Creative Curriculum Activities for Two-Year-Olds
MAGGIE MCCORMICK
CLASS
Whether you're a preschool teacher or a parent that wants to prepare her child for school, creative curriculum activities for two-year-olds can help your child to learn and grow. At this young age, children are often too active and don't have the attention span for formal learning, so it's best to teach through activities throughout the day.
1 Math Activities
Counting, sorting and learning shapes are the important math skills for this age group. To teach counting, you can simply make it a point to count everything that you encounter--the steps that you climb, the french fries on his plate, the toes on his feet. Designate a "Shape of the Day" and point out all the places that you can see that shape. You can also go on a shape walk around the block, trying to find the shape of the day.
Allow your child to help sort things around the house as well. He can help you fold laundry by sorting and matching the socks or by sorting clothes by person. Another fun thing to do is to collect several bottles and caps of different sizes, such as an empty laundry soap bottle, a drink bottle or a shampoo bottle and have him match the caps to the right bottle.
2 Reading Activities
Hearing stories can help get children interested in reading, so you should be sure to read to your child as often as possible. She may not show interest, but you can still read a book while she plays around you. Sing the alphabet song and introduce her to letters. Point out that letters make sounds and that the objects in the house start with certain letters. For example, you could say "t-t-table" and "b-b-baby." As her knowledge grows, ask her to identify other objects that make the same sound. You can also label items around the house with their letters or words.
3 Art Activities
Allow your child to experiment with several kinds of art media to see what he can do with the different types. For example, you can allow him to finger paint with just two colors, so he can see how those two colors combine to make a third one. Children enjoy doing art activities in unusual places as well. Cover the wall or floor with paper and let him paint or draw there.
4 Music Activities
Music can help children learn many different concepts. Try to sing throughout the day even if you don't have the best singing voice. Show her how to do finger plays and easy dances to different songs, such as the "Itsy Bitsy Spider" or "I'm a Little Teapot." If the song doesn't have standard movements, you can make up your own. Another idea is to purchase a child-sized musical instrument to allow your child to experiment on her own. A simple keyboard can provide hours of enjoyment.
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