What can i use to make a wall activity for my toddler?

Question

I would like to make a board or area that my son can do hands on activites. Right we are learning about colors and shapes i would like to have a big board that I can have him move the pieces around and learn at the same time. What material would be best for this?

Answer 1

Having a wall activity area is wonderful for toddlers!  Great thinking.  Consider doing something that is NOT permanent.  Why I say this is when something is changed...it adds interest.   Of course if you want to have something more permanent than go with magnetic paint or attach a bulletin board.  But in my home child care I use a variety of materials.

One of my favorite is contact paper stick side out.  The toddlers love to put on and take off items from the paper.  So for example if you are doing colors and shapes...provide foam colors and shapes he can put on and off.

Posterboard has already been suggested.  We did a color flower song and created a group collage "flower garden" that went in order of the colors sung in the song.  You and your son can do something similar.  Whether is a texture board or a collage of numbers, letters, flowers, colors, so on.  When the kids are involved with creating the display they are so much more excited about it.

I've used 12x18" construction paper and make peek a boo boards and put multiple up on our wall.  Some where theme related vocab, some were letters of the child's name (letters on the top flap and an icon or two inside that corresponds with the letter sound).

I use the blank wall a lot!  www.childcareland.com has some great free printables with a focus of basic concepts.  I turn them into interactive activities at the wall.

A large sheet of felt works nice.  But of course you need to have felt material to work with, or objects with velcro on the back, masking tape works in a pinch but doesn't stay for long.  :-)

I have 2 magnetic boards and the refrigerator that gets used for magnets but there is that magentic paint available.  

I like to use the large space on the wall for "writing".  At the toddler stage they need to be able to move their whole arm and placing a piece of posterboard or b.b. paper up there allows for that.  I've even laminated 2 sided posterboard and then they can use it again and again... changing the color adds interest.  I also use our sliding glass door and washable markers/sponge for this...if you have one.

Good luck!

Answer 2

You can get both magnetic and chalkboard paints. my local Home Depot has both. Also, Contac makes blackboard Contac. Cheap way-find a cookie sheet that attracts magnets and nail it to the wall, flat side down and attach strips of rubberized magnet, available at a craft store, to small items. Save even more money by cutting up some of those free magnets hanging on your refrigerator.

Answer 3

Have you thought about using your refrigerator and just using magnets?  You could have thin "tiles" of metal mounted to the wall if you are looking for something for a particular room, and from the minds of chalkboard paint, there is now a magnetic paint available.

The felt answer is good.  It is super easy to make felt shapes and there are lots of learning sets available in felt.  You can put it directly on the wall or cover a large cork board - or even a piece of cardboard.  

I am fond of easels.  If you don't have a large area for this type of activity, and already have an easel, consider adding felt to a piece of cardboard about the same size as the easel's surface.  It will store easily in the closet or behind a bookcase or dresser, and you can just pull it out when you plan on using it.  

Some easels are double sided with a magnetic whiteboard.  You can use magnets here, too.

Answer 4

a big cardboard posterboard, theres colorful ones too

Answer 5

How about felt? It sticks to itself with no mess, and you can make anything you want out of it, in any color. It's also cheap.

Answer 6

Try using Velcro on shapes and colors with the fastener attached to the board. Flannel boards, magnetic boards and white boards with markers are good too.

Answer 7

flannel board - or magnet board

Answer 8

when my kids were small we taped cardboard cartons and tubes-think 1/2 gallon juice boxes, toilet paper tubes, etc.-to a wall and created a marble run. I am thinking of adapting this idea to my toddler classroom.We will have to use larger containers and balls, because I have a few who mouth verything. My sons enjoyed moving the containers around, changing angles, etc., to make it work better or just make a different route...