What are some fun indoor activities for children aged 1 - 2??

Question

I'm a new teacher at a day care learning center in Phoenix, Arizona. Its now over 100 degrees and we cannot take the toddlers outside anymore for the rest of the summer!!!! :(. this means I now have 25 angry toddlers. Their already bored with coloring and some of the babies just eat the crayons... don't know why. and singing and dancing just doesnt do it for them for more then 60 seconds. Please if you have any ideas for some activities or even know some please please please tell me. :) I appreciate it

Answer 1

There are several things that you can do with this age group children, Hand painting is great for 2 year olds they love feeling the paint on their hands, if you want to be really adventurous feet painting is so much fun.

Lay paper ( Wall paper) on the floor and let the children walk in trays of paint then onto the paper, it makes a great collage to hang on the wall.

Gathering loads of big boxes together from supermarkets and a putting them on the floor is great, it's amazing what a child can turn a box into. ( they can be boats, cars, trains)

All children love water play, washing up bowls full of water with cups, beakers, spoons. ( food colouring in the water makes it more fun.

Good luck i don't envy you at all, that sounds like you have your hands full.

Answer 2

You can try these books

http://www.amazon.com/Toddlers-Busy-Book...

http://www.amazon.com/Games-Play-Toddler...

Good Luck

Answer 3

Music CD's.

Here, simple and easy.

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_bgi?ur...

You can hop, skip and jump to all of this.  Just because they're indoors doesn't mean they need to, or should, sit still.

If you can't afford to buy it, it's all available at Libraries no charge.  While you're there, grab some books.  Some Libraries offer kits and other teaching items.  It's worth asking.

If you have some cash to spend, there are private companies that will bring different activites like gymnastics and dance lessons.  Look in the phone directory.

Get those little bodies up and moving.  If you don't have enough space in the classroom, see if you can use a larger room of the facility.  Most schools have an auditorium or something.  Turn them loose.  Have them run laps.  Have screaming contests.  LOL!

Answer 4

dolls, toy cars, music, experiments (montessori style, where does this shape fit...), puzzles

this is out side but it may work, get a hose and have a swimsuit party. They love it

Answer 5

1-2 year old handles a simple center rotation very well once they get the hang of it.

How varied are your activities?  What is your schedule?  What do you do beyond coloring?  

Open-ended art- fingerpainting, painting at an easel or on a large piece of paper on the wall, painting with things other than paint brushes, water color painting, most recently the 1 and two year old enjoyed cutting out a butterfly and using posterpaints and qtips to put dots and lines on half of their butterfly and then closing and pressing...opening up to a beautiful colorful butterfly.

Some of your children will be ready for scissors.  Yes, scissors...start them out with playdough scissors and then progress to paper.  They will sit and snip snip snip.

Are  your toys switched our regularily?  Young toddlers definately like/need a variation.

Sensory: shaving cream, sensory tubs with beans, water, rice, anything.

What are you doing at story time?  Puppets...action songs, retelling of stories.  These kids can do this!

Flannel board/magnet boards, contact paper sticky side out are also very popular at this age.

Do you have a low window?  Write with washable markers.  Wipes off with a sponge.

Do you have an area in your room that you can use for large motor toys?  Young children need to be able to climb and crawl, bounce, roll, rock, roll balls, etc.  A simple obstacle course is always a thrill, a tunnel.

Have you done the parachute with the children yet?  These children are capable of very simple parachute activities.

Get a routine going...1 and 2 year olds thrive on a routine and a variety of activities and they CAN learn to clean up one activity before starting the next.  

Have you added rhythm instruments to your dancing?  Have you added scarves?  How about crepe paper streamers?  Jingle bells on ankles, wrists, or around their waist?

You can pretty much do any Preschool activity...just simplified a little. It does make it easer for you as the teacher to plan using themes.  

Good luck!

Answer 6

making musical instuments with or for them.  Dried beens in a bottle are great fun glue lid shut. Sticking pasta to paper to make pictures my kids loved it ( non Toxic glue).  The educational web sites will give you ideas