Picture 1 - Sorting activities. Previously in toddler classrooms I really enjoy sorting activities because they can support a variety of thematic lessons if you adjust it to be relevant. It is a perceptual, memory, & problem solving activity because the child is being hands on, has to remember the proper category & find out where it belongs.
Picture 2 - Sensory Tubs. Same reason why I enjoy them. They are multipurpose like the sorting activities. They can help with fine motor skills, memory, & problem solving. |
Picture 3 - Ball pit is one of my favorite things to have (something I plan to do this summer with my own child care service) because it is extremely fun. I normally work with younger children so they have a great appreciation for the ball pit. It's great for fine & gross motor & safe because the balls are soft so when they can be thrown & children can bounce around on them without getting hurt. It can be down indoor & outdoor. Picture 4 - Creating masks out of art supplies is a fun activity that is a favorite because you can use adjust them to any theme. They are great for fine motor, literacy supporters when used during story time, & can be perceptual when directed by the teacher.
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Picture 5 - Using tape for kinesthetic lessons. Can be used for a variety of lessons. Shapes, Letters, gross motor (hopscotch!) etc. Supports Literacy, gross motor, memory, & perceptual thinking. It's a favorite because it is a fun way to spice up a lesson plus balancing on the tape can be difficult for the children but makes for good laughs when we get off balance. Picture 6 - Hand Puppets out of art supplies. This is something I like to incorporate in the classroom a lot because it is cute & fun. It supports literacy & can be used while reading a book, singing a song, & used during dramatic play. It's great for fine motor, perceptual thinking, & problem solving because of the steps taken to create them. It is also good for memory when used to support a lesson because they can familiarize that they learned a certain topic when they made the puppet.
Picture 7 - Scarf Dancing. Something I often do with students. It's a fun gross motor activity that can help with memory as well (colors) Picture 8 - Baby/Toddler Yoga. This is something I recently discovered at a children's event on base. It is a fun gross motor activity that can support literacy depending on how it's used. For instance a lot of kids yoga is done while telling a story so if you read a book about the jungle & then do yoga poses like animals it can support your story. It is also perceptual because you are acting out different poses. A lot of kids see their mother's (or fathers too I'm sure!) doing yoga & enjoy the familiarity.
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Picture 9 - Dramatic Play Corners. Dramatic play corners are great for perceptual learning & memory. I enjoy them a lot because you can make a dramatic play corner to support your lesson about almost any theme with the proper materials. The children get to act out & experience the topic that was discussed. Picture 10 - Art Acronyms One of my favorite things to do with older early childhood children is an art acronym. Mine however usually involve drawing that supports the word & topic. For example if it is a name acronym then maybe they will draw a picture of their favorite thing starting with that letter along with the word. It's a fun way to learn about your students or for the students to learn about each other! Very good for literacy.
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SUMMARY
A lot of my favorite activities are strongly gross/fine motor & perceptual related because I am a lover of movement activities. I do have a few other categories but I could definitely do with more knowledge on literacy supporting activities & problem solving activities to create a better balance!!