explanation behind it. Now, on to the letters!

Alphabet Book A-E

Finally the alphabet book is here! Or at least the beginning of it. The toddlers have been working on this all year, but that’s because it is not the main focus of our days. This could easily be done in a week.

So first, the reasoning: no, I’m not drilling little one- and two-year-olds on their letters. No, we’re not doing a “letter of the week” or “letter days.” Although that might work in preschool, toddlers are just not going to get that. Instead, we are introducing letters to the little ones and letting them play with them so that letters become something they associate with fun. 

Rainy Day Crafts for Toddlers

April showers bring crafty powers!

Because some afternoons in Florida look like this.

Toddler Stars

I have so many things to blog about and ideas to share that I am just now getting around to our toddler class’ shape for December, which was predictably the star. (My new full-time job is a little bit of a distraction too… in a good way!) Anyway, as with our other shapes of the month, it is all about fun and learning through play. Here are 4 things we did with stars in addition to all our other Christmas activities.

4 Easter Crafts for Preschoolers

It’s hard to believe I’ve already spent 3 Easters as a preschool teacher. Easter is one of my favorite holidays, and I look forward to incorporating it into the school year. Of course the kids are excited about Easter egg hunts and the gifts they’ll receive in their baskets, but it’s also a special time when we have an opportunity to share the salvation message with youngsters. Here are 4 of my favorite Easter crafts to make with preschoolers.

Toddler Watercolor Triangles

After September’s circles and October’s squares, we were ready to learn about triangles in November! The art project we did for our portfolio was a 2-step process, and boy was it interesting!

Before I write anything else, please read my explanation of "shape of the month." It's not a rigid curriculum or one art project - after our conversations about triangles, the toddlers surprised me by pointing out the triangle in the parking lot on our way to the playground!

Melted Crayon Hearts

There is no way that my students need more candy for Valentines Day. Yet what is a toddler going to do with one of those paper Valentines? I turned to Pinterest and found inspiration.

One of my coworkers and I had a crayon-melting party to make valentines for our students! They turned out so beautifully, the process is very therapeutic, and the kids loved them – how’s that for success?!

3 Valentine Crafts for Toddlers

A keepsake, a writing exercise, and fun with paint – here’s what we’ve been up to this week!

#1: Valentine Keepsake: We painted feet on cardstock, then I outlined them with marker and added the words for our parents.

Valentine Photo Keepsakes

I’m pretty excited about the Valentines pictures we took for our parents. I really wish I could show you their precious faces, but just use your imagination:

This is a project you can adjust and personalize… I think one of my former coworkers did this with her 2-year-olds a few years ago.