Tuesday, December 10, 2013

Toddler Tuesday: Stocking Stuffers



Christmas is coming! Our 19-22-month-olds had so much fun stuffing their stockings, and they learned some great things in the process!




What We Used:

  • Mini stockings – I got a pack of 10 at Walgreens for a few dollars, so there was enough for each child to have one.
  • Bells – large red, green, and gold ones (make sure they’re big enough not to be choked on, because we did have some mouthing attempts)
  • Bows – these were from a pack of 20 from the Dollar Tree
  • Mini gift bows – pack of 10 from Hobby Lobby
  • Christmas tree shaped dishes (plastic) – you know, just in case they decided they wanted to return items to the dish they got them out of



What We Did:

  • We gave each child their own stocking and let them feel the soft texture.
  • I pulled out a bell, then a bow, then a mini gift bow one at a time and very slowly showed them how to place them inside the stocking, then how to pull them out again.
  • We placed several bells and bows on the Christmas tree dishes on the table and let the kids give it a try! They were so engaged in this activity!



What We Learned:

  • Sensory Experiences – touching the soft stocking, listening to the jingling bell, feeling the textured bows, etc.
  • Fine Motor Skills – It takes a lot of practice picking up little objects and poking them through holes! And this fun activity is a perfect way to develop pre-writing skills, especially if you place the plate to the left of the child, causing him to move the items from left to right.
  • Sharing – we only had 2 Christmas tree dishes, and the kids got practice taking turns and even trading out for different items
  • Seasonal Awareness – we love to sing Christmas carols while we play with all our Christmasy things!



This was such a fun activity that the toddlers stayed very focused on, and they learned so much!




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