Toddler Activities

[lifesadream83]

I have seen timberdoodle and contemplated SL 3/4 (but I think it's too early for this one).  I am anxiously waiting the release of My Father's World Toddler in the Summer.   

 

Is there anything else out there that 

 

1- comes with a schedule & all the items you need included

2- a schedule or plan with a consolidated list of things to buy

 

 

?  Because yes ladies I am that lazy and that desperate to keep her occupied while we do school.  
 

I have the 1+1+1 toddler book printed with markers, and play dough and magnet activities and leap frog fridge toys and a little people farm and musical instruments and tea sets and baby einstein and signing time.... AND I STILL CANNOT KEEP HER ENTERTAINED!  

 

TIA!

[maize]

My current toddler strategy involves a plastic tub full of rice in the kitchen, sort of an indoor sandbox. Of course rice ends up all over the floor, but it does keep my particular toddler occupied for long periods of time playing with little toys in the "sand".

[Tawlas]

*Is* there a way to keep a nearly two year old occupided?! My toddler only wants to do what we're doing, with some small exceptions.

 

She loves snacks! I do my read alouds while she's eating.

 

She loves toys with a million small peices. She originally only wanted to scatter them from one endof the house to another, but I borrowed a play pen from my neighbor and now she actually sits and plays with them! And likes it! I *only* let her in there for short periods during school time and *only* with "special" toys she doesn't otherwise get to play with. She asks to go in there now and I love it! I do math with dsd8 while she's in there.

 

sorry. That doesn't answer your original question. I'm just curious though, a toddler activity "curriculum" is going to need you right? Or is htis something you want to do together before you move on to work with the older sib?

[lifesadream83]

She is 26 months old now.... and talks a mile a minute.... she doesn't want board books they have to  be "real books"  I can try the rice thing but I once gave her pasta (uncooked thankgoodness) and it was ALL over the house when we were done. 

 

It doesn't persay have to be curriculum... I just figured having a set activity or task for everyday would be helpful to keep me in order (type a issues here I have been trying to overcome for at least a decade now)  .... you know show her what to do then go do work with the older one.... 

 

busy work that is educational because otherwise she climbs on the table and becomes destructive....

[FO4UR]

Give her a table. She can do ______ all she wants so long as it stays on the table.  The rice sandbox, playdoh, etc....  Put time into teaching her to keep it on the table.  Give her a small broom & dustpan to clean any accidental spills.  My 2yo loves to sweep so sometimes her spills are not so accidental, but whatever.

 

 

I use gallon ziplocs to sort and store all sorts of things. She pulls out one bag at a time.

[Spryte]

I was *that* lazy, too.  :)  I wanted a schedule, and everything included.  No printing, cutting, compiling supplies.  

 

We did Mother Goose Time preschool.  Everything comes in a schoolbus box, once a month.  All supplies are included, except crayons, glue stick or tape, and scissors (for you, though most stuff is already cut out).  Each month comes with 20 days of activities - we love the art projects - all divided into bags that are numbered.  It is super easy. There's also a CD with music that matches the theme of the month, and a teacher kit that has all kinds of manipulatives and posters.  If there's a holiday in a particular month, you'll get an extra day's activities to go along with it.  

 

The drawback:  It's pricey.  But you can get a sample, if I remember correctly.  And you can add on extra craft supplies if you have other kids who will want to do that part.  

 

Wow, did DD love it. 

 

We never did all 20 days in one month, and we still use the manipulatives and supplies.  I was very happy with it, and felt it was money well spent.  

 

It's not "independent time" though, if that's what you want.  Not like strapping her in a high chair with play dough or something.  Generally, we did the activities and filled the mommy cup, then she'd play with whatever we did that day independently, or I'd provide a few toys that are for school time that matched the theme, and that would give me time to do school with DS.

 

 

[ALB]

I posted a very simple curriculum that I made up to use with my toddler here.  It's really just a schedule of nursery rhymes, songs, books, and activities from Slow and Steady Get Me Ready.  It is also not independent, just a special way for my toddler to get some focused mommy time before my olders need me for school.

