Toddler Classroom Ideas: How To Keep Your Little One Engaged

 

Today’s digital age means that kids are exposed to various learning experiences from an early age. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t instill your own values and emphasize the things that matter most to you as a parent. In fact, it’s these home-based preschool activities that will help your child grow into the best version of themselves. 

There are many benefits to sending your toddler to a daycare center or other type of preschool or school for young children. It helps them develop social skills, learn how to get along with others, and practice essential skills such as reading and writing. And while there are plenty of great public preschool programs available, you may find that having your child attend one at home is the best option for both you and them.

 

Here are some tips on how you can make your own toddler classroom!        

Set the Stage for Learning

A teacher’s job extends far beyond being present to teach kids new things. They need to care for the kids’ emotional well-being and ensure they have the tools they need to succeed. A good teacher will create an inviting and engaging environment for their students, regardless of age.

Sound and lighting will be necessary for toddlers because it helps set the right mood. If you’re in a classroom setting, there may be some toys or other items that can be used to set the mood. Sound can be used to build excitement or help toddlers settle down.

 Music is an excellent way to engage kids. For this - choose songs that are appropriate for your age group and that you find enjoyable too. If you are in a room with others, be respectful of silence. Noisiness can be upsetting for people beyond a particular age group. If you need to get other people's attention, a gentle cough is an excellent way to do this.

Visuals and decorations can be used to help your child engage. Posters, images, or even items representing a curriculum topic can help the child focus on what’s essential in their day.

 

Games That Promote Movement

If you need to get the kids moving, there are many great games you can turn to. Choose ones that will help develop social skills, encourage problem-solving, and build confidence.

Simon Says - This classic game teaches kids a valuable lesson: when someone says, “Simon says,” you do what they say. It also promotes listening skills and collaboration when teams are competing against one another.

 Freeze dance - Have a music box or playlist for your class. When the music stops, anyone who is moving has to freeze. The last person to move is out.

 Dance-off - Put on a favorite song and have the kids dance to it. Award points for creativity, rhythm, or just being silly.

Lemon and spoon - Kids will enjoy this game, which requires at least two players. One person holds a lemon between their forefinger and thumb, and another has a spoon. The aim here is to be the first person to move the spoon and make lemonade out of themselves. This can be played in a group setting or one-on-one.

Rhyme Time - Turn this into a game by making rhyming words worth more points or even a prize.

 

A Good Dressing Room Experience

If you have sufficient space and budget, you may consider having a dressing room area for your toddler-aged students. They’ll need to change rooms to get dressed and undressed for activities, and they’ll likely need a place to store personal items like bottles or diapers. Putting together a simple dressing room will help keep these items out of the way and assist your students in changing into their activity clothing. Create a play area for toddlers with toys, books, and other items that are appropriate for their age group.

It will allow them to play and engage with the things that interest them and provide a space that is safe for them. If you have a budget, consider adding some decorative items to the play area, such as sensory toys, puzzles, or books. This will also help keep the area clean by encouraging the students to use these items instead of putting their hands in their mouths.

 

Let the Children Lead

There are some moments when you’ll need to take control of the class and steer the conversation in one direction or another. This is inevitable; you’re in the classroom to teach, and the kids will occasionally veer off course.

When this happens, you don’t want to shut down the conversation entirely, or the kids will lose interest. Instead, steer the kids back to the topic at hand with a gentle reminder and change the direction of the conversation as subtly as possible. Once the conversation is back on course, give the kids time to let their thoughts settle before continuing.

 

Toddler-Friendly Art Activities

Creating some artwork is an excellent idea if you’re looking for an activity that will appeal to toddlers. A few simple supplies can be turned into something the children can work with and create something that will last for years.

Coloring - Coloring books are a great toddler activity because they’re simple, quiet, and don’t require much skill. If you have crayons available, you can also color on a large piece of paper displayed on the wall as a group project.

Stamping - With a few ink pads and paper, kids can create stamps by pressing their hands in the ink and then pressing them onto paper. You can create a stamp book and let the kids stamp images or use the stamps to decorate paper or other items.

Stringing - Stringing beads or other small items together is an easy toddler activity that can be turned into a piece of wall art. Let the children make a mobile or create something they can hang on a wall. 

Play dough - Dough can be pressed into various shapes and pressed onto paper to create colorful pieces of art. You can take cookie cutters to create uniform shapes or make simple designs with the dough if you'd like.

 

Educational Activities with a Twist

Adding a twist, you can turn many of the regular activities you’ll do with your class into more educational tasks. Walking outside, in the park, for example, is a great way to get kids moving while still being educational.

You can turn the walk into a nature walk or a trip to a nearby park and use the walk as an opportunity to discuss different items you see or teach your class about various elements. If you’re taking your class outside, bring a few large pieces of construction paper. This can be used to make a paper trail that leads back to the classroom. This can also be done indoors by creating a paper trail that leads to another part of the room.

 

Sticker Activity

Kids love stickers, which can be turned into an activity aimed at helping them learn. You can create a sticker chart and have your students earn stickers for good behavior or accomplishing a task. You can use stickers to mark the days on a calendar, highlight holidays, or mark events that are coming up.

Alternatively, you can give each student a large sheet of stickers and have them stick them to the wall or another large surface. You can then use this as a timer by having them remove the stickers as they work through a given task.

 

Games with a Twist

If you’re looking to turn games into more educational activities, there are plenty of ways. If you’re playing a game that requires communication, such as Taboo, Scattergories, or Pictionary, change how you use the words to make it more challenging. If you’re playing a board game, there may be some ways to make the game more educational.

For example, if you’re playing a game that requires counting, have the students count out their pieces rather than just picking them up and dropping them into place. If you’re playing a card game such as War, change the rules slightly to make it more educational. For example, have the students put the cards in order or create a sentence with the words on each card.

 

Summing up

Toddlers are an exciting bunch, and the classroom is often their favorite place. They’re learning new things every day, experimenting in new ways, and testing the boundaries of what they’re allowed to do. The challenge for any teacher (or parent) is keeping their little ones engaged for the entire duration of class time. You can use these tips from Educationalcraft.com to enhance the classroom experience of toddlers in many ways.

This content was created by AI