Toddler Program

august 2023

What an amazing Monday! As the children continue to look for ways to engage in orientational and directional play, exploring in, out, up, down, on, off and under; with their bodies and other materials in the room we as educators are looking to see how we can guide their play to expand on their learning. Through adding materials and experiences into our day we’re able to continue the children’s learning and development. Bringing out the pikler triangle today the children found another way to explore up, over, down and under while also working on their turn taking skills and gross motor development. As they continued to explore the boxes, blocks and crates they worked on their spatial awareness, and problem solving skills as they worked out how to fill, open and close the crates. In the water table the children worked on building their associative play skills and their directional language development as they played in close quarters as they dropped the gems down, in and out of their scoops. While joining play we add directional language to assist the children’s understanding and language development as they play. The children’s language has been booming in the room as we continue to hear lots of contextual language as they put their bodies or materials in, out, up, down, on, off and under! As they played today we noticed them adding and expanding their ideas as they added to the list open and closed.

A “Box on!” as she puts the box on her head

H E works hard to draw the flaps down of the box and then lifts them once more “Open!”

L places oranges inside the box “One in!” She then pushes the flaps down “Clo! It Clo!”

C places a block into a crate “Dow!” as she points

J climbs the pikler “Up, up, up!”

H scoops the gems into her scoop “On!” Wanting to reflect on the children’s explorations at snack the children joined Selena in playing an opposites game where we moved out bodies up, down, in, out and on and off, moving our hands open and closed. The children even helped Selena Decide where to put our snack. On or off the table? In or out of the bowl? Do we need our yogurt lids open or closed? Do we put milk in our cup or out? Everywhere we looked today the children were continuing to explore this directional investigation, and we can’t wait to see what they do next as they continue to explore relationships between themselves, materials and their environment.

Selena Martin, Smriti Bhoray ECE BEd BA in special education