[rachelpants]

I don't know of a curriculum....but here are a couple of things that keep my 2yo busy for a bit:

 

* I run the watercolor paints under the faucet so they are ready to go and she doesn't have to have a cup of spill-able water.

* Play foam

* play doh

* A table set up just for her with activities on it (I bought a lifetime brand fold in half table with adjustable leg height at Costco)

* Wee Sing DVDs (sometimes)

* She likes to stand on a chair at the kitchen sink with measuring spoons and cups with a tiny drizzle of water running.

* She will spin in circles and dance around forever if I let her hold my phone and listen to kids music from the Amazon prime music app.

*Plastic connecting cuisenaire rods

*Geoboards (I had to help her at first)

 

Good luck!!! :)

[duckens]

Carol's Affordable Curriculum  It comes with everything but glue and tape.

We also used different bins of toys/activities on different days.  Let me know if you want a list.

 

 

[TheAttachedMama]

I love, love love Sonlight's P3/4.  BUT it is more of a read aloud list than a curriculum.   I also think it would be fine to start with a 2 year old.  Some of the books might be a little challenging, but there are PLENTY that she would probably enjoy now.  So I wouldn't wait.   What I did (to save money) was buy the reading list which was only $5 at the time.  Then I purchased all of the books used through amazon.  We purchased only a few at a time to spread the cost out.  If you buy the core directly from sonlight, it comes with a lot of picture books consolidated into a single volume.  I found that my 2 year olds liked having the individual books...not the huge collections.   They were easier to carry and "pick out" because they could see the cover.  

 

After you read through the sonlight titles, also check out the Simply Charlotte Mason reading list, the peak with books reading list, and Before Five in a Row.  (We just read the books!  We don't do any of the fancy activities.  But you could if you wanted to.) 

 

We set up the book basket around that age.  I would put out a selection of books in the basket and I would let my child choose 2 and I would pick one to read every day.   We did this after nap.

===================

As far as STUFF to keep them busy while you did school---hmmmmm.....that is another matter.   The only thing that seems to keep my toddler busy is creating MASSIVE destruction to the house. I sort of let him tear the place apart because it keeps him quiet.  I'm not sure that MY child would ever sit down and do a curriculum at 2.  It would cause more work for me not less. 

 

BUT---if I was looking for more educational toys, I would use the timberdoodle list as a GUIDE.  (I probably wouldn't ever buy the complete package.)  Then I would also rotate through some melissa and doug / montessori toys.    (Rotate them so they always stay fresh and new feeling.)   And I would let the child sort of pick what they wanted to play with while we did school. 

[desertflower]

My toddler loves kinetic sand, little plastic princess/prince people and magna tiles.

 

Good luck and hth.

[TheAttachedMama]

You know what hasn't been mentioned yet, that you might want to check out?   Flowering baby curriculum.    I like the looks of it because the activities don't seem overly complicated.  Just quick suggestions that you don't have to put a lot of time and planning into.   Mother Goose looks really awesome---but it seems like it would be a lot of parts and pieces and STUFF to keep track of.  

[LindaOz]

My (just turned) 3yo old has done these things during school time:

 

Played with a tea set/toy kitchen with water in the tea pot.

Playdough and tea set

Preschool TV

Coloring (I sometimes have a special coloring book that comes out at school time)

White board and markers

Alphabet workbook with white board style pages. She can trace, color, then erase :)

Kiddie scissors and a piece of paper to cut.

Little people

Dolls and blankets (loves to wrap the babies and cart them around).

 

Also, this may not be relevant to you, but what's working for me at the moment is to have morning family time with everyone, then school age kiddos go off to follow their individual work list while I spend time with my youngest two. We read, watch some preschool TV, ride bikes, play outside, paint, do some preschooly stuff etc. I'm available to help the older kids if needed, and listen to narrations etc, but my focus is not on them exclusively. After this time I have a group time with some of the older kids doing history, science, art etc, while my littles play around doing some of the things I mentioned above. After lunch, while my littles sleep, I catch up with older kids again.

 

Like I said, I don't know if that's relevant to you but just thought I'd throw it out there in case it helps at all :)