Ideas for games in a 1-2yr old daycare?

Question

kids, children, daycare, games, distractions, baby, ideas, list,

Answer 1

organized games would be futile for this age - just have "centers" set up - blocks, "house," dress up box, etc.

Answer 2

tape a piece of blue or red tape in the carpet and play balancing.

Also with the same tape you can race blocks as if they were domino's divide your class into two groups.Place the blocks standing up and see which ones fall first.

Answer 3

I agree...organized "games" at this age are not really successful.

Centers are a great way to keep the children occupied.  Most toddler teachers are experts at switching out toys to keep interest as well.

Without telling the children, place a piece of contact paper sticky side up on the floor.  See what happens when they realize it's sticky.  VERY FUNNY!  And it allows for problem solving, etc.

Do the same...sticky side up on a wall and provide foam shapes to put on and take off.

Allow them to write with washable markers on a window, if it is at the right height.  On the same regard...if you have a mirror in your classroom...let them write while looking at themselves in the mirror.

Put foot prints around the room and watch this age follow them around and around and around.

This works better outside but it can be done inside... a strip of bulletin board/kraft paper (dollar store) and have children step in paint and then run down the strips.  They LOVE this!

This age loves to explore with sensory.  I find that having a wading pool that the children can get right into works best at this age.

Provide a tactile board...whether it is made with a piece of posterboard or on the back of a shelving unit or on a bulletin board at child's height.

Provide many different types of balls...soft fuzzy ones, some with bells, Tangiball, homemade oatmeal containers with bells inside.

On the note of oatmeal containers--- put a piece of paper inside and have the children drop a couple of paint covered golf balls then roll it back and forth.  They love it!

Open-ended---exploratory art is wonderful at this age.  I provided a cutout of a butterfly and folded it so only one half showed.  Gave them qtips and paint and they made a design on the one half. Then I helped them fold and press to make Butterfly Blots...and yes, I used the word symmetrical.  :-)

Large magnets on a magnet board is very popular.

Tunnels/obstacle courses...incorporate number recognition by putting big number cards at each spot.  Jump three times on bubble wrap (which is a fun activity in itself ...spread a length of bubble wrap on the floor and let them run, jump, hammer, etc); crawl under the box tunnel 1; stand tall on 2 stools.  Works great with visuals.

Music and movement...scarves, kids can make their own streamers by cutting a circle out of a paper plate and attaching colorful streamers, bells, pom poms!  They love moving.  

1-2 year olds are becoming capable of some simple parachute activities.  Can even use blankets and two children.

Dramatic play...especially house area/food.  Dress up is popular.  I think our vacuums get the most use.  Barn play is extremely popular as well.

Peek a boo boards... create flaps in construction paper and have the children's pics underneath or I did Fall Vocabulary pictures this past Fall.  Great vocab builder.

Hope you get a lot of ideas!

Answer 4

duck duck goose?

Answer 5

games are really hard at this age because they haven't really begun to socialize at this level and their attention and ability to understand concepts such as rules for games isn't quite there yet. If you can get outside or to a gym you can attempt races, for the most part you can get them to follow "ready, set, go!" the thing they find most entertaining are songs with hand motions! Whenever I need to kill time with my toddlers during transitions I find songs are the best way to keep them seated and involved for more than 5 minutes. We also do art projects but they are very simple, mostly gluing things on paper. And we spend a lot of time playing in centers. Good luck!!