Monday: “The Very Hungry Caterpillar”

Activity 1: Make Your Own Caterpillar

Materials Needed

• Green and red pom-poms (for the caterpillar's body and head).

• Googly eyes (small size for older toddlers; larger for younger ones for safety).

• Glue (child-safe; younger toddlers can use glue sticks for easier handling).

• Clothespins (optional, mainly for older toddlers).

• Construction paper (various colors for leaves and fruits; pre-cut shapes for younger toddlers).

• Scissors (adult use only or under strict supervision for older toddlers).

Instructions

For Younger Toddlers:

1. Setup: Pre-cut the construction paper into shapes of leaves and fruits. Place materials within reach on a secure, clean surface.

2. Explaining the Activity: Show them the caterpillar in the book, emphasizing colors and the concept of "big" and "small."

3. Creating the Caterpillar: Assist them in selecting a red pom-pom for the head and help them line up green pom-poms for the body. They can press these onto dots of glue you've placed down for them.

4. Adding Features: Help them stick on larger googly eyes to the caterpillar's head. For safety, avoid small parts that could be a choking hazard.

5. Scene Creation: Encourage them to place the pre-cut leaves and fruits around the caterpillar, discussing the caterpillar's journey as you go.

For Older Toddlers:

1. Setup: Provide the materials and let them explore the shapes and colors.

2. Explaining the Activity: Engage them in a conversation about the story, asking what the caterpillar eats and how it grows.

3. Creating the Caterpillar: Have them choose and glue the pom-poms themselves, practicing sequencing by arranging the pom-poms from smallest to largest to show growth.

4. Adding Features: They can clip on clothespins for legs, enhancing their fine motor skills and adding a layer of detail.

5. Scene Creation: Older toddlers can try to cut out their own leaves and fruits with safety scissors, developing their cutting skills and creativity.

Cleanup

• Guide children in cleaning up, turning it into a game to see who can put away materials the fastest, fostering responsibility.

Why It’s a Good Activity

• Creativity and Imagination: Allows children to express themselves and bring a story to life. Younger toddlers enjoy the sensory aspect, while older toddlers can dive deeper into story comprehension.

• Fine Motor Skill Development: Tailored activities help develop these skills appropriately, with simpler tasks for younger toddlers and more complex tasks for older ones.

• Story Comprehension and Sequencing: Older toddlers can engage more with the story's sequence, while younger toddlers focus on colors and big concepts.

• Sensory Play: The tactile experience is great for all ages, with an emphasis on safety for younger toddlers through the use of larger materials.

Activity 2: Food Sensory Box

Materials Needed

• Assorted fruits (like apples, pears, oranges, strawberries; ensure they are safe and cut into appropriate sizes).

• Artificial leaves or safe, non-toxic leaves from your garden.

• Textured materials like felt or foam sheets (cut in the shapes of fruits and leaves).

• Large tray or shallow box to contain the materials.

• Sensory bin or large container (optional).

• Aprons or smocks (to keep clothes clean).

Instructions

For Younger Toddlers:

1. Setup: Arrange the fruits, artificial leaves, and textured materials on a tray. Ensure everything is safe and non-toxic.

2. Exploring Textures: Encourage your toddler to touch and feel each object. Describe the textures they are feeling – smooth, bumpy, soft, hard.

3. Safe Tasting: Allow them to taste safe and appropriately sized fruit pieces, under close supervision.

4. Color Identification: Ask them to identify colors of the fruits and leaves, enhancing their color recognition skills.

5. Sensory Bin: If using a sensory bin, let them explore the textures in a contained space, which can be especially helpful for children who are more tactilely sensitive.

For Older Toddlers:

1. Setup: In addition to the above, include more varied textures and introduce felt or foam sheets cut into fruit and leaf shapes.

2. Sorting and Matching: Challenge them to match the fruits and leaves with their corresponding shapes and textures.

3. Descriptive Language: Encourage them to describe what they feel and see, using descriptive words like “rough,” “squishy,” or “grainy.”

4. Counting and Categorizing: Integrate some basic math by asking them to count the items or sort them by size or color.

5. Imaginative Play: Encourage them to use the materials to create their own version of the caterpillar's world, fostering imaginative play.

Cleanup

• Engage the toddlers in the cleanup process, teaching them about responsibility and care for their play environment.

Why It’s a Good Activity

• Sensory Development: This activity stimulates the tactile senses, important for all toddlers, with age-appropriate challenges.

• Fine Motor Skills: Picking up small pieces of fruit and materials helps develop these skills.

• Cognitive Development: Older toddlers can engage in more complex tasks like sorting and counting, enhancing cognitive skills.

