St. Artemius Academy Posted August 21, 2009 Share Posted August 21, 2009 Hi All, I started homeschooling my 3 last January, and now that we are gearing up to start up next week, I'm looking for advice for my 2 year-old. I have a 4th and 1st grader as well. My hang-up is how to keep the 2 year-old occupied. She's not quite old enough for the file folder centers, or anything truly academic. On the other hand, I don't have enough hands to play with her the whole time we're schooling. I've started implementing the workbox system into our day, and have set up a set of boxes for her. The problem is what to put in them. Right now she'll get out a box, play with it for a couple of minutes, and then she wants to move on. In 20 minutes or so, she's already bored! Any ideas? She turned 2 in May, so she's a fairly young 2. Thanks! Ashley Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mama2Three Posted August 21, 2009 Share Posted August 21, 2009 (edited) My DS turned 2 in Aug. Some of his favorite activities on which he spends longer than 2 minutes -- dried beans in a baking pan with measuring spoons and cups, math manipulatives (linking cubes, pattern shapes, etc), playdough, anything with water. Mostly he loves pouring. I don't let him have his favorites every day. We officially start next week, and I'll have plastic shoe boxes with a different activity for each day of the week. The Monday box will stay the same until he gets bored with the activity (or it's too messy or whatever). That way I don't have to keep thinking up so many new ideas. I also hope to get my act together and work in Slow and Steady Get Me Ready activities for him. ;) Looking forward to hearing other pp suggestions!! ETA: Just remembered... my older DC loved hammering golf tees into styrofoam when they were 2+. Edited August 23, 2009 by Mama2Three Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
my2boysteacher Posted August 21, 2009 Share Posted August 21, 2009 I'm facing the same challenge. My DD is 17 mos and we will start school next week. I plan on getting her her own set of workboxes as well. What I found she really liked last school year was 'Lauri' crepe puzzles. She loves the peg board one where she can move pegs around. She also really likes some little plastic animals I found. I give her a little container of water and tell her to give them a bath. That'll last at least 10 minutes. Another thing she enjoys is bubbles from the sink. I fill up a bowl w/ soapy water and skim off the bubbles. I plop them onto her high chair tray and she scoops them and splats them. As a last resort, I keep a bag of mini m&ms and give her a few in a little container. I'm hoping she'll play more independantly this school year, but it's kind of a 'hope for the best, expect the worst' scenario. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
St. Artemius Academy Posted August 21, 2009 Author Share Posted August 21, 2009 Good ideas! I will have to try the beans. I have some of the Lauri products, and she does like them. A friend suggested that I buy a small inflatable pool, and put it in the schoolroom as her "area". It's to help her see where her toys can be, and she would take a workbox to the pool, play with it in that area, then put the box back, and bring the next one into the pool. I found a small pool on clearance today for $2.50, so I'm going to give it a try. She tends to "spread out" and create a trail. This might also help to contain any small things like dried beans! I also may try makikng my own list of her school toys and dividing them up by day so that I can rotate them and she doesn't see the same stuff every day. Keep the ideas coming! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kmacnchs Posted August 21, 2009 Share Posted August 21, 2009 TraysforTots Look to the side and click on tools for tots and 1+1+1=1. My 22 mo dd LOVES doing "small spaces", stickers, sorting... My 3yo dd LOVES cutting, lacing, gluing... Also, after we get dressed for the day, my infant goes down for a nap (around 8:00) and my 22mo dd goes to her room for "room time" for an hour while I do math and reading with my 3 yo dd. I highly recommend room time so you can focus with your 1st & 4th grader for 1 hr uninterrupted. (Of course, I worked up to this hour (and it was "playpen time" until she got more self control)) Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tuckabella Posted August 21, 2009 Share Posted August 21, 2009 get a dollar store kind of bowl with a lid. Hole punch around the rim of the lid (as far in as you can get your hole puncher). Next, buy some golf tees. They fit in the holes perfectly. Keeps DD busy for 30 mins. Get some stickers (that your 2 year old might like) with multiples of the same sticker. Place one sticker on say a 3x3 inch piece of cardstock or something else a little stiffer than paper. Have him/her find the matches, or simply enjoy "finding" elmo or whatever is on the set of stickers that you bought (I have some Sesame street ones, some fruit ones, some popsicle ones, some animal ones) I got business card holder pages from Staples. It holds 10 cards per page. I put pieces of ribbon or lace in each slot and then taped the openings shut. I also put some matching pieces of ribbon/lace in the envelope so she can match them up. You could also do it with buttons, learning links, paperclips, etc. My DD never put things in her mouth, so I don't worry about size much since she is also near me anyway when she does these. I have some small foam pieces in different colors and shapes and went to Michael's craft store and hot glued a small ceramic magnet on the back of each one. My DD LOVES LOVES LOVES magnets. I also glued small erasers on the magnets. DD loves to put the change into my small piggy bank. I just keep emptying it for her when all the coins are in it. If you can get rulers cheap since it is back to school time, get a bunch. DD likes to line them up end to end (which practices some fine motor skills) and "measures" things. Not that she realizes it. She just tries to see how many rulers she can fit across the coffee table or from the steps to the door, etc. SPONGES!!!! Holy Cow, I didn't know how much