The Everything Toddler Activities Book (19 page)

It is never too early to teach your child about keeping healthy. Although you can do activities with him, remember that your child will learn by your example. If you want your child to make good food choices, be mindful of what you eat. If you want your child to brush his teeth, be sure to brush yours as well. As your child matures, you will be able to use direct instruction more and more. Keep in mind that to be effective, these activities need to be interesting and fun for your child so that he wants to continue them on his own.

Help your child learn about nutrition and balanced meals with this activity.
You may wish to introduce the concept of the basic food groups here.

1. Go through the magazines with your child and help him select food pictures that he wants to include in his “meal.”
   
2. Assist your child in tearing or cutting out the selected pictures.
   
3. Show your child how to glue the food onto the plate to create a meal. Your child may enjoy doing a separate plate for each meal of the day.
   

Here is a fun way to help your child start to make healthy food choices.
Instead of making the head, you can purchase a bean-bag target face for the same purpose.

1. Cut a large head (approximately the size of a beach ball) out of poster board. Cut out a hole for the mouth.
   
2. Have your child help you decorate the head.
   
3. Provide your child with a variety of magazine clippings of food pictures. Be sure to have a wide selection of both nutritious and junk foods. Ask your child to feed the head with only those foods that are nutritious.
   

Young children are often resistant to washing their hands. It is hard for them to understand things that they cannot see. Here is a concrete way to teach them about germs and the importance of washing hands.

1. Sprinkle a bit of glitter onto your child’s hands. Explain that these glitter specks are like germs, which can make them sick. The germs are very small and they stick to you and get passed along.
   
2. Have your child touch different surfaces and shake hands with other people. Show him how the germs (glitter) spread.
   
3. Have your child wash his hands and see how the germs are washed away.
   

It is never too early to teach your child about the importance of good dental hygiene.

1. Cut a tooth shape from the construction paper.
   
2. Talk with your child about teeth and how when they are not brushed, they can develop decay and turn yellow.
   
3. Let him use the toothbrush to paint the tooth with pretend toothpaste (white paint).
   

CHAPTER 13

For Special Needs Toddlers

All children have the capacity to learn, grow and have fun! Each child is unique and part of your challenge is to find activities that meet their individual needs. When caring for a child with special needs, you may find that you can adapt many activities to suit the child.

These activities are especially beneficial for children with sensory integration disorders. They will help stimulate your child’s tactile awareness and body and space perception.

Your child may enjoy creating an entire underwater scene around the handprint octopus, so have her do this on a large sheet of paper where she can color in a background scene.

1. Pour the paint into the tin. Help your child dip her hand into the paint and then press it firmly onto the paper. Have her repeat this process with her other hand. Be sure that her hand prints overlap, with the fingers spread out in opposite directions.
   
2. Once the paint is dry, she can use the markers to add facial features and details.
   

Once you create your child’s silhouette picture, you may wish to do one for the entire family. You may also wish to create a traditional silhouette by cutting the outline from black construction paper.

1. Tape the paper onto a flat wall.
   
2. Seat your child sideways on the chair with the lamp behind her. Put the chair far enough from the wall that your child’s shadow fills the paper.
   
3. Trace around your child’s silhouette using the marker.
   
4. Remove the paper and allow your child to decorate her profile.
   

This activity will help your child with emotional expression and creativity.

1. Set up the paper and paints for your child to create.
   
2. Play music of differing tempos and moods. Ask your child to listen to the music and let the music guide the way she paints. For example, when listening to a waltz, she may paint with slow, sweeping strokes.
   

Children that are diagnosed with an Autism Spectrum Disorder need experiences and encouragement interacting with other people. These activities encourage both social and verbal skills.

This is a tickle and cuddle activity. Be aware that some children do not like to be tickled!

Recite the following poem while using your fingers to trace the path described.

Hurry hurry little mouse
Starts down at your toes.
Hurry hurry little mouse
Past your knees he goes.
Hurry hurry little mouse
Past where your tummy is.
Hurry hurry little mouse
Gives you a mousy kiss.

(blow raspberry on child’s stomach)

Your young child loves to imitate, and this is a great way for him to learn!

Lose your own inhibitions and demonstrate many sounds that you can make. Encourage your child to join in. Suggested actions include kissing the air, making raspberries with your tongue, humming, cooing, blowing through your lips, clicking your tongue, squeaking, and growling.

This is an easy rhyme for your child to learn. Don’t be afraid to make up verses of your own.

Teach this rhyme and corresponding movements to your child:

Teddy bear, teddy bear turn around.
Teddy bear teddy bear touch the ground.
Teddy bear teddy bear hug me tight.
Teddy bear teddy bear say goodnight.

Remember to adapt activities to meet your child’s needs or challenges. These activities can be done in different ways and don’t require a child to be ambulatory.

Your child will need a lot of room for this activity. A grassy spot in the yard would work well.

Have your child lie down with her arms at her sides. Teach her the following rhyme. Encourage her to roll over when the movement is called for in the song:

There were five in a bed and the little one said,
“Roll over, roll over.”
So they all rolled over, and one fell out.
There were four in the bed and the little one said,
“Roll over, roll over.”
So they all rolled over, and one fell out.
(Continue to one)
Only the little one was left in the bed he said,
“Good night, sleep tight.”

Young children learn that they must take turns for this activity to work. Provide them a soft surface so that they can get exuberant without getting hurt. Younger children can work with a more mature partner.

1. Seat children on the floor facing each other, with legs outstretched.
   
2. Have one child rest her legs over the other’s. Once they are positioned, have the children hold hands.
   
3. Show them how to make a see-saw motion. One child slowly leans back, while the other child is pulled forward. Then the forward child leans back, pulling her partner forward. Encourage them to go slow and smoothly and not to jerk each other.
   
4. Encourage the children to row back and forth while singing “Row, Row, Row Your Boat.”
   

Children enjoy seeing the cause and effect of their breath.

1. Set your child in front of a table or an accessible flat surface.
   
2. Place cotton balls or Ping-Pong balls near the edge of the surface.
   
3. Demonstrate how to blow the items across the surface. The child may use a straw or blow directly.
   

Cognitive disabilities are caused by impairment in intellectual processing and functioning; your child may be delayed in any number of areas. These activities will help her develop important problem-solving and critical thinking skills.

Remember, all children learn through imitation. You can increase the complexity of
your gestures and actions according to the child’s ability.

1. Place your child directly in front of you.
   
2. Encourage your child to mimic your facial expressions and motions.
   
3. Add complexity by having your child complete the motions with you simultaneously.
   

This activity will help your child tune into you and learn reciprocity as well.

1. Get your child’s attention, say, “My turn,” then play 1 or 2 notes or beats on the instrument.
   
2. Hand the instrument to your child and say, “Your turn,” and prompt her to play as you did.
   
3. You may wish to expand this activity by asking the child to mimic what you are playing.
   

Here is an activity that will help promote problem-solving skills.

When the child is not looking, hold the toy under or behind something and squeeze it.

Children learn language skills by using language. It is important that they have many opportunities to interact with others as they start to use language to communicate.

Bring out the star in your young child. Once he has a microphone,
put on some music and let him ham it up.

1. Help your child mold the tin foil over the paper tube so that both the bottom and sides are covered.
   
2. Have your child use the marker to color the craft ball.
   
3. Wedge the ball a third of the way into the tube.