Activities for young toddlers from PA’s learning standards to try at home | RaisedGrounded

What are activities for young toddlers? What kind of activities are age-appropriate? What activities help my toddler learn? Those are questions many parents ask.

One interesting resource for ideas for activities you can try out at home is the state learning standards. I have worked in teacher education for school teachers for more than a decade, so looking at learning standards is natural. I didn’t know that Pennsylvania already has learning standards for infants and toddlers¹. It seems to be another sign of a push for earlier and earlier focus on academics, which according to neurologist David Perlmutter is very prevalent in the U.S.². Obviously, the goal for parents is not to replicate an institutional program at home – even if the children do not attend an institutional program. Children need to have lots of opportunities for unstructured play. But some of the activities contained in the learning standards are interesting ideas to try out at home.

The learning standards cover three age groups: “birth through 12 months” (called infant), “9 months – 27 months” (called young toddler), and “24 months through 36 months” (called older toddler)¹. The document consists of standards and supportive practices (i.e. things adults can do to help toddlers achieve the standards). Ideas can be gleaned ideas from both.

The whole document is 142 pages long, so this post can only cover some examples. I’ll focus on some activities for young toddlers (aged 9 months to 27 months)¹. 9 to 27 months is a huge age range, developmentally speaking. A 9-month-old likely doesn’t talk yet at all, while at 27 months, s/he can already talk quite a bit. So not all the activity ideas might be suitable for a toddler at the lower end of the age range yet.

Talking

A lot of the supportive practices mentioned in the learning standards come down to talking with your child. “Nam[ing] and describ[ing] objects”, animals, plants, etc., as your child “point[s] to them”. Using math talk (e.g. counting, talking about shapes, or making comparisons, or using size words like more/less, big/small, heavy/light). Talking about the sounds your child hears, the things s/he sees and experiences. Talking about the actions you and/or your child are engaged in. Describing objects and people. Pointing out patterns (e.g., stripes, spots) and shapes and colors in the environment. And how things are “similar or different”. Asking questions. Encouraging your child to find things (e.g. different shapes, different patterns, numbers, textures …) in their environment. Talking about differences in people’s personal characteristics (“e.g., likes, dislikes, physical characteristics, family make-up”) and differences in their routines. Talking about different body parts and parts of plants. “Talk[ing] about the weather conditions daily.” Talking about gardening. Talking about artwork and photographs. Talking about books and the pictures in them. Letting your toddler point to things. Talking about the past. “Us[ing] mealtime as an opportunity for sharing and discussion”. Using rich vocabulary, including some science-related ones (e.g., “solid, liquid”)¹. Just: talking to your child.

Simple signs

Talking is not just audible words, but also sign language. Related to talking is teaching your child some “basic signs”¹ – even if s/he can hear just fine.

Music and sound

Listen to a variety of music with your child. “Introduce new songs regularly and repeat favorites often”. “Dance to rhythmic music” or just move (e.g. sway). Hum. Get some props and respond to music in other ways, e.g. with ribbons.¹

Explore different sounds. The standards even mention a game called “sound bingo”¹.

“Explore rhythm instruments” as well as other musical instruments. Maybe even a tuning fork¹.

Sing. Besides just being fun, songs can also be used to reinforce concepts and vocabulary, for instance, songs like “Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes” help to learn body parts.¹

Art and writing activities

Help your toddler to get and “[d]emonstrate an understanding of color”. “Encourage” him/her to “use [] drawing and writing tools”. “Model” how to use the different art supplies and “conventional writing”. Let your toddler color with crayons. Let him/her try out paintbrushes and markers. And chalk. Just really a “variety of art materials” – e.g. also “wood, stampers,” and “play dough”¹. Give your toddler opportunities to “[c]reate shapes and scribbles from tactile materials”. “Provide opportunities […] to use three-dimensional materials”. Let your toddler explore what happens when one mixes different paint colors¹.

Provide an environment that includes art. “Display photos, art, or objects in the []room at the children’s eye level”. “Document children’s process of art. (e.g., photographs, captions, video)”¹.

