Toddler Learning Boxes/Busy Boxes!(Preschool Prep)

Jady A.

16 Apr 201508:20

Summary

TLDRThe video showcases a creative solution for organizing toddler activities using daily learning boxes. Each box contains fun, educational tasks that teach motor skills, shapes, colors, numbers, and language. The presenter explains how the boxes simplify daily routines, making it easier for stay-at-home moms, daycare providers, or homeschoolers to engage toddlers aged 1-4 years. Activities include matching games, Play-Doh shapes, fine motor tasks with Cheerios, and color-matching exercises. The video offers tips on sourcing materials from local stores and crafting simple, effective tools to enhance a child's learning experience.

Takeaways

📦 The video introduces 'toddler learning boxes' designed with daily activities for teaching motor skills, shapes, colors, numbers, and language to toddlers.
🧩 Each box contains activities aimed at children aged 1-4, making it suitable for stay-at-home moms, daycare providers, or homeschoolers.
🎯 The idea behind the boxes is to have organized activities for each day, making it easier and faster to access them rather than using a single large bin.
🦁 One example of an activity is using Safari Ltd tubes (like transportation vehicles) and matching cards to help toddlers learn language skills by matching toys to pictures.
🔵 Play-Doh molds are used for teaching shapes, with triangle, circle, and square being the primary shapes taught.
🍴 Fine motor skill activities include using Cheerios to place inside pill containers, promoting hand-eye coordination and one-to-one correspondence.
🎨 Visual discrimination activities include matching fabric patterns backed with adhesive foam, which can be easily made using materials from craft stores.
🥚 Another activity involves matching plastic eggs to numbers written inside an egg container, aimed at teaching toddlers number recognition (1-6).
🎨 Color matching is done using popsicle sticks and felt or foam sleeves, teaching toddlers about colors and enhancing fine motor skills.
🖍️ Each box also includes items based on the child’s interests, such as a toy cell phone, spinning top, magic clip doll, and other fine motor tools like a notepad for scribbling.

Q & A

What is the main purpose of the toddler learning boxes discussed in the video?
-The purpose of the toddler learning boxes is to provide organized daily activities that help teach toddlers fine motor skills, shapes, colors, numbers, and language.
How are the toddler learning boxes organized?
-Each box is designated for one day of the week and contains activities focused on developing various skills such as motor skills, language, shapes, and colors.
What was the initial method the creator used for organizing activities, and why was it changed?
-Initially, all activities were kept in a large plastic bin, which made it time-consuming to find specific activities. The boxes were introduced to make the process more efficient and organized.
What age group are these toddler learning boxes suitable for?
-The activities are designed for toddlers aged between 1 to 4 years old.
What type of language activity is included in the boxes?
-One language activity involves using small figurines from Safari Ltd tubes and matching them with picture cards created by the parent to help children associate objects with their names.
How do the Play-Doh molds help toddlers learn shapes?
-The Play-Doh molds represent the primary shapes (triangle, circle, square) and help toddlers create and recognize these shapes while strengthening their hands through play.
What is one fine motor skills activity mentioned in the video?
-One fine motor activity involves using Cheerios and a small pill container, where the toddler places the Cheerios inside the container to practice hand-eye coordination and fine motor control.
How does the creator incorporate visual discrimination activities into the boxes?
-The visual discrimination activity involves matching different fabric patterns, where the child has to match similar patterns and colors, improving their ability to distinguish subtle differences.
What materials are used for color matching activities in the boxes?
-For color matching, popsicle sticks are used along with felt and foam sleeves. The child matches the popsicle stick to its corresponding colored sleeve, which helps with both color recognition and fine motor skills.
Where can parents find materials to create these activities for their toddler learning boxes?
-Most materials can be found at local dollar stores, craft stores like Michaels, or even around the home. Some items, like Safari Ltd tubes, can also be purchased at discount prices using coupons.

