ChristusG Posted June 21, 2013 Share Posted June 21, 2013 In the fall, we need to make our homeschool more structured. This means finding something for the toddler to do LOL. I thought that a thread with ideas for "toddler boxes" would be good. It needs to be something that needs minimal help from mom.....the idea is that mom can sit the toddler at the table with the kids who are schooling, hand them a box, and the toddler can entertain themselves for hopefully at least 15 or so minutes. And have minimal clean up too! I have a lot of shoebox size rubbermaid bins with lids. I plan to make up about 15 of them and put on our homeschool shelves. The toddler will only be able to play with them during school time so that the things inside still seem "new" to them. Does anyone already do this? Do you have any ideas? I don't mind heading to the store to purchase some things for the boxes either. Ideas: Bin of Little People Bin with q-tips and a parmasean cheese container (toddler can drop qtips into holes in parm cheese container for motor skills) Bin with Color Wonder paper and markers (maybe tape it to the table?) Is there and safe magnetic toys for toddlers? I think my baby would enjoy that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HS Mom in NC Posted June 21, 2013 Share Posted June 21, 2013 Mine are now 7,15, and 17. When I had a toddler who needed to be close to me but not interrupt the older kids when they needed me together for a combined subject or individually one on one, I bought a small, light area rug. I had about 10 smaller plastic bins with various toddler activities in each. M-F there was a specific period of time when she had to stay on the mat with a snack and sippy cup and 2 of the bins of activities. Each day for mat time, in the room with us, we rotated the bins. Those were only for mat time during school so they were special and felt fairly new. Then I worked with the older two as needed. There were also short periods of time she had to play in play room right next to the school room while I helped an older kid one on one. It was lots of different things. Preschool stuff from My Father's World. Special craft items. Motor skill items. Special doll and related things. Magnetic "paper" dolls. Quiet construction items. Special board books. Playdough when they're ready to not eat it. That kind of thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChristusG Posted June 21, 2013 Author Share Posted June 21, 2013 Great idea about the rug! How did you get your toddlers to stay on it? I have an especially curious and defiant toddler right now LOL. My older two were definitely not like this one :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lisa in SC Posted June 21, 2013 Share Posted June 21, 2013 I don't know how to link on the iPad, but my kids liked Colorforms when they were toddlers. Regarding magnetic toys, there are quite a few options. I'm not sure whether you're looking for building type toys or something else, but doing a search for "magnetic toddler toys" at amazon or fat brain toys turns up quite a few different possibilities. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HS Mom in NC Posted June 21, 2013 Share Posted June 21, 2013 It took a lot of work training my toddler to stay on the area rug. She's a very strong willed, active, turbo powered kid. She's also an international adoptee who had a few mild attachment issues and transition stuff to deal with, so it was important that she always be near me all the time until it got better. Consistency was the key. I'd just say "No. Stay on the mat for mat time." in a normal matter-of-fact tone of voice and put her back on it three hundred and seventy four bazillion times. It took a while and I expected that it would. She wasn't happy about it at first. Obviously I had to start out with shorter periods of time and work my way up. I also started out physically close to her on the mat too and had the olders come to me while I sat on the edge of the mat and she could be right next to me. I moved away from the mat to a chair or the couch over time. You may want to start this summer by having a short read aloud time with the older kids in the room where the little one has to stay on the mat if you don't want to start doing it during school time. You can be sitting right on the edge of the mat with her while you read aloud. You may even want to make it a special treat time with her favorite whatever to eat along with her special toys. Maybe you could try a read aloud book with fabulous art work in it and make a point to show your wee one the pictures in it too if (s)he isn't able to take the focus off of you and onto the special activities and snack on the mat. Usually one that age gets bored with a read aloud book after a few minutes and starts playing with the stuff around her which is just fine. Even my older did quiet activities while we read aloud. I was focused on getting the toddler to understand the idea of staying in a particular place (the area rug) until I told her she could go. There was a little bit of time at first when we had to work on, "Shhhhhh. Quiet." if she got loud but because the items in the bin were special and were rotated, she was usually willing to tinker with them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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