50 things to do with a precocious toddler so you can get a little school in.

I didn’t do all these – pick and choose what will work for you.  Often, I’d spend a portion of the summer collecting a supply of Toddler or Preschool activities to use the following school year.

#50. What can you do to INCLUDE your toddler in school?

1. Special coloring books with large crayons

2. ‘magic’ coloring books with markers that only mark on special paper

3. ‘magic slates’ that you lift off the plastic covering to ‘erase’ the impression you drew

4. flashcards (shapes, colors, ABC’s, numbers)

5. simple workbooks

You may be surprised at what your toddler picks up on just being around all the learning going on!  I always read statements like that and thought it was fine for some people’s kids, but mine wouldn’t learn by osmosis that way.  Then, I walked by the table that we had a world map laminated on with my 2 year old sitting ON THE TABLE (which is a punishable offense at our house).  I was just about to swat his behind as I passed by when he said, “Look, Ma, Stailia!”  I stopped my swat in midair because I didn’t know what he was talking about.  “What?”  “STAILIA, Mama, STAILIA”.  He was looking at the map upside down and pointing to Australia.  “Cockadiles – Stalia.”  “YES, SWEETIE!  Crocodiles come from Australia.”  I was blown away so much that I forgot to punish him for sitting on the table.

1. Draw roads, houses, etc. on large paper or cardboard and have them use cars and trucks on it.

2. Several cardboard boxes (cereal boxes, shoe boxes) to make a train or a town or just to stack and build with.

3. Give them their own photo album of friends, family, pets and familiar things.

4. Small cars in a cardboard tube (like Christmas wrap).

5. Make a necklace or snack chain with yarn (masking tape on the ends) and any cereal with holes (like cheerios).  If the toddler is old enough, they may be able to string them himself.

6. A retractable measuring tape to measure with.

7. Nuts and bolts to sort.

8. Crochet hook and a length of yarn.  You can stitch a few stitches for them and let them “sew” on their own – some toddlers may be very persistent.

9. Stack cups or containers of different sizes.

10. Game pieces from lost games & cards (NO EATING!) Find old games at garage sales if you don’t have lost pieces.

11. Make tunnel of kitchen chairs.

12. Writing tray – put a layer of rice (that just vacuums up) in a baking dish for them to write with their fingers.

13. Lacing cards (just use a cardboard shape with holes punched for yarn.) Attach yarn with masking tape.

14. Stencils, paper, colored pencils.

15. Chalk or light colored crayons on dark construction paper.

16. Painting: water colors, paint books or food coloring in water with Q-tips.

17. Blocks (fabric ones that may not stack well, but also don’t hurt when hurled across the room).

18. Play-doh with a plastic knife, rolling pin, cookie cutters, small plastic toys.

19. Pringles can with a slit cut in the top to drop cardboard or plastic coins.

20. Look through a button box.

21. Watch a bug move across a table (NO EATING!)

22. Beanbags and a bucket.

23. Magnet and paperclips, washers, a nail, etc.

24. A large box (that’s all they need – they’ll do the rest).

25. Books! 

26. Throw a blanket over a coffee table or card table.  Give them clothes pins.  They’ll figure it out.

27. Sticky notes and pencil.

28. Refrigerated cookie dough and a cookie sheet.  They can play with it and you can eat all the results.

29. A variety of magnets (like ABC’s or just refrigerator magnets) and a metal cookie sheet.

30. A stack of puzzles.

31. Ice trays and buttons, beads or marbles for sorting (NO EATING!)

32. A marble maze – set it in a shallow cardboard box to cut down on the lost marbles.

33. A plastic bottle (clean milk jug, well rinsed detergent bottle, etc.) and small items like clothes pins, pennies to drop in and shake out again (this can be a little noisy during school).

34. Damp washcloth and wall or window to “clean”.  Paper towels and a spray bottle with a little water in it.

35. Colored rice to pour through a colander or funnels.

36. Colored rice or colored cereal to glue on construction paper.  Write the child’s name in big block letters and let them glue stuff inside the letters.

37. Tape a sheet of freezer paper or newsprint the floor and trace around the child, having them lie still with their legs and arms a little outstretched – let them color a self-portrait.

38. Let them have a ride toy in the house if they don’t get too rowdy.

39. Matching shapes – cut out shapes, then draw around them on another sheet of paper.  Let the kids match the shapes.

40. Box of paper dolls.

41. Ziploc bag of small plastic toys such as farm animals or little people.

42. Make a mural with butcher or banner paper.

43. Sort Duplos by color & size.

44. Soft foam balls or daddy’s matched sox in a ball to pitch into the laundry basket.

45. Have a stuffed-animal tea party with real crackers.

46. Do exercises together.

47. Dominoes

48. Paint with watercolor books – use Q-tips instead of paint brushes and a muffin tin with water to limit spills.

49. Toy shopping cart to collect things around the room.

50. (See above)

My real feelings on preparing for school with your toddler are spoken through others’ words here.