Outlines

00:00

🧒 Organizing Toddler Learning Activities with Themed Boxes

In this paragraph, the speaker introduces their system for organizing daily learning activities for toddlers. Each box represents a day of the week, containing activities that focus on motor skills, colors, shapes, numbers, and language. This approach saves time compared to their previous method of using a large bin, making it easier to prepare activities. It is especially useful for stay-at-home parents, daycare providers, and homeschoolers. The system is designed for toddlers aged 1 to 4 years, and the speaker explains that they will demonstrate how to create such boxes, using mostly household items or items from local dollar or craft stores.

05:01

🦁 Using Safari Ltd Figurines for Language Development

This section highlights a language development activity using Safari Ltd figurines, such as transportation vehicles, paired with matching cards created by the speaker using Google images. The goal is to help toddlers match the figurines with the correct pictures, reinforcing vocabulary through object recognition. The speaker emphasizes that each box contains a similar activity to promote language learning. These figurines can be found in local stores or purchased with coupons, making them affordable options for parents.

🟢 Teaching Shapes with Play-Doh Molds

In this paragraph, the speaker explains how Play-Doh molds representing basic shapes (triangle, circle, square) are used to teach toddlers about shapes. The use of Play-Doh helps strengthen children's hands while they mold the shapes, making it a beneficial activity for both motor skills and shape recognition. Play-Doh is recommended for its versatility and ease of use for toddlers.

🍒 Fine Motor Skills with Cheerios and Pill Containers

The speaker describes a fine motor skills activity using Cheerios and a pill container. Toddlers practice placing Cheerios into small compartments, which improves hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills. The activity is designed to avoid choking hazards by using safe, large objects like Cheerios and pom-poms.

🔲 Visual Discrimination with Matching Fabric Cards

This paragraph introduces a visual discrimination activity using cards made from different types of fabric backed with adhesive foam for durability. Toddlers match the fabric patterns and colors to enhance their ability to distinguish between visual elements. The speaker mentions that the fabric can be easily sourced from a craft store, and the foam backing makes the cards easier for small hands to handle.

🥚 Number Matching with Plastic Eggs and Popsicle Sticks

The speaker discusses a number matching activity using plastic eggs, an egg container, and numbers written inside the eggs. Toddlers match numbers from 1 to 6, and as they become more advanced, the activity can be adjusted to focus on quantity. Additionally, the speaker describes a color matching activity using popsicle sticks and felt sleeves, which further develops fine motor skills and color recognition.

📱 Toddler-Interest Items for Fine Motor Skills

This section focuses on incorporating items that are of particular interest to the speaker's toddler, such as a toy cell phone, spinning top, magic clip doll, and a notepad for scribbling. These items serve to keep the toddler engaged while also developing fine motor skills through play. The speaker mentions using a roller set to enhance hand coordination by having the toddler take it apart and put it back together.

📦 Creating Toddler Learning Boxes with Varied Activities

In the final paragraph, the speaker summarizes their approach to creating learning boxes for toddlers, which include activities for language, shapes, fine motor skills, colors, numbers, and personal interests. They encourage viewers to find similar activities on platforms like Pinterest and Google, tailoring them to the child's developmental stage. Additionally, the speaker promotes their blog, where they share more toddler activities with pictures, providing further resources for parents and caregivers.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Toddler learning boxes

Toddler learning boxes are small containers used to organize activities designed for toddlers, aimed at teaching motor skills, shapes, colors, numbers, and language. These boxes simplify daily activity preparation for parents or caregivers, allowing them to easily access materials for each day. In the video, the speaker explains how each box contains various activities, making it easier to engage a toddler in learning without the hassle of daily planning.

💡Fine motor skills

Fine motor skills refer to the coordination of small muscles in movements, typically involving the hands and fingers. In the video, the activities in the toddler learning boxes are designed to improve these skills, such as placing Cheerios into a pill container or playing with Play-Doh molds. Strengthening fine motor skills is essential for toddlers as it helps them with tasks like writing, using utensils, and handling small objects.