• Language Skills: Describing textures and actions helps in language development, with simpler words for younger toddlers and more complex descriptions for older ones.

Tuesday: "Where the Wild Things Are"

Activity 1: Make a wild crown or mask!

Materials Needed:

• Paper plates or cardstock (for the mask base).

• Colored paper, felt, or foam sheets (for decoration).

• Glue, tape, or stapler (for attaching decorations).

• Elastic string (for masks) or additional paper (for crowns).

• Crayons, markers, or paint.

• Scissors (for adult use or under supervision for older toddlers).

Instructions for Younger Toddlers:

1. Preparation: Pre-cut elements like ears, eyes, and noses from colored paper or felt.

2. Simple Mask/Crown Making: Let them choose and glue the pre-cut elements onto the paper plate or crown base.

3. Decorating: Assist them in coloring or painting the mask/crown.

4. Safety: Ensure any elastic string used for masks is securely attached and poses no risk.

Instructions for Older Toddlers:

1. Creative Freedom: Encourage them to cut out their own elements (under supervision) and design their own wild thing mask or crown.

2. Complex Decoration: They can use a wider range of materials and techniques, like layering paper or adding textures.

3. Wearing and Playing: Once done, they can wear their masks/crowns and engage in pretend play.

Add on - Dramatic Play: Act out Parts of the Story

Materials Needed:

• The book “Where the Wild Things Are.”

• Any props or costumes like the masks/crowns made earlier.

Instructions for Younger Toddlers:

1. Simple Role Play: Read parts of the story and encourage them to mimic simple actions or sounds of the wild things.

2. Guided Play: Lead them through a basic reenactment, focusing on big movements and sounds.

Instructions for Older Toddlers:

1. Story Retelling: Encourage them to recall and act out their favorite parts of the story.

2. Character Exploration: They can choose to be different characters and express how those characters might feel or act.

Activity 2: Draw or Paint a Wild Thing's "Forest"

Materials Needed:

• Large sheets of paper or a roll of paper.

• Crayons, markers, paint.

• Sponges or stamps for texturing (optional).

• Nature items for inspiration (like leaves or twigs).

Instructions for Younger Toddlers:

1. Guided Drawing/Painting: Help them with basic shapes and forms using crayons or finger paints.

2. Texture Exploration: Use sponges or stamps to create textures that they can touch and feel.

Instructions for Older Toddlers:

1. Independent Creation: Let them draw or paint their version of the wild thing's forest.

2. Nature Integration: They can use nature items for inspiration or even as painting tools for unique textures.

Why These Activities Are Good

• Creativity and Self-Expression: Both crafting and dramatic play allow children to express themselves creatively, with complexity adjusted for age.

• Fine Motor Skills: Activities like cutting, gluing, and drawing are great for developing these skills, especially for older toddlers.

• Imagination and Story Comprehension: Acting out parts of the story and creating related art deepens their understanding and engagement with the book.

• Sensory Exploration: Younger toddlers benefit from the tactile aspects of these activities, while older toddlers can explore more complex sensory experiences.

Wednesday: "Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?"

Activity 1: Create a Collage of Animals from the Book

Materials Needed:

• Construction paper (various colors).

• Animal templates or stickers related to the book's characters.

• Glue sticks.

• Safety scissors (for older toddlers and under supervision).

• Crayons or markers.

Instructions for Younger Toddlers:

1. Preparation: Cut out shapes of the animals from different colored construction paper beforehand.

2. Simple Collage Making: Help them glue the pre-cut animal shapes onto a large piece of paper.

3. Coloring: Let them color around the animals with crayons or markers, focusing on identifying colors.

Instructions for older toddlers:

1. Creative Freedom: Provide templates and let them trace and cut out their own animals from the construction paper.

2. Detailed Collage: Encourage them to arrange and glue their animals to create a scene from the book, or invent a new one.

3. Story Integration: As they work, discuss the sounds each animal makes and what they might see, integrating language skills.

Activity 2: Match Colors and Animals

Materials Needed:

• Printed or hand-drawn pictures of the animals from the book.

• Colored cards or paper matching the animals' colors.

Instructions for Younger Toddlers:

1. Color Matching: Show them an animal and help them find the matching color card.

2. Simplified Choices: To avoid overwhelm, limit the number of choices and focus on one or two animals at a time.

Instructions for Older Toddlers:

1. Independent Matching: Lay out all the animals and colors, challenging them to match each animal with its corresponding color.

2. Memory Game: Turn it into a memory game by placing the cards face down and finding matching pairs.

Activity 3: Storytime - Use a Mirror to Play "What Do You See?"

