Mealtime & milestones for early childhood
Fall always feels like a fresh season to me full of new and exciting experiences. I think this has something to do with my background in teaching and fall being a time for back to school and routines. I have put a spin on some of the simple learning activities I used in the classroom with my preschool and kindergarten students to make them developmentally appropriate for my toddler. Supervision is required in these activities, and please use your own judgment to know whether or not your child is ready for the activity/materials!
Sticky Walls- these take a little preparation, but are well worth it! You need some easel paper, contact paper, construction paper or tissue paper (if you are making a pumpkin), painter’s tape & cotton balls (if you are making a ghost). I simply drew the shapes onto the easel paper and cut to size. Then I cut the contact paper slightly larger than the size of the easel paper. Peel the contact paper halfway and adhere to wall with painter’s tape. Slowly peel back the contact paper so the sticky side is out and continue to border with painter’s tape until it is on the wall. Allow your child to use pre-cut squares of colored construction paper or tissue paper to decorate a pumpkin or cotton balls to cover a ghost! You could also do a black cat, witch hat, etc. with various materials.
Toothpicks- this was the perfect activity for my son (around 16 months) to practice fine motor skills and keep him busy on the fly! I tightly covered a small Halloween tin bucket I found a couple years back in the Target Dollar Spot with plastic cling wrap (you can use a rubber band around it as well if needed). I showed my son how to poke toothpicks through the plastic and then let him have it! As always, supervision is necessary.
Pipe Cleaner Drop- I saved a puffs container and drilled 5 holes in the top of the lid. I drew a pumpkin face on the outside and then provided black and orange colored pipe cleaners for my son to put in. This is a great, simple activity for hand-eye coordination! Be careful with the ends of the pipe cleaners being sharp, it helps to bend them inward a little before giving them to your toddler.
Fall sensory bin ideas- I love sensory bins ALL year round, but for some reason fall always seems extra FUN. I have to get creative with sensory bins for my son because he is still attempting to put a lot in his mouth at this age, so I try to make sure everything is safe. For the base of our fall bin I used ground yellow cornmeal (it was like smooth sand consistency). I added artificial leaves, apples, gourds, pinecones and our wooden sensory tools from Simply to Play.
I also created a sensory bin with an “apple pie” theme, where I filled the containers with dry rolled oats, a few sprinkles of cinnamon, reused plastic lids from gelato containers covered in foil to look like mini pie tins, artificial apples and plastic measuring cups/spoons (found these at Dollar Tree). My son enjoyed both of these bins for over a week!
Other ideas for fillers: orange/black shred filler paper, corn kernels, pom poms, felt pumpkins, pumpkin seeds, plastic spiders
Washing a pumpkin– grab a bin, some gentle soap, a small brush/sponges and a pumpkin and let your little one have at it!
Gutting a pumpkin– a traditional fall family activity turned into a sensory learning experience! Talk about how it feels using different descriptive words with your child and set the seeds aside for saving to use for projects, a sensory bin filler or eating!
Playdough– homemade pumpkin scented play dough can be used in so many ways throughout the season. Our favorite ways at the age my son was this fall have been to “decorate” with cut up pipe cleaners, dyed pasta and plastic spiders, as well as for baking pretend cookies using Wilton Halloween-themed cookie cutters.
Painting a pumpkin- we used finger-paint to decorate our mini pumpkin, but you could definitely use washable paint and brushes if you would like! A fun twist on this activity is to print/trace different Halloween themed templates on sturdy paper. Cut them out and tape them to the outside of a larger pumpkin. Have your child paint around the template and then remove when they are finished and you are left with a fun design!
Foam pumpkin decorating– I provided harvest themed stickers and let my son practice sticking them (he needed help!) onto the foam pumpkin to decorate. You could also use markers, sequins, small foam shapes, glitter, googly eyes, etc. to decorate!
Do-a-dot markers- We used do-a-dot markers for the first time to decorate a black cat! I love how wide these markers are making it easy for toddlers to hold as one of their first art tools.
Field trip!– Take a family field trip to the pumpkin patch and pick pumpkins! After reading about them in books, completing activities involving pumpkins at home and even wearing them on our clothing, nothing beat the real experience of taking my son to his first pumpkin patch this season! It is so fun to see the connections being made in their little minds.
Books- It is not secret that books (children’s books in particular) are my favorite learning item that I truly believe will never go out of style! I have a whole post dedicated to my favorite pumpkin/Halloween themed books that can be found HERE. Check out some additional interactive books and activity books from Usborne Books and More below!
That’s Not my Bat! sensory book (perfect gift for babies/toddlers)
Sticker Dolly Dressing Halloween
Hope these give you some ideas to keep your busy toddler occupied this fall! See my instagram for more on our play, as well as activity idea posts I share from other inspirational accounts!