💡Shapes

Shapes are fundamental visual elements that children learn to recognize and categorize. In the video, the speaker includes activities involving Play-Doh molds shaped as triangles, circles, and squares to teach toddlers about these basic geometric forms. Recognizing shapes is part of early cognitive development, as it helps children understand spatial relationships and forms the basis for more complex learning.

💡Language development

Language development refers to the process by which children learn to communicate verbally. In the video, there are language activities, such as matching toy vehicles with corresponding picture cards, which help toddlers improve vocabulary and comprehension. These activities encourage children to associate objects with words, supporting their ability to express themselves and understand others.

💡Visual discrimination

Visual discrimination is the ability to see differences and similarities in shapes, colors, patterns, and textures. In the video, an activity involving matching fabric swatches helps toddlers develop this skill by recognizing different patterns and matching them correctly. This cognitive skill is important for reading, recognizing letters and numbers, and understanding the visual world.

💡One-to-one correspondence

One-to-one correspondence is the ability to match one object to one other object, which is a foundational math skill. In the video, activities like placing Cheerios into a pill container help toddlers understand this concept, as they must place one Cheerio in each compartment. It also appears in the egg activity where toddlers match numbers written inside plastic eggs with the corresponding number of items.

💡Dollar store

The Dollar store is highlighted as an affordable resource for parents to gather materials for the toddler learning boxes. Many of the supplies mentioned in the video, such as plastic eggs, pill containers, and craft items, were purchased at the dollar store, making it an accessible option for those looking to create learning activities on a budget.

💡Play-Doh

Play-Doh is a type of modeling clay that is commonly used in children's activities to promote creativity and motor skills development. In the video, Play-Doh is used in combination with molds to teach toddlers about shapes. The soft, malleable texture makes it an ideal tool for strengthening little hands while engaging children in learning through play.

💡Homeschooling

Homeschooling refers to the practice of educating children at home rather than sending them to a traditional school setting. The speaker suggests that the toddler learning boxes are a great tool for parents who homeschool their children, as they provide organized, structured learning activities that cover multiple developmental areas, such as language, math, and motor skills.

💡Interest-based learning

Interest-based learning is an educational approach that builds activities around a child’s personal interests to increase engagement. In the video, the speaker includes activities based on the toddler’s current interests, such as a toy cell phone and a spinning top, to capture the child's attention. This approach helps ensure the child is motivated and actively involved in the learning process.

Highlights

The presenter introduces toddler learning boxes with activities for each day of the week, aimed at teaching motor skills, shapes, colors, numbers, and language.

Each box is set up with specific activities, saving time for parents or educators by providing a structured approach to toddler learning.

The boxes are designed for children aged 1.5 to 4 years, making them versatile for various developmental stages.

The activities within the boxes are mostly made from everyday household items or inexpensive materials from the dollar store or craft store.

The presenter highlights a language activity using Safari Ltd figurines and matching cards to teach vocabulary and recognition.

Shapes are taught using Play-Doh and molds for primary shapes, helping children develop hand strength and fine motor skills.

A fine motor skills activity is shown where toddlers place Cheerios into small containers, enhancing hand-eye coordination.

The presenter emphasizes safety by choosing materials that do not pose choking hazards, such as large pom-poms and Cheerios.

Another activity involves visual discrimination with fabric swatches that toddlers match based on patterns and colors.

Number recognition is practiced with plastic eggs and a numbered egg carton, allowing toddlers to match numbers inside the eggs.

Color matching is taught through popsicle sticks and felt sleeves, which help toddlers learn colors while also improving fine motor skills.

The boxes contain personalized items based on the child's interests, such as a toy cell phone, spinning top, and magic clip doll.

The presenter encourages pre-writing activities by including items like notepads and crayons for scribbling, aiding in pencil control development.

The learning boxes are easy to create using simple materials, with additional activity ideas available on Pinterest, Google, and the presenter’s blog.

The video aims to inspire parents, daycare providers, and homeschoolers to create their own learning boxes for toddlers, providing structure to daily learning activities.