Materials Needed:

• A mirror large enough for the toddler to see themselves.

• Animal masks or pictures from the activity above.

Instructions for Younger Toddlers:

1. Mirror Exploration: Let them look in the mirror and explore their reflection.

2. Imitation Game: Hold up an animal picture next to their reflection and imitate the animal sounds together.

Instructions for Older Toddlers:

1. Role Play: Using the animal masks or pictures, ask them what animal they are, encouraging them to make faces or sounds like that animal.

2. Story Integration: Recreate scenes from the book using the mirror, asking them, "What do you see?" to prompt responses based on the book.

Why These Activities Are Good (With Age Variations)

• Sensory Development: Engaging with different textures and colors in the crafts supports sensory development.

• Cognitive Skills: Matching games and story integration activities enhance memory, recognition, and understanding.

• Language Development: Discussing animals, colors, and actions fosters vocabulary growth and language skills.

• Creative Expression: All activities encourage creativity, whether through making art, playing matching games, or imaginative play with mirrors.

Thursday: “Goodnight Moon”

Activity 1: Goodnight Moon Storytime and Sensory Bin

Materials Needed:

• A copy of "Goodnight Moon" by Margaret Wise Brown.

• A large, shallow container or sensory bin.

• Items to fill the bin that are mentioned in the book, such as:

  • Soft fabric or felt pieces (to represent the "great green room").

  • Small toy furniture (beds, chairs) or blocks to build them.

  • Miniature animals or figures that match the characters (bunny, mice).

  • Soft, plush stars or moon toys.

  • Additional sensory items like cotton balls (for the quiet old lady whispering "hush").

• Safe, non-toxic moon and stars glow-in-the-dark stickers for the sensory bin's interior (optional).

Instructions for Younger Toddlers:

1. Preparation: Fill the sensory bin with the fabric or felt as a base to create the room. Add in the toy furniture, animals, and any other relevant items softly.

2. Interactive Storytime: Read "Goodnight Moon" aloud, pausing to let them find and touch the corresponding items in the sensory bin. This tactile exploration helps them connect the story's words with real-world textures and objects.

3. Sensory Exploration: Allow them to freely explore the bin's contents, encouraging gentle play with the soft stars and moon, and whispering "hush" together.

Instructions for Older Toddlers:

1. Creative Setup: Involve them in setting up the sensory bin to match the room described in the book. They can decide where each piece of furniture should go and place the characters appropriately.

2. Engaged Storytime: As you read the story, encourage them to act out the scenes using the items in the bin. Ask questions about the story to enhance comprehension and vocabulary, such as "What color is the great green room?" or "Why do we say goodnight?"

3. Language Development: Use the activity as an opportunity to introduce new words and concepts, like "whisper" and "hush," and discuss the concept of saying goodnight to various objects.

Why This Activity Is Good

• Sensory Development: The sensory bin provides a rich tactile experience, allowing toddlers to explore different textures and objects, which is essential for their sensory processing skills.

• Language Skills: Interactive storytime enhances listening, comprehension, and vocabulary as toddlers connect spoken words with physical objects and actions.

• Cognitive Development: Identifying objects and acting out parts of the story fosters understanding of narrative structure, sequencing, and memory.

• Emotional and Social Skills: This activity offers a calming experience, ideal for winding down, and encourages shared experiences and turn-taking during group play.

• Creativity and Imagination: By recreating scenes from the book, toddlers use their imagination and creativity to bring the story to life in their unique way.

Activity 2: Personalized "Goodnight [Toddler's Name]" Storybook Activity

Materials Needed:

• Blank, sturdy paper or a blank booklet for creating the book.

• Crayons, markers, and colored pencils.

• Photos or pictures of your toddler’s favorite things, family members, pets, and their own bedroom.

• Glue sticks or photo-safe adhesive.

• Stickers or additional decorative items (optional).

Instructions:

1. Story Planning:

   • Begin by brainstorming with your toddler about which objects, people, and aspects of their room they want to say goodnight to. This could include their bed, a favorite toy, family members, pets, and even elements like the moon or stars outside their window.

2. Creating the Pages:

   • Dedicate each page of the book to one of the items or people your toddler wants to include. For younger toddlers, you can handle the drawing or arranging of photos, while older toddlers might enjoy drawing the pictures themselves or choosing where to place photos on each page.

3. Writing the Text:

   • On each page, write a simple sentence similar to the structure found in "Goodnight Moon," such as "Goodnight [item/person]," adjusting the complexity based on your child's language development. Older toddlers can be encouraged to think of the sentences themselves or even try writing some words with your help.