And maybe even, “[t]ake a field trip to an art museum”¹.

Reading

“Read a book with an adult from start to finish”¹, multiple times a day. :). Model tracking the print, and encourage your toddler to track the print. “Model turning pages of a book” and let him/her turn them¹.

Make books accessible so your toddler can ‘read’ them by him/herself. Talk about the book and the pictures. “Ask [your] child[] to point to items on pages”¹.

Besides just reading anything, the standards in many places list ‘reading books about x’ (e.g. moving objects, numbers, adding/ subtracting, animals, earth materials, weather …) as part of the supportive practices of a learning standard¹.

Label a lot – with print and pictures

Labels can be an important part of “rich environmental print”. Label shelves. “Label storage containers with visual prompts to encourage sorting and classifying”¹.

Building blocks, stacking, and nesting activities

Let your child build with blocks. Join in (or have a sibling or other child build alongside your young toddler)¹. Research has found that building with blocks leads to better math and language outcomes^{9, 10}.

Also, encourage stacking and nesting with other objects. Some nesting toys or objects can not just be used for stacking, but also to “[p]lace objects inside of other objects”¹ .

Sorting and filling activities

Provide your toddler with containers s/he can put objects in ­- and dump them out. “Count and group objects”, “provid[ing] a variety of objects for children to group”. Let your toddler explore “objects of various sizes and weights” and shapes. “Play sorting games” and help him/her to “[p]ut similar objects into piles”. “Model sorting and classifying”¹.

Let your toddler “[f]ill[] and empt[y] containers” – this standard talks about that happening “in the water table”, but it’s the skill that counts. So you could let him/her fill and empty containers while s/he’s in the bathtub, for instance, and “practice pouring” at the same time. “Provide tools for exploration of water (e.g., cups, spoons, funnels, water wheel, basters, bowls, tubes)”¹.

Also, create displays. For instance, “[s]afely display rocks, stones, and pebbles of different colors and shapes”¹.

Counting activities

Many games can support counting talk. For instance “[c]ount natural objects with children (e.g., large stones, leaves, pine cones, etc .)”. “Build small towers with children, counting each piece”. “Build small ramps and count each object as it rolls down”¹.

In general, “[p]rovide [a] numerically rich environment (e.g., books, songs, pictures)”. For instance, have “materials that have numbers on them and explicitly name them”¹.

Shape and matching activities

Let your toddler “[p]lace shapes in shape sorter“¹. Also “[p]rovide a variety of natural items of various shapes for children to explore and some “shape blocks”. Show your toddler how to match shapes¹.

Also, provide your toddler with other things to match. For instance, toddlers are expected to be able to “[m]atch familiar animals to their babies“¹.

Puzzles

Help your toddler to “[p]ut together simple puzzles“¹.

Motion activities

“Model activities involving motion (e.g., build ramps and roll balls down them”. Let your toddler “[e]xplore the motion of objects with varying sizes”, “shapes” and “weights” and “make them move in various ways”¹.

And it’s not just humans that can make things move. In another place, the document mentions wind chimes as an example of “simple equipment for exploration”¹.

Memory games

“Engage in memory games”¹.

Pretend play

Encourage pretend and dress-up play (e.g., using a stick to symbolize a spoon, letting your toddler get dressed up, using props like a stethoscope or hammer). The standards explicitly mention exploring “real or model medical equipment (e.g., stethoscope, blood pressure cuff)”, “construction tools and vehicles” (like a model dump truck), and “a variety of [other] workplace technologies that children can explore safely”¹.

Use “”I wonder”” questions to get your toddler to talk about what s/he is doing¹.

Sensory Play

Let your toddler “[u]se senses and simple equipment to explore” objects of “varying sizes”, “shapes”, “textures” and “colors”. “[E]xplore water”. “[E]xplore earth materials”. Simple equipment can include e.g. a magnifying glass, shovels, or sifters. Engage in sensory play¹.

