Our NEW Website!!

We are so excited to announce that we are expanding our store from Etsy to our own website! 

To celebrate we are offering an AMAZING deal this week only!

Buy ANY Time for Tots Learning Kit (from our new site) and get the Summer Themed Kit FREE! 

So head over and join us while we party it up!  

I mean really.  Buy a kit and get one FREE?!

www.TimeforTotsLearningKits.com

Using Alphabet Drawers

Back in 2009, I created Alphabet Drawers for Maddie.  You can read about the initial process HERE.

I used a box from Lowe's (or maybe it was Home Depot?  Regardless, I think pretty much all hardware stores carry these plastic boxes for about $20).

Then, in 2010 I wrote about ways that we were using the tiny objects and drawers (she looks so young in those pictures!  Wah!!).

In 2011, Time for Tots started selling Tiny Objects collections, which means that every letter was sure to get an object!

And now, in 2012... We are really finding new ways to put those tiny objects to good use!

 I created an alphabet mat with pictures and Maddie has to match the letter card up to the picture.

She also dug through her tiny objects to match an object with a picture.

 We're learning about initial blends, matching pictures and tiny objects to the correct sounds.

 She loves matching tiny objects to the letter, too.

She likes it when I "trick" her by handing her a tiny object.  Then, she'll search the board to match the letter sound.

We started out doing this with initial letter sounds and then challenged her by doing final sounds (tricky but she totally caught on!).

All these printables, mats, and cards are now for sale in the shop!

*By the way, excuse the crazy hair and Angry Birds pajamas (aka Mike's shirt!).  As soon as she woke up and saw the new mats sitting out, she had to do them immediately!

Valentine Tot Trays

I hesitate to call these "Tot Trays," since I don't really consider Maddie a tot anymore. But, these are our Valentine-themed trays that I thought I'd share. I've gotten so bad about taking pictures so today, I made a point of documenting this week's work.

Phonics and Letters

I wrote some phrases on paper and put out sparkly sticker letters (I think they're from Oriental Trading). She matches the sticker to the letter and then decorates.

Math

I got this super cool printable (just this morning!) from RockerMom. I can't wait for Maddie to try it out!

Fine Motor Skills

I taped a ribbon's end to create a "needle" and put out a strawberry basket. She can "sew" through the basket and then we'll put a Valentine present inside!

The pitcher holds tiny heart beads that she can pour between the three cups. She loves to play restaurant so I thought she'd like this one. :)

This is a simple tweezing of foam heart beads into the ice cube mold. I got those chopsticks at the Goodwill for a nickel, brand new!

She can also sort the beads by color or size (there are three sizes).

Crafts

These are little foam crafts that I picked up for $0.50 at Michaels.

I put the picture on the tray so that she has a guide.

Our Setup

And finally, just a picture of how we keep it all organized and accessible (in our kitchen). If it were up to her, we'd do all the trays in one day. Ha! But usually, I have her pick one or two, and some of them can be repeated multiple times throughout the week.

Tot School: Thanksgiving Feast

I know... This is way overdue! I'm (attempting) to catch up on blogging and I think I left off at Thanksgiving Tot School! I have about 18 pictures of the trays and crafts we did, but that seemed overwhelming. Ha! So instead, I'll just post some cute pictures from the feast we all had in our backyard!

We had mini cornbread muffins, turkey rolls, applesauce and juice. :)

A long, low table was covered in butcher paper so that the kids could color while they munched.

They also wore their headdresses that were made during craft time.

So, SO much fun!

I've had to take a break from doing Tot School, which was an incredibly hard decision (made harder when Maddie asks when the next one is!). I have a tendency to take on a little too much and am constantly trying to find a balance. And so, I'm re-balancing and seeing how that goes! :)

Tot School Action Shots! :)

I actually took some pictures during this past Tot School and wanted to share!

Pumpkin sponge painting

My sweet girl

Maddie and Emma dot painting

Lilly working on sorting

Kayla opening and closing

Sharing tweezers :)

It's really been awesome to see how these kids have grown and changed and matured over the past year. Some of them have totally come out of their shells, others have started demonstrating teamwork and cooperation and they all just have fun together!

Halloween Tot School!

Last week, we had our Halloween Tot School and, as always, it was a blast! I have pictures of the trays and the crafts!

Trays:

Open and Close

Each vessel had a Halloween trinket inside (fuzzy spiders, pumpkins, ect).

Tweezing plastic pumpkins (Dollar Tree) into paint tray

*These tweezers are from Lakeshore Learning, but other good places to look for tongs and tweezers are the Dollar Tree (think plastic serving tongs!), party stores (again, serving tongs) or dollar stores (even real tweezers are awesome!).

Tonging green glass rocks into paint tray

Tweezing itty bitty pom poms in ice cube mold

Make a Halloween bracelet with pipe cleaners and pony beads

Sorting acorns, skulls and bats into divided tray (99 Cent Store)

Tonging tiny acorns (Michaels) into pumpkin mold (Dollar Tree)

Sorting pumpkins and acorns (Dollar Tree) by either type or color

Halloween graphing with various trinkets

Dry pour between two pitchers (filled with lentils and beans)

Count and clip cards

Now, onto the sensory activities and crafts (all outdoor activities!):

Beans and rice table filled with spooky Halloween pieces (Dollar Tree)

Crepe paper collage and water play

Pumpkin Mosaics

Pumpkin painting on large, construction paper pumpkins (precut)

Spider web marble painting

The coolest flying ghosts

(found HERE)

Seriously, every single kid flipped for these. I highly recommend them!

Sensory box with beans and black-eyed peas, tiny pumpkins and tiny skulls (and tongs to search!)

And, dot stamping!

Look at these beautiful creations!!

For snack, we had Halloween cookies, apple slice and caramel dip.

During circle time, we worked in our journals and then painted and decorated real pumpkins.

What a fun, fun time!!

Tot School: Fall

We had another group Tot School today and, as always, had a blast. The kids are really getting into such a great rhythm and were just awesome in all their work!

Here were our outdoor centers and crafts:

Make a Fall Tree

I always put directions, as well as a completed example (thank you Maddie) up as a reference. All the necessary materials for each activity are right underneath.

My tiny model is totally blocking it, but there was a big box full of silk leaves, pumpkins and beads that the kids could explore.

Corn Cob Painting

Dot Stamping

Sensory table with pinto beans, rice, tiny pumpkins, leaves, scoops and measuring cups

Sink or Float Science Activity

(There was a big bucket of water underneath)

The kids loved this one.

Marble Painting

(also a huge hit)

Now, onto the tray work...

Dry pouring with lentils, peas and beans

Tonging acorns in a real/plastic pattern in the paint tray

Tonging pumpkins in a color pattern

(I realize that I own 7 different types of tongs; ha!)

Tweezing foam beads into the ice cube mold

Tweezing pompoms into pumpkin mold

Creating a number line with fall leaves and counting out the correct number of pebbles

Color sorting of tiny objects into a divided plate

Turkey math mat with foam dice and wood chips

Pattern strips with fall pieces and early phonemic awareness (listening for initial sounds)

Matching picture to word card to tiny object

Counting with pumpkins, leaves and acorns

Adding play dough berries to a pie :)

Scarecrow count and clip cards

Letter assessments with magnets

And, I think that was it! We had such a fun time. In circle time, we worked in our journals, learned a fall poem and decorated cupcakes. LOVE our Tot School days!