Toddler Tuesdays: Part 4

Good Bye 2014 and Hello 4th addition of Toddler Tuesdays! I thought it would be a good idea to spend this week doing "New Years" activities (even though our New Year eve tradition is to take down the Christmas decorations and go to bed). Our sensory bin has some noise makers, black beans (night sky) and sheep. Sheep? That's right 2015 is going to be the year of the Sheep. Chinese New Year is still a bit off, I figured it couldn't hurt to add them in now...

 Plus I came up with a few sheep books, but no New Years books for this week. 

We are beading some necklaces (some with jingle bells for noisemakers), and while it's not pictured we also are bending some pipe cleaners. While he bends and twists them I'm making some funny glasses for us all. 

This is part of an ongoing picture we are working on. Sunday I traced Panda's hand to make the sheep and cut out the hills. Then he helped glue them down. Monday Panda dipped his fingers in white paint to make the sheep's wool and snow/stars, today I had him dip his fingers in glue and dot the page again and then I put gold glitter on. He was pretty impressed that the almost invisible glue dots turned gold when the glitter was shaken off. We still have cotton balls to add and then some dye for the wool, and likely a party hat.

 This activity is a bit beyond Panda, but he is enjoying it and giving it a good go. We are really working his hand eye coordination and fine motor skills by wrapping a sheep figure in yarn to give it a fluffy white coat. 

Last of all, what would New Years be without a Ball Drop? This was the best picture I could get; if that gives you any indication of how much Panda loves this activity. Instead of cars we are dropping five sparkly pom poms down his car ramp and shouting  5..4..3..2..1! As they fall. It's my sneaky way of working on numbers with him, not to mention cause and effect. I've seen lots of cardboard tube pom pom drops on Pinterest, but the last time I built him a drop wall it took him less than 15 minutes to tear it down. This, he loves!

 That's what is going on in our classroom this week. What is going on in your home this week?

 Happy New Year! 

Shine on!