Day 1

Teaching Picture: Carrots

On the download page you will find the printable pages and print out today’s teaching picture of the vegetables (potato and carrots). Tape the picture to the wall in a location where the toddlers can see it.

As you show the picture to children, talk about the picture, tell the children about the picture. Talking to the toddlers is a good way for them to get started on using their own language skills. The more words a toddler hears the more he learns, even if he/she is not talking yet, they are listening and learning and all of a sudden they will be talking.

Refer to the language development section below for a few suggestions on things to talk about with toddlers about the picture, the language development will give you suggestion on things to talk about or it will show an activity, rhyme or story and then continue talking to the children about the picture, using your own words.

Keep in Mind: Any and all printed material is not safe for toddlers. So do not give any printouts to the children unless you are supervising them. These are for you to hold up or attach to the wall.

Look at your toddlers and in a soothing voice talk about the picture:

Music: Classical Music

Play Classical Music for the children today.

Please Note: You can check at your local library and try to borrow some folk music to play for the toddlers, if they do not have folk music, try to select some different types of music to play for the children, such as; blues, country, soft rock, etc.

Play the music softly throughout the day in the background and it would be nice to play it quietly during naptime also to help the children settle down to go to sleep and keep them sleeping with a soft back ground noise.

Language Development: Little Bunny Shoo, Shoo

Little Bunny shoo, shoo,
Went hopping through the garden.
Pulling up the carrots and eating them all up.

Down came the farmer shaking his head, as he said,
“Little Bunny shoo, shoo I don't want to see you
pulling up my carrots and eating them all up”.

Off went the farmer, and back came the bunny,
Eating up the carrots that were so yummy, yummy.

Directions: Print out the farmer, the bunny, and the carrots and hold up as you recite the story to the children above.

Safety Note: Do not give the children the print outs unless you cover them completely with clear contact paper, packaging tape, or laminate them. You still need to always make sure the pictures are not too small for the children to choke on.

Songs/Finger Rhymes: I Saw A Little Bunny

I saw a little bunny go hop, hop, hop.
I told the little bunny to stop, stop, stop.
I went to the garden to get him to play
He stomped his feet and ran away

Recite the poem to the children

Group Activity: Plant the Veggies

You will need:

Veggie Cards
Small Water or Soda Bottles
Variety of Metal Cans
Brown or Tan Felt
Packaging Tape
Hot Glue Gun (Teacher Only)
Scissors (Teacher Only)

Directions: Teacher will print out the veggie cards file and cut the veggies apart and then tape these onto index cards and then using packing tape, completely cover the index card with the carrot on the front of it, to the bottle. Hot glue the covers on. Then cut some brown or tan felt (pretend dirt) and hot glue to several cans and then either hot glue or using packaging tape, attach matching veggies to the cans.

Activity: Give each of the children two or three cans and two or three matching veggie bottles and show them how they can put the broccoli bottle into the broccoli can, show them how they can pretend to "plant the veggies". don't expect the 12 to 15 months to be able to match them up correctly, but they will still have fun learning how to drop the bottles into the cans and take them back out.

Safety Note: Make sure everything you're using is not too small for the children to choke on, put the learning materials away when not being supervised. Only use sturdy plastic bottles with the covers hot glued on.

Art/Sensory Activity: Wash the Veggies

You will need:

Water Table
Or one dish pan per child
Carrots & Potatoes (real ones)
Or sturdy plastic toy veggies
Toddler Safe Tooth Brushes

Activity: Set up the water table with about an inch of water for the children to wash the “veggies” you can put in real carrots and potatoes or sturdy plastic veggies for them to wash. Provide them with toddler tooth brushes to brush the veggies clean.

Please Note: Never leave the toddlers along around water, they can drown in a small amount of water; Make sure all items being used are not too small, check all items with a choke tube.

Play Time: Orange Bangle Bracelets

You will need:

Orange Bangle Bracelets

Provide the children with some thick sturdy plastic orange bangle bracelets, point out the color orange to the children, the same color as carrots. Make sure they are sturdy and will not break. Line up the bracelets in a row and count to the children; counting the bracelets that you have one, two, three, etc. Point out to the children that the bracelets have a circle shape. Let the children play with the bracelets, show them how to put them on and take them off.

Extend Activity: Provide the children with some orange dress up clothes, such as hats, mittens, and button up sweaters, slippers and purses.

Learning Activity: Veggie Garden Peg Board

You will need:

Veggie Cards File
Packaging Tape
Toilet Paper Rolls
Egg Carton

Directions: You will need one egg carton per child and some toilet paper rolls, for each per child. Print out the veggie cards file and using packaging tape or clear contact paper, tape completely around the picture onto the toilet paper roll, make sure the toiled paper roll is completely covered with the packaging tape; it will make them very sturdy, repeat until you have at least four toilet paper “veggie pegs” per child.

Activity: Give each child one egg carton, upside down, and a few toilet paper rolls that have a veggie taped to it, show the children how to slip the veggie pegs (toilet paper rolls) onto the egg cups. Let them practice putting them on and taking them off.

Safety Note: If you do not place clear packaging tape around the toilet paper holders they will not hold up, the tape makes them durable, make sure you cover the entire roll. When they tire of this activity put the egg carton and toilet paper rolls away.

Nursery Rhyme: Found a Bunny
Tune to: "Are You Sleeping"

Found a bunny, found a bunny,
What should I do? What should I do?
Give it a carrot, give it a carrot
That’s what I'll do. That’s what I'll do.

Directions: Print out the bunny and carrot file and hold up as you recite the song.

Safety Note: Do not give the toddlers any print outs, unless they have been completely covered with packaging tape or with clear contact paper, but still check them to make sure they are not too small for the toddlers to choke on and watch for wear and discard if you see any.

Please Note: Young toddlers enjoy being read to and thrive and learn from listening to stories, songs, poetry and nursery rhymes. So please read and sing a lot to the children in your care!