DD would LOVE these (about as much as the darn magnets!). Get sponges (say 3x5 inches) that are NOT made out of cellulose. The cellulose ones are hard when they are dry. They usually say that they are made of cellulose on the wrapper, but the other ones might (though not all mention it) would say polyfoam or something like that. The ones I found said they had Estracell in them. Basically, they are sponges with the tiny holes, like car wash sponges, but you want the 3x5 standard size sponges. I cut them in different shapes (across lengthwise, across widthwise, cut diagonally, cut into 3, left a couple whole). Wow, can't rave enough about these darn sponges. Save some plastic containers with screw on lids (for a couple months down the road). Your child can learn to sort them to try to see what fits what. If I can think of more, I will post again. I really hope these ideas might help you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crl Posted August 21, 2009 Share Posted August 21, 2009 Thank you so much for posting the Trays for Tots page. It's inspired me to do something like that for my 3 year old! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joannqn Posted August 21, 2009 Share Posted August 21, 2009 I blogged about what I'm doing with my two year old (turned two on 2/28). Here's a link. We've finished the first week and I can tell you that I learned to be flexible. We fit in the activities when we could. Many things on the schedule didn't get done because he wasn't interested. Some things he really liked. He's a much happier kid now. Here's an art project I helped him with that he's particularly proud of. He's also learning how to use scissors, help with laundry, and "wash" dishes. In fact, he's cutting paper with safety scissors right now and every cut (even 1/4 inch) or tear ends with an enthusiastic "I did it!" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
modest-mama Posted August 21, 2009 Share Posted August 21, 2009 One time I put a whole bunch of trays of ice cubes in the bathtub and let my three and 18 month old in there fully dressed. They had a ball for over an hour. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aletheia Academy Posted August 21, 2009 Share Posted August 21, 2009 Here is a wonderful website devoted to homeschooling with preschoolers. Kendra is a wonderful lady. I saw her speak at a convention. And she speaks from experience with honesty. http://www.preschoolersandpeace.com/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in CA Posted August 21, 2009 Share Posted August 21, 2009 using your 4th grader and 1st grader to help? Schedule a 30 min. playtime with the 2 year old and 4th grader. Train the 4th grader on what to do and only call you if necessary. Tutor your 1st grader 1-on-1 during this (uninterupted) time. Then sometime later in the day switch so your 1st grader and 2 year old are together. Maybe you'd have to train her more or limit the time to 20 minutes and work up. An activity that might work well is having the 1st grader blow bubbles outside and having the 2 year old catch them or stomp on them. Anything with water is always a hit, as long as you can see her. HTH! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dcjlkplus3 Posted August 21, 2009 Share Posted August 21, 2009 Around here for toddlers: puzzles are good, linking blocks provide a lot of entertainment, coloring pages, the abacus is fun for all my kids, mighty minds/tanagram puzzles, wipe off books. Stickers - I laminated cardstock and punched holes in it and put them in binders and they all have stickerbooks - great for kids who like to stick and restick the stickers. If theyare particulary disruptive - quiet time is a good time to get Mommy-intensive things done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FairProspects Posted August 22, 2009 Share Posted August 22, 2009 I actually created a calendar of activities for my 2 y.o. while I'm working with my 5 y.o. Many of these are suggestions from "The Toddler's Busy book" or from our co-op preschool last year. We are doing things like driving cars in shaving cream on a cafeteria tray, ice cube painting using powdered tempura paint, and finger painting with pudding. I'll also set out beads, buttons, trays & string for sorting and stringing. DH is going to clean out the sand table and bring it in, so we will use that for a sensory table. The first week will be cornmeal, then water, and then I'm going to make moonsand. My little one loves coloring and playdough so we will do that as well as set out chalk and a slate or a wipe board or something so he can play school too. I think I might actually be more excited about the 2 y.o.'s curriculum than I am about the K stuff :)! It definitely sounds like more fun!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TracyR Posted August 22, 2009 Share Posted August 22, 2009 We have the Totbox. I added things in there such as Mr.Potato Head stuff, worksheets I found online and laminated( trace the line or shape types). File folder games for preschoolers, lacing shapes I found online. copied. laminated and used yarn. Tot Books from totschool which are like little lapbook activity books. Candy land shape game.. etc. I'm finding though this year I need to add new things. My daughter turned 3 this year and has become a holy terror. She is the total opposite of the sweet, kind , able to occupy herself child she once was. Now she likes to scream and vies completely for my attention at all times. Even if I include her when I'm teaching my 1st grader. I give her things to color and so on. But it isn't enough for her. Consider having 20 minutes to yourself a good thing because I'm not getting that anymore. LOL. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
