TEACHING TODDLERS WITH CRAFTS

By Irene Helen Zundel

Children have remarkable minds. They soak up new information and experiences like a sponge soaks up water. As a rule, young minds learn best through hands on experience. They learn by playing.

Using crafts to teach a toddler is a great way to demonstrate new facts and concepts, and to have fun in the process!

Crafting:

enhances the development of fine motor skills and coordination through drawing, cutting, pasting etc.

increases conceptual and spatial skills

helps to develop imagination

facilitates communication between child and adult caregiver or parent and

introduces concepts such as shape, color, and number in an enjoyable way.

The lessons need not be complicated. The supplies you use can be basic and inexpensive.

Here are a few ideas you can try at home:

To teach counting, make a necklace using a shoelace and brightly colored buttons or beads. To teach pairs or sets, string them in the appropriate grouping.

To teach colors, make a simple weaving from colored yarns, or strips of construction paper. As you weave, name the colors. This is also a good craft for teaching the concepts of over and under, up and down, and left and right.

To teach shapes, letters, or numbers make a simple bingo game.

For thematic lessons, such as learning seasons or weather, make a simple storyboard from felt, with appropriate cut out shapes.

To improve memory, make a simple matching game out of two sets of flash cards shuffled together. Lay the cards out face down, and have your child turn them face up, two at a time. If there is an unmatched pair, turn them face down and try again. The game ends when all the pairs are matched.

To make the crafting experience successful and enjoyable for the both of you, follow these simple tips:

Plan the project in advance, and gather all the needed materials before you begin. This will help things proceed smoothly and with a minimal amount of confusion and frustration.

Keep things simple. Avoid crafts with complicated steps, long drying times etc.

Keep safety in mind! With small children, avoid sharp edges, small pieces that are a choking hazard, and high temperature projects like firing clay.

Keep the craft age appropriate to avoid boredom or frustration.

If older and younger kids are crafting together, make sure the little ones can participate by gluing, painting, and glittering., while the older children do the more complicated steps.

Be sure you aren’t using any toxic substances! Check the labels on glues, paints, crayons and markers to make sure they are kid friendly products.

Resist the urge to over help. Set a slower pace and let the kids do as much as they possibly can. They need to feel and enjoy the sense of accomplishing something creative on their own!

Here are some websites with great ideas and materials to get you started:

Enchanted Learning

http://www.enchantedlearning.com/crafts/

Kazoo Toys

http://www.kazootoys.com/art.html

Recipes 4 Learning

http://www.recipes4learning.com/

Welcome to Bob’s Place

http://www.bobsedulinks.com/early_learn.htm

Sites for Teachers

http://www.sitesforteachers.com/

Free Kid Crafts