Today I’ll get right to it! Today was so much fun! The activities were a total success and since I really can’t say that everyday, I’m in total mommy celebration mode! I’ve been sharing with you all the short activities I’m doing with my two year old toddler to keep him engaged while I homeschool my two girls ages four and six (who are in Kinder and 2nd Grade). Of course, not all of my little boys’ day is structured play or exploration but I want to share some of the things that as I say, “Make the day count for him as well as for the girls.”
Today’s activity (by the time your are reading this…really yesterday’s activity) was lacing. I was so excited by its success that I honestly couldn’t wait to share this very simple activity. So here we go….
Lacing with Seashells
Activity: Lacing with Seashells
Skill(s): Lacing, Counting and Builds Fine Motor Skills, Patience, and Problem Solving
Materials: Shells with Holes Pre-drilled at home or found that way in nature (I had a combo of both, mostly drilled at home), bright yarn or other easily visible thin ribbon (I use a safe short length to prevent hazards and never leave child unattended).
Directions: Pre-drill holes in shells with drill or find another item for lacing such as over sized beads (I have some of these as well, I’ll add pictures of later). The shells however, brought such interest that the fun lasted a long time. Tape the yarn to the side of the tray or table with a strong tape like duct tape. This keeps the shells in the thread and limits frustration. Place a piece of tape at the end of your yarn to make it easier to lace. Choose shells that are large and easy to handle for your little ones’ hands and does not create a choking hazard.
I wasn’t sure how this would turn out but I thought it would be worth a try since lacing is such a great skill and builds fine motor skills. His concentration during this was amazing and so cute to watch. I showed him once and he quickly took over! I let him get to it right away and after a short while walked right over to the table with my girls right next to him and got right to work. It was the best! He was super engaged and laced, talked and counted on and on for 45 minutes!!! I could not believe my eyes. That is a VERY long time for a toddler! We only stopped because it was lunch time and he was already asking for the activity again within a few minutes. This was what I call a mommy HOME RUN!
Here are a few still shots of his progress:
After he finished the first ones I gave him, he asked for more, “Mas coco” (“More coconuts”). He made a connection to other things in an ocean book we have! I gave him the word “caracoles” (“seashells”) and he attempted to call them that for the rest of the activity. I filled his tray with more since he was really enjoying it.
He started singing a clean up song on his own! He is attempting to say, “A guardar, a guardar, todo el mundo a guardar.” (Clean up (or put away), clean up, everybody clean up). This was progress because often times when he is finished with an activity, he throws everything on the floor (or at his sisters for attention). We have been working on clean up time. 🙂
I hope some of you try this at home with your toddlers. As always, I would really love to hear from you. If any of you would like, please share pictures via my Diapursity Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/diapursity/) page, below, or through my email: bernice@diapursity.com. Happy Teaching and Learning!