4Real Forums: Ideas for Active Toddler

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Nurturing the Years of Wonder
4Real Forums : Nurturing the Years of Wonder

Topic: Ideas for Active Toddler

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Sarah M
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Posted: Jan 29 2008 at 10:38pm \| IP Logged

I need ideas of what to offer my VERY ACTIVE 2 year old son while the girls and I do "school." If we're making lapbooks, he's ripping them apart; if we're counting beans, he's throwing them across the room. I'm afraid to break out the Montessori materials for the girls because I know he'd just destroy them.

I know it's hard for him because he's got all that 2-year-old-pent-up-energy, but HELP!

I'm losing my mind!!!

lapazfarm
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Posted: Jan 29 2008 at 10:52pm \| IP Logged

Sarah, several of us also have a 2yo (or two!) so we can certainly understand where you are coming from. It is perhaps our greatest challenge! Today I found two pegs from the geometry cabinet shapes outside on the sidewalk (when did that happen???), spent some time on my knees gathering up 100 little golden unit beads that got dumped on the kitchen floor,had to pull JackJack out of the bottom portion of the map cabinet, and run after our globe as he rolled it down the hallway!
I'm heading off to a well-earned sleep right now, but will get back with you tomorrow on some ideas. Hopefully some of the other moms of twos will chime in as well. Apparently I need some ideas, too!LOL!

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Theresa
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Meredith
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Posted: Jan 30 2008 at 9:49am \| IP Logged

Hey Sarah I dedicated a whole Carnival to toddlers last year when my little guy turned 2, he's still what I would consider an "active" little guy at almost three

Hope you can find some of these ideas helpful, it's heavy on Montessori and lots of LOVE:

Carnival of Toddlers

Blessings!

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Meredith
Mom of 4 Sweeties
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joann10
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Posted: Jan 30 2008 at 9:52am \| IP Logged

I have an "energentic" 1.5dd and a 2.5ds and keeping them out of trouble is certainly a full time job--which meana alot of schoolwork is not getting done around here. I look forward to much needed advice also!

joann10
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Posted: Jan 30 2008 at 9:54am \| IP Logged

I posted at the same time as Meredith, now I will go and glean as much advice as I can from the Carnival of Toddlers!

AndreaG
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Posted: Jan 30 2008 at 10:06am \| IP Logged

Ahhh two year olds! My little guy is 16 months, but definitely into everything- this morning I was pleased to be having a quite time doing lessons with my 8-year-old. Usually the toddler is climbing all over the school table and throwing/dumping things. Then I went into the kitchen and saw he had dumped the sugar bowl everywhere!

I think toddlers make it pretty clear what their developmental tasks are: climbing, dumping, pouring, etc!
Some ideas that keep my little guy off the school table:
-playdough
-rice bin
-bath (we sometimes do lessons in the bathroom while he plays in the tub!)
-little scooter bike for him to ride around on
-couch cushions on the floor for him to climb on
-any bin of little things (math bears, etc) for him to dump out and put back in

I do have a few special toddler shelves for him and try to redirect him to those, and spend time with him BEFORE attempting anything with the olders. It is nice that I have 4 children, usually I can convince one of them to play with the toddler while I work with the others. He really just wants to be involved. I tell myself we are all learning patience!

If you want developmental montessori activities for 2's I have founbd the Table of Contents of the NAMC manuals helpful:
NAMC Two's Manual A
NAMC Two's Manual B

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Andrea
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montessori_lori
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Posted: Jan 30 2008 at 10:10am \| IP Logged

Save the presentations for naptime! Same with any work that uses tiny pieces. Also, keeping them apart (different rooms) - have the older children work as independently as possible and only come to you when they have a problem. Stay with the younger one(s) - they need direction the most.

Search for other posts by montessori_lori

SuzanneG
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Posted: Jan 30 2008 at 3:03pm \| IP Logged

Holly Pierlot, of A Mother's Rule of Life posted a list of
Little Ones Activities that she used while working with her older children. It's in the comments section, so let me know if the link doesn't work.

I'm also constantly changing what we do and when, to correspond with naptime.

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Suzanne in ID
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lapazfarm
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Posted: Jan 30 2008 at 4:03pm \| IP Logged

This morning I put JackJack in the tub with the warm water dribbling and sprayed shaving cream on the tile wall. He had a blast for a long time!

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Theresa
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SuzanneG
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Posted: Jan 30 2008 at 4:13pm \| IP Logged

lapazfarm wrote:

This morning I put JackJack in the tub with the warm water dribbling and sprayed shaving cream on the tile wall. He had a blast for a long time!

Yes! We've done that too! Fingerpaints, shaving cream, cups, strainers, whatever you can think of. And, then the rest of us just sit our little tushies down in the hallway and go to it!
"Schoolhouse in the Hallway"?
"Schoolhouse in the Bathroom"?

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Suzanne in ID
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Sarah M
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Posted: Jan 30 2008 at 6:08pm \| IP Logged

I totally think we'll be schooling in the bathroom a lot. I always get a big sigh of relief when he's in the tub. Having him contained to a 2x5 foot space is oh-so-nice.

Thanks for all the ideas. I'm going to print them up and make them into a big master list in my planner.

Erin
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Posted: Jan 31 2008 at 2:49am \| IP Logged

AndreaG wrote:

If you want developmental montessori activities for 2's I have founbd the Table of Contents of the NAMC manuals helpful:
NAMC Two's Manual A
NAMC Two's Manual B

Andrea
Would these be too advanced for a 19month old?

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Erin
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AndreaG
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Posted: Jan 31 2008 at 10:01am \| IP Logged

Erin, I want to clarify that I don't own the manuals, I just use the free Table of Contents for ideas of developmentally appropriate activities.
The links I gave are for the Two's manual, there is also a "Toddler" manual for 1-year-olds and an infant manual.
My own children seem to vary, sometimes the things listed for their age seem above them, sometimes too easy. I try to see where they are at and build on that.
I am surprised with montessori what is introduced to such young children, I never would have thought my 16 month old could handle a regular cup (as opposed to a sippy cup) or setting the table, but he can! Of course a bit clumsily

I do stick with plastic cups, I'm not montessori enough to give him glass.

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Andrea
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Barbara C.
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Posted: Feb 02 2008 at 7:54pm \| IP Logged

I don't know if you still use a high chair/feeding seat. I strap my little one in sometimes and let her color or glue things to paper (macaroni, buttons, pompons, googly eyes). She also enjoys working on simple wooden puzzles (numbers, abc's, shapes).

My older dd is also very sensitive to sound and distraction (something two-year-olds are notorious for), so I am not above popping on an episode of Dora or Blues Clues from the DVR for my little one while we go over our lesson or activity.

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Barbara
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