Encourage making the link between the picture and the real object

For instance, “[p]rovide books with real pictures” or use “real life props when reading text”. In general, “[p]rovide pictures and real objects for exploration”.¹

Engage with family photos and other photos

Make family “memory books highlighting past experiences”, then look at them together with your toddler. Use other documentation, too (e.g. video, quotes from your child). Also “[d]isplay family pictures and talk about who is in the picture” and how your child is a part of this group¹.

You can also “[c]reate personalized books reflecting membership in a group” for other groups your child is a member of¹.

Cook together

“Engage in cooking experiences”. You can also use that for instance to “[m]odel measuring objects” and let your toddler use measuring cups him-/herself. Cooking can also help with “[c]ombin[ing] materials to make a new substance”, e.g. when different ingredients make a dough¹.

Take care of a plant (or pet) and start to garden

Model caretaking and gardening so your child can observe you¹.

Let your child “[e]ngage in basic caretaking of non-toxic plants and safe animals”. “Garden with” your toddler and help him/her to “engage with child-size garden tools”, such as “shovels, rakes and hoes, sifters” and “buckets”¹.

For instance, help him/her to water a plant. S/he can also explore what happens when s/he “mix[es] water and soil”. Let your toddler explore “earth materials”¹.

Not everyone has a garden. But maybe you have a patio or balcony that you can put a plant or two on, such as a potted herb? Or a kitchen windowsill or island?

Get out into the environment

Give your toddler “opportunities […] to explore plants, animals, and people in their environment”. “Take nature walks […]”. “Provide opportunities for [your child] to observe parts of various plants (e.g., flower, stem, roots, leaves, and fruits/vegetables still on the plant) in their environment”. Name animals. “[O]bserve weather conditions”. “Observe differences in water. (e.g., an ice cube or snow melting and freezing)”.¹ Visit a farm.

“Take a walk to observe [the] use of workplace technologies (e.g., construction site, hospital, post office, dentist)”¹.

“Collect objects during a nature walk.” “Provide a variety of natural objects for [your child] to explore and discover (different texture, size, shape, material)”. “Explore a variety of earth materials. (e.g., large rocks, soil, wood, minerals)”¹.

Movement activities

Besides learning to walk and jump and get increasing coordination (e.g. when moving their fingers) there is a lot of movement learning happening during that time. You can encourage that, for instance, by “[p]rovid[ing] a variety of materials for throwing and catching”. Including a ball, not just for throwing, but for kicking, too. Sing “songs with motions”. “[O]ffer safe climbing opportunities both indoors and outdoors”, including things to “[c]limb or crawl in and out of”. Get a chair your toddler can practice “[g]et[ting] in and out of” by him-/herself.¹

Mealtime involves learning, too

“Provide child-sized eating utensils” and model how to use them, so that over time, your toddler can “[u]se [a] spoon and fork for eating”¹.

Rotate toys and other materials

“Rotate toys and materials frequently […]”¹, including art supplies. It reminds me of the Montessori education toy rotation.

Provide several opportunities to practice the same skill

Give your toddler opportunities to “[a]pply a skill to multiple tasks”. For instance, s/he can “use measuring cups in [a] sensory table, outside, and in cooking activity” or “use a variety of gardening tools” during “gardening”, in the “sensory table” and during “dramatic play”¹.

Also, toddlers need to do things again, and again, and again (including, e.g., hearing the same story over and over)¹.

Provide routines and places for their things

For instance, provide your toddler a space where s/he can put his/her belongings¹ (e.g. shoes, hat) after coming into the home from outside.

Offer choices

Provide your toddler opportunities to learn how to “[c]hoose between two options provided by adult”¹. For instance, let him/her choose between two pairs of socks or between two story books, etc.

References:
1 PA Department of Human Services & PA Department of Education (2014). Pennsylvania Learning Standards for Early Childhood. Infants - Toddlers https://www.education.pa.gov/Documents/Early%20Learning/Early%20Learning%20Standards/Early%20Learning%20Standards%20-%20Infants%20and%20Toddlers%202014.pdf (last checked Aug 27, 2023)

2 Perlmutter, D. (2008). Raise a smarter child by kindergarten. Harmony/Rodale. (ebook)