St. Artemius Academy Posted August 24, 2009 Author Share Posted August 24, 2009 Today was our first official school day. 2 year-old did fairly well! I introduced her to the baby pool last night, and she immediately loved the idea of playing in it. I set up everyone's workboxes last night, and her's included 12 boxes with various activities. She started to get the hang of her schedule strip. She definately got frustrated a few times, and didn't want to follow MY order of boxes. I don't know whether to let her choose for now, or to try to be consistent with the order so that she gets used to the routine. I will say that I don't know how to come up with 5 days worth of boxes! It was a challenge to come up with 12 for today, and she definately had a few she was not interested in at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom2hunangirls Posted August 25, 2009 Share Posted August 25, 2009 I would say just let her pick as she wants to. And let her stay with each tray as long as she is interested in it. Which may be 30 seconds sometimes!! I think one of the most important things is to make sure she puts one away before getting the next tray out. I'm still too scared to start!!! :scared: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amie Posted August 25, 2009 Share Posted August 25, 2009 One time I put a whole bunch of trays of ice cubes in the bathtub and let my three and 18 month old in there fully dressed. They had a ball for over an hour. Haha, that is hilarious. I don't think I would have ever come up with that one! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NancyNellen Posted August 25, 2009 Share Posted August 25, 2009 We don't do workboxes, but here is what my two year old does every school day: table time: paints, crayons, puzzles, etc. room time: we have worked up to about 45 minutes of quiet room time every morning. He plays with his trains, cars, or Duplos most of the time. I also put on a story on CD. playtime w/ siblings: Each of his older siblings has a 30 minute time slot to play with him. They do anything from dressing up, to pushing him on the swing, to building elaborate train sets bath tub crayons: he will sit in there, fully clothed, and draw for quite a while DVD's: He watches one Thomas, Bob the Builder, or Letter Factory video every morning naps: He still takes a nice, long nap and we get TONS done during this time! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crl Posted August 25, 2009 Share Posted August 25, 2009 We've had 2 days of successfully having a stack of plastic drawers filled with activities for DS. He certainly has been enjoying the activities and has left DD and I alone for the most part. I do let him pick what he likes in any order. And I've been sure to train him to clean up one drawer before moving to the next. I'm sure after awhile he's going to get tired of the list of activities I've come up with (I have a list of 25) so I'll have to be on the look out for new activities over the next few months. Maybe they can be Christmas presents! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wildflower Posted August 26, 2009 Share Posted August 26, 2009 I actually created a calendar of activities for my 2 y.o. while I'm working with my 5 y.o. Many of these are suggestions from "The Toddler's Busy book" or from our co-op preschool last year. We are doing things like driving cars in shaving cream on a cafeteria tray, ice cube painting using powdered tempura paint, and finger painting with pudding. I'll also set out beads, buttons, trays & string for sorting and stringing. DH is going to clean out the sand table and bring it in, so we will use that for a sensory table. The first week will be cornmeal, then water, and then I'm going to make moonsand. My little one loves coloring and playdough so we will do that as well as set out chalk and a slate or a wipe board or something so he can play school too. I think I might actually be more excited about the 2 y.o.'s curriculum than I am about the K stuff :)! It definitely sounds like more fun!! so cool, you MAKE moonsand?!? really? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joyful Posted August 26, 2009 Share Posted August 26, 2009 bath tub crayons: he will sit in there, fully clothed, and draw for quite a while time! We have a 2 year old (going on 3 soon) so this is a timely thread! I really love this idea! Now I have to go get some bath tub crayons! BTW, do you ever have trouble with your son turning on the water while in the tub, and splashing the water out? I just have this feeling that my DS will end up doing that.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sleepymommy Posted August 26, 2009 Share Posted August 26, 2009 We don't do workboxes, but here is what my two year old does every school day: table time: paints, crayons, puzzles, etc. room time: we have worked up to about 45 minutes of quiet room time every morning. He plays with his trains, cars, or Duplos most of the time. I also put on a story on CD. playtime w/ siblings: Each of his older siblings has a 30 minute time slot to play with him. They do anything from dressing up, to pushing him on the swing, to building elaborate train sets bath tub crayons: he will sit in there, fully clothed, and draw for quite a while DVD's: He watches one Thomas, Bob the Builder, or Letter Factory video every morning naps: He still takes a nice, long nap and we get TONS done during this time! This is great Nancy, thanks for sharing! I would love for ds2 to be able to do at least some of this. Getting him to play alone in his room for awhile might be a challenge, and if he's in the bathtub he most definitely will turn on the water and want to take a bath. Maybe I'll get some window crayons and he can draw on our patio door. My biggest problem would be my ds1 though, because I know that he would want to all those fun activities too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NancyNellen Posted August 26, 2009 Share Posted August 26, 2009 Well, he has done it a couple of times, but he doesn't like getting wet with his clothes on (praise God!) So, he hasn't tried it again. :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NancyNellen Posted August 26, 2009 Share Posted August 26, 2009 Window crayons are a great idea! When I started room time with all of my kids, we just did 10 minutes, and slowly increased as they were able to stay in longer. I agree that one year olds are tougher. Maybe some Color Wonder in the high chair? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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