Ideas for a 2.5 year old

[jnaj]

I need some independent ideas for my 2.5 year old. She is going to be starting AAR soon, along with FIAR with my 6 year old. She is already doing Getting Ready For The Code, and Mathematical Reasoning Book 1, along with some random preschool books I got cheap at Target/Dollar store. I need some independent things for her to do while I work with my other kids. 

 

Right now she LOVES lego, but she likes putting them together specifically for the most part, and when I pull out the lego stuff, the other kids want to be involved also. I have her do beading, work with wiki stix, sort counting bears by colors, make patterns, use those dot to dot markers, clean windows (give her a soapy bucket and some towels and she is off for a bit), hang play clothes up with clothespins (although she prefers to do that with her sister, not so much on her own), and things like that. I did a busy bag exchange a while back, and I have a ton of busy bags. The problem is those only keep her "busy" for a minute because she is kind of past all that stuff (matching numbers and colors, arranging things in order, etc.)

 

I got some lincoln logs recently, and I haven't pulled those out, but I don't know if she will be interested in that on her own. Her sister is her best friend and they love to build things TOGETHER and make different worlds, etc. I guess I just need some more ideas. I feel like whenever I come up with something new, she is into it for a few minutes, and then just ready for the next thing because she figured it out.

 

She loves art, but honestly I can't trust any of my kids inside with the art stuff on their own. They go nuts (I love that they are having fun- but I like to let them go at it OUTSIDE :) ) and that again, would be another distraction for my 6 year old. I didn't know if anyone might have any ideas of seated things she could do on her own other than the basic workbooks. Just activities that are quiet and might keep her busy for 5-10 min at a time.

 

Thanks so much! 

 

 

[bakpak]

I'd look into other Montessori ideas (you have some already), as these generally have the child working independently at her own pace.  John Bowman's Montessori at Home e-book is great for ideas and inexpensive. http://www.montessoriathomebook.com/Home.html/  In general, I'd just have some prepared bins all ready on a shelf for her to get out and work on, and possibly her own space to work (like a little rug or table), so she's not distracting your DD6.
 

1. I never did it, but I thought having a bin of 3 or 4 different sized bolt, washer & nut sets to sort and put together would be really fun and time consuming ;) .

2. Cutting strips

3. Matching color paint swatches from the paint store (you can get as complicated as you want - show her how to do a color wheel)

4. Puzzles (mine was doing up to 50 piece puzzles by 2.5, so don't underestimate your child)

5. Matching letters with objects using beginning sounds, middle sounds, etc.

6. Geoboards

7. Making necklaces

8. At that age, I made 0-10 tags that I attached to the ends of colorful pipe cleaners, along with a generous amount of pony beads. DD loved sliding on the right amount of beads for each one, then lining them up in order.

9. You could also write 1-10 on index cards and have her put the correct # of small stickers on each one. Of if she's bored with 0-10, go up to 20

10. Three-part cards (http://www.shop.montessoriprintshop.com/Toddler_c72.htm )

11. Pin-punching work

12. My DD loved the Kumon books at 2-3y.o - mazes, tracing letters, etc.

13. My DD liked this button art game at that age: http://www.amazon.com/ALEX%C2%AE-Toys-Learning-Button-Little/dp/B003AP4JPE

 

My friend's blog has tons of ideas if you look back at the preschool activities: http://chasingcheerios.blogspot.com/search/label/preschool%20activities

 

 

[jnaj]

Thanks! Love the ideas! This is exactly the type of thing I am looking for. Sometimes it's overwhelming just doing google searches, and a lot of things for her age that are suggested she just isn't in to. We do have some of the Kumon books, and I make cutting strips for her also. I love the index card and stickers idea and the nuts and bolts. These are great, thank you!

[SKL]

Sewing cards and similar toys.  We had some made of foam and wood in addition to cardboard.  Between this and puzzles, my kids would keep busy for a while.  Also a toy laptop (one that doesn't make obnoxious noises).  And jumping on a mini-tramp while counting or singing.

[basketcase]

I'll second the Montessori ideas. A lot of the practical life ideas work well: pouring rice or water (or scooping rice with a spoon), arranging flowers, zippers, buttons, snaps, folding napkins.

 

A little balance board or bilibo, play dough, big sibling's math manipulatives (the forbidden items!), writing on the board, Melissa and Doug's paint with water pages, etch-a-sketch, magnets, nuts and bolts. I've got one the same age, and often bothering his brother and sisters is far more interesting than any toy. Plus the 5-year-old who feels left out if the toddler has too much fun. So I empathize!

