What are some good activities to have 2's do in the classroom?

Question

I am a two's teacher at a daycare and I am looking for some more creative activities that can interest my kiddos and keep them entertained and involved. Any suggestions?

Answer 1

Check out the book Big Book of Playtime Activities from Usborne Books.  This is a preschool/daycare teachers dream resource!  The website is http://www.ubah.com/g2687

Answer 2

Thematic studies, also known as unit studies, are not only a great way to put together lessons for the 2 yo's classroom, but they should also help you get clues to what activites would coincide witht the units.  

For example, when we had a unit based on the book, The Little Gingerbread man,  the children each got a turn stirring or adding an ingredient to our gingerbread mix.  They also painted with brown paint, ran as fast as they could on the green outside our room, played a game that was a variation of "Duck, Duck, Goose" which we called "Can't Catch Me" and took turns trying to find the gingerbread man cookie cutters that were hidden in a huge table tub filled with rice.

If you start with a theme, you may be able to come up with all sorts of connected activities that will be stimulating and yet still appropriate for the 2 year old child.  Remember that the 2 yo does not generally play "with" other children but  is developmentally best at playing "beside" other children.   Keep that in mind when planing activities for children who are at such a tender age.

We often put something that represented our unit theme inside a tub of rice or sand.  On Dinosaur week, the tub was filled with plastic dinosaurs of varied sizes.  Each center would have some sort of connection with the theme.  

On Ocean week, the tub would be filled with water and plastic aquatic animals.  The children loved to explore the new items in the tub and that helped connect their minds with what we were learning.

There are other activites that were loved by our 2 year olds but did not nicely fit into themes. One thing I did was to put a small bit of Barbasol (inexpensive shaving cream) down on the table in front of each child.  They would then be allowed to finger paint without the same level of mess as standard finger painting.  They loved smelling like "daddy" and this activity helped those more timid children open up to the idea of actual finger painting.  The Barbasol simply rinses off in the bathroom after the child is done, but you may still want to use a smock for this.  During circle time, which I highly recommend you plan at the same time each day in your routine, they are also going to enjoy any song involving clapping, stomping, spinning, smiling or another action the children can copy.

If you do not know how to put together thematic studies on your own, this site will give more specific ideas for how to put those units together using an alphabet theme.  www.letteroftheweek.com

Enjoy this special age. I know I did.

Answer 3

I think anything with textiles would be best.  Rubbermaid full of sand, rice, small rocks.  Or ask for some photos from the parents and put them into ziplock baggies.  It makes a cut photo album if you bind the ends in some cool way.  Good Luck!

Answer 4

try an activity that can include teamwork like getting them to finger paint one giant poster or put together a chain of paper loops.