4. Decoration:

   • Decorate the pages with crayons, markers, or stickers. This is a great opportunity for your toddler to express their creativity and personalize their book even further.

5. Assembly:

   • Once all the pages are completed, assemble the book. If you're using loose sheets of paper, you can staple the pages together along one edge or punch holes and tie the pages together with ribbon or yarn.

Why This Activity Is Good

• Language Development: Crafting the book helps in vocabulary building and understanding sentence structure. Personalizing the story encourages your toddler to use language actively, enhancing both speaking and comprehension skills.

• Emotional Connection: Personalizing the story with familiar faces and objects provides a sense of security and reinforces the bond between your child and their surroundings, making bedtime a more comforting experience.

• Creativity and Imagination: Drawing, decorating, and deciding on the content allow toddlers to use their imagination and creativity, important components of cognitive development.

• Fine Motor Skills: Activities like drawing, coloring, and gluing improve fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination, crucial for writing and other daily tasks.

• Sense of Achievement: Completing the book and reading it together at bedtime can give your toddler a strong sense of pride and accomplishment, boosting their self-esteem and motivation for similar projects.

Friday: “The Rainbow Fish”

Activity 1: Create a Shiny Fish with Foil Scales

Materials Needed:

• Paper plates or cut-out fish shapes from heavy paper.

• Aluminum foil, cut into small squares to serve as shiny scales.

• Tissue paper (various colors) for additional scales.

• Glue sticks or white glue.

• Googly eyes (optional).

• Markers or crayons.

Instructions for Younger Toddlers:

1. Preparation: Pre-apply glue in a dot pattern on the fish shape where scales would go.

2. Simple Attachment: Help them stick foil squares and tissue paper onto the glue dots to create a shiny, colorful fish.

3. Final Touches: Assist them in adding a googly eye or drawing an eye and mouth on their fish.

Instructions for Older Toddlers:

1. Creative Freedom: Provide the materials and let them glue the foil and tissue paper scales onto their fish, encouraging pattern creation or color mixing.

2. Detailing: They can add facial features and fins to their fish using markers or crayons, emphasizing the uniqueness of their creation.

Social/Emotional Learning add-on: Discuss the Importance of Sharing and Friendship.

Materials Needed:

• "The Rainbow Fish" book.

• The craft fish created earlier.

Instructions for Both Age Groups:

1. Storytime Reflection: After reading the story, engage in a discussion about why it was good for the Rainbow Fish to share his scales.

2. Role-Playing: Use the crafted fish to act out sharing scenarios, emphasizing emotions and reactions to sharing.

Activity 2: Fishy Dance Party

Materials Needed:

• A music player or any device that can play music.

• Selection of songs with aquatic or ocean themes, or any upbeat tunes your toddler enjoys.

• Optional: Blue, green, and shiny streamers or ribbons to create a "underwater" ambiance.

• Space clear of obstacles for safe dancing.

Instructions for Younger Toddlers:

1. Preparation: Set up the play area to be safe for dancing. If using streamers or ribbons, hang them around the room to simulate water and waves, keeping them out of reach to avoid tangling.

2. Introduction to Music: Play the aquatic-themed music or any child-friendly tunes and demonstrate simple dance moves like waving hands or swaying side to side to mimic fish swimming.

3. Guided Dance: Encourage your toddler to mimic your movements, focusing on large, easy-to-follow actions. Use the streamers or ribbons to gently wave around, creating visual stimulation.

Instructions for Older Toddlers:

1. Creative Freedom: Encourage them to move freely to the music, expressing themselves through dance. Suggest imaginative play, such as pretending to be different sea creatures from "The Rainbow Fish."

2. Dance Games: Play games like "Freeze Dance" with an aquatic twist, pausing the music and shouting out different sea creatures for them to pose as when the music stops.

3. Learning Through Dance: Use the opportunity to talk about how different sea creatures move (e.g., jellyfish float, crabs sidestep), integrating fun facts into the dance party.

Why This Activity Is Good

• Physical Development: Dancing is a great form of physical exercise, helping toddlers with balance, coordination, and gross motor skills.

• Creativity and Imagination: Pretending to be various sea creatures encourages imaginative play and creativity, key aspects of cognitive development.

• Emotional Expression: Music and dance allow toddlers to express their emotions freely, contributing to emotional intelligence and confidence.

• Social Skills: Dancing together fosters a sense of community and cooperation, which is especially important for older toddlers as they learn to interact with peers.

• Sensory Stimulation: The combination of music, movement, and visual elements like streamers provides a rich sensory experience, stimulating auditory and visual senses.