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Curriculum>Curriculums and Themes for Toddlers?
DancingQueen 02:39 AM 09-07-2010
I am trying to figure out a way to incorporate some sort of curriculum into my daycare. My problem is that the kids are all 2 and under. I pull out crayons and they eat them. I read to them and they crawl away to play, I can't even keep my easel out unless I'm not going to leave their side for a minute because they eat the chalk.

Does anyone have any specific ideas on how to start a curriculum with young kids or do you only do it with older kids?

And for the record - I DO still read, I DO still bring out the crayons and we do still have activities that are educational. They are just completely and totally exhausting beyond belief because they just don't seem ready for any of it and it ads a ton of work to my day.
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mac60 02:48 AM 09-07-2010
I typically don't do what I call preschool activities with the under 3's. I do let the younger ones do hands on activities sitting at the table in an organized way. Easy puzzles, various blocks, mini chalkboards,stringing large beads, etc, along with books and music.
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DCMomOf3 05:34 AM 09-07-2010
I bought Funshine Buttercups for that age range. I'm starting this week.
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DCMomOf3 05:36 AM 09-07-2010
OH, and I still do my own coloring, glueing, and other things, I'm just adding buttercups to my day.
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SilverSabre25 06:11 AM 09-07-2010
If they are eating the chalk and eating the crayons, they're not ready for the activity, IMO. I have several kids who eat crayons/chalk and while I let them have the opportunity to use those materials, after the second time I have to redirect the item out of their mouth, I put them down from the table and they're done.

As for crawling away while you read to them, I don't see a problem with that. Children have an amazing capability to still hear and absorb what you're reading even if they're engaged in some other activity. Toddlers aren't developmentally ready to sit still and listen to a story. Just read out loud while they do what they are interested in--they will still get the benefit of the reading.
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DancingQueen 06:24 AM 09-07-2010
That is exactly what I do. almost word for word on both counts. I just wasn't sure if anyone was doing any sort of specific curriculum at this age - or just general playtime, creative time, large and fine motorskill toys etc.
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momma2girls 07:04 AM 09-07-2010
Originally Posted by mac60:
I typically don't do what I call preschool activities with the under 3's. I do let the younger ones do hands on activities sitting at the table in an organized way. Easy puzzles, various blocks, mini chalkboards,stringing large beads, etc, along with books and music.
I do the same thing here! I don't actually start preschool, arts and crafts, til the age of 3, we do start coloing earlier though. We do wooden puzzles, read books, flashcards with animals on them, etc..... for the younger ones.
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MarinaVanessa 08:33 AM 09-07-2010
Yup me too, blocks, large lego type toys, books, etc. The only thing that I do that involves paint is fingerpainting since it's an open-ended project and I don't always use paper. When I do use paper I put it on a tray, we go outside and the trays go on the floor or on a small table and the go to town with the paint. If they are so young that they tend to try to eat the paint I replace that childs paint with something edible instead (yogurt, sugar-free chocolate syrup, oatmeal etc.). Yes it's messy but it works and they learn the same skills. Sometimes I don't use the paper and only use the trays.

I also go by the post-office and get various sizes of shipping boxes (or you can order thhem online and have them shipped right to your door) and assemble them and we use them as very large blocks. The littles love to stack these and it's free. When they start getting warped or torn, they go in the recycle bin.

Another game they like is easter egg hunting with toys. Give the littles a basket and put toys in it and hide them when the are not looking. I have them turn around, cover their eyes and we sing a song and when I stop singing they can open their eyes. I usually do this with blocks and each child finds their blocks that match their cubbie (child #1 finds green, #2 finds blue etc.) The older the child the more blocks they have to find.
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Carole's Daycare 06:49 AM 09-08-2010
Originally Posted by Quincy:
I bought Funshine Buttercups for that age range. I'm starting this week.
Congrats! I like the buttercups, and was so glad Funshine responded to the many requests for curriculum geared to the younger kids in addition to their preschool curriculum. They made some changes this year while working with Jeannette Rydberg- the head of the Child Development Program at our college, so it will be one of the only curriculum programs designed specifically for home daycares that meets all of the Core Competencies etc and will be one of 9 or 10 approved by the state and CCR&R to meet requirements for our new Quality Rating System
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athomemommy 09:52 AM 05-03-2011
What other ideas do you have for the under 3 groups? Any good books
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daycare 10:03 AM 05-03-2011
I have done painting in high chairs so that they cant get down and paint things in your house. I have used vanilla pudding and added food coloring to it so that if they eat it, its not the end of the world. I also added some pepper to it so that they wont want to eat it. you can add other kind of food to it to give it texture.

We do a lot of stuff with cups.. fill shallow tubs, like kitty litter trays with water. get any size of cups to use to fill and then one large empty bucket that they will all dump into. You can add things to the water as well so that they can see the colors change. Food coloring works best. You can also add bubbles too, as they are non toxic.

I have a book someone for the under twos I have to look for it...
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jen2651 03:15 PM 05-03-2011
Originally Posted by Carole's Daycare:
Congrats! I like the buttercups, and was so glad Funshine responded to the many requests for curriculum geared to the younger kids in addition to their preschool curriculum. They made some changes this year while working with Jeannette Rydberg- the head of the Child Development Program at our college, so it will be one of the only curriculum programs designed specifically for home daycares that meets all of the Core Competencies etc and will be one of 9 or 10 approved by the state and CCR&R to meet requirements for our new Quality Rating System
How does the Buttercups work with with the Fireflies. Do the kids notice they are doing different things? Are you basically teaching 2 curriculums then? Or does it help you adapt it to the younger ages?

I have 3 3-3.5 year olds and 1 10 month old, and 2 26 months.
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Evansmom 06:20 AM 05-04-2011
You know what's really fun with kids this age and that they understand is doing curriculum based on books that they love. It's free to plan you own and really easy!

Just pick one book a week that they love like Very Hungry Caterpillar or Brown Bear, Brown Bear (both by Eric Carle) and then when you do the curriculum do something like this:

Read the book title including author and illustrator
Read the book with the children
Talk about it while you are reading, ask questions like "who will come next...", explain the pictures etc. (dialogic reading)
Play a game based on what they did in the book. You can look this up online or improvise your own. For Brown Bear you could play a game where you take turns saying what you see and what color they are like in the book ex: "Brown Bear, Brown Bear what do you see? I see a yellow couch looking at me." (we have a yellowish couch
You could act out the book like a play or a section of the book, you could dress like the characters.
You could link a theme with Brown Bear about colors, you could link a theme with Very Hungry Caterpillar and trying new fruits and veggies.
Just anything that you can do to make associations for the children to the book. And to expose them to words and things that they haven't heard about yet.
One of the most important things for early childhood education is to give children a good and wide base of information. This helps them become good readers later! Each time you read or talk about something new it expands that base that they will need when they go off to Kindergarten.
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BusyBee 06:55 AM 05-04-2011
Someone had posted a response in a thread about their schedule. Saying that they broke up their weekly curriculum. For example, one day was music, another art, etc.

If anyone remembers that thread or if you were the poster of that response could you direct me to it, or remind me of what your schedule was? I liked that idea. I try to do too much, and then feel bad when we get NOTHING done!

It is tricky with multiple age groups!
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Tags:curriculum, infant, infant curriculum
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