[Sarah0000]

My 2.5 year old is into setting the table, folding napkins, serving food, etc. If you guys don't use the kitchen table for schoolwork, could you have everything for a tea or snack time out on the counter so she can set the table for when you are done with the older kids? That might be something you can set into a daily habit.

[La Texican]

Last year my now 3.5 yr. old did the kumon mazes and colored a little bit in coloring books.. but the toy that has got the most use ever is the whiteboard easel. At first I had to watch close to make sure she didn't put the markers in her mouth. That girl is on that board scribbling every day since we got it. Now she draws a lot of people with faces and fingers and toes and stuff on paper, and she's almost through with the hwt k, and about half way through the singapore k, A. The other day she wrote several neat clear letters on regular notebook paper, but she still scribbles all over her whiteboard almost daily. I mean scribbling, just with one color, scribbling until the board is completely covered after a couple of days. I keep it in the livingroom so I can watch the markers. Sometimes she gets carried away and marks on the wall, but my paint is high gloss and it washes off real easy with windex. I wonder if you couldn't get a regular whiteboard and put it away, and bring it out for her to play on while the other kids do their work.

My son learned to read with the reading eggs website. Last year I sat with my daughter on the reading eggs playroom. The nursery rhymes are great, and there's a simple game to string beads that taught her how to use tbe mouse (with my help). This year she has her own reading eggs account and she also pokes around pbs kids independantly. If you want her to learn to use the computer look for a promo code for reading eggs. Find the beads in the playroom. At first you'll pick them up and she'll put them on the string. She'll be using the mouse on her own quickly. I often put on reading eggs or pbs kids when I need her to not bother my son during his schoolwork. It tough when they're used to playing togeather all day to say, "stay away from him and let him work." Honestly, teaching her to use the computer has helped.

Just in case you haven't seen it, there is a pre-k board in the curriculum board.

[jnaj]

Thanks. Love the ideas. I think teaching her to use the computer would definitely be beneficial. EVERYONE loves computer time. I will check out the Pre-K board also. I didn't even think to check over there. I guess that makes sense ;)

[MissKNG]

Craft foam and construction paper.

[Korrale]

I second looking into Montessori inspired ideas. If you go to Pinterest there are many ideas.

Also search for tot school. There is a blog that has amazing ideas.

There is also a forum called brillkids. You will be able to find many academic ideas for 2 year olds. There are some amazing threads about math for toddlers and preschoolers.

[jnaj]

Thanks for the suggestions. I will look them up! I can get addicted to pinterest very daily, and then I get overwhelmed with all the possibilities on there! I have so much pinned on my boards but never really follow through with it all. :)

[LEK]

My 2.5yo loves doing "school". Some of her favorite independent activities are coins/counters into a money box, matching teddy counters onto patterns by color, playdough (with or without mats), do-a-dot pages using teddy counters on each circle, playing with a large abacus and beading. She also likes drawing/coloring.

I have a pinterest board of ideas I have collected for her here: http://www.pinterest.com/lauraknight165/tot-school-ideas/

[Uff Da!]

nm

[jnaj]

Thanks! I love the idea of cooking for the different countries and doing the flags. Both of my girls would be into that.

[LikeToListen]

I second the easel idea.  My daughter had a wonderful pen grip before she turned 2.  We got her the doodle boards she had lot of fun coloring/tracing and drawing.  Yep, sorting and categorizing activities were lot of fun for her.

 

She was good at using our iPad so I got a few games on iPad.  Letter school, little matchups (matching lower/upper alphabets, sounds and animals), reader, reading raven, euro talk/onebillion (for math) were her favorite iPad games.    She was comfortable using these at 3.

 

I used to let her eat herself because I couldn't keep her occupied, LOL  She was eating by herself at 18months and knew to use a spoon and fork before she turned 2.  Little ones have skills in abundance but we run short of ideas :)

[SnegurochkaL]

Does she like origami? I  was talking to one of the Japanese teachers who used to teach foreigners. He told me that Japanese children are learning origami folding before they start their formal writing lessons. It helps to develop a very good dexterity.

I used  Kumon Mazes books with my boy who was very advanced for his age.

You already have been given a lot of good ideas but the main point is to keep  "her discoveries" as an engaging, light and exciting process. My youngest child is already 3 but she is too active to sit at the table longer than 20 minutes verses to my son who could do his math at one sitting for 3 hours. I am going to use AAR/AAS with my youngest child also, but add some cursive "fun" pages to the activity book to make it more appealing.

 

My oldest daughter really enjoyed "Galloping the Globe" book. She was advanced in math, so we supplemented it with more challenging activities rather than using the one advised by the book.

She also enjoyed learning foreign languages through some engaging computer games and activities.

 

 

 

[Embassy]

Letter school app :)