Category: Book List

Tot-School Purple Day

Read:  

Song: 

WE LOVE PURPLE
Tune: “Three Blind Mice”

We love purple, we love purple.
Yes, we do. Yes, we do.
Purple grapes and eggplant,
Purple plums and grape juice,
Just for me, just for you.
–Heather McPhail

Color Recognition:  Show the child 3 cars or toys (be sure one is purple).  Have the child point to the purple car. (we used bows today)

Word Recognition:  Print the Purple paper to use with do-a-dot markers. 

Discuss: 

  • What is something purple? Plum, violets, jam, etc…
  • “I spy something purple…”

Snack:  Blackberry Smoothie, Grape juice, Plums, Grapes, Cabbage, Blackberries, Grape Jelly, Purple Jello

Blackberry Smoothie

Materials: 

  • 1 Cup Blackberries
  • 1 frozen banana
  • 1 Cup almond milk (or coconut milk)

Directions: 

  1. Blend the berries in a blender, scrape the sides.
  2. Add the banana and blend more, scrape the sides.
  3. Add the milk and blend until smooth.

Purple Playdough

Get out any purple play dough and purple play dough toys and tools. Show the child how to use the tools.

Purple Mixed Media Collage

Materials: any drawing materials that you have that are PURPLE (crayons, markers, colored pencil), white and purple paper, scissors, glue

Description: Child used drawing materials on the white paper. Then she will cut small pieces of her paper and glue them all onto the purple paper.

Skills Targeted: teach your tot to follow directions, be creative, and fine motor skills.

Play with Purple Balloon

This girl loves to play with balloons. Today we played with a purple dancing scarf instead of a balloon.

PURPLE word and pictures

I found these Color Headers in the Target back to school clearance a few years ago.  She put the yellow pictures onto the PURPLE word.

Planting Purple Tulips

Materials:

  • Purple Construction Paper
  • Craft Sticks
  • Egg Carton

Directions:

  1. Cut tulip shapes from the paper and glue a craft stick to them.
  2. Turn the egg carton upside down and cut slits in each egg part.
  3. The child can plant the tulips in the different slits.
  4. Count how many tulips he planted.

Skills Targeted: teach your tot color recognition, teach your tot to follow directions

PURPLE Baby Bin

I made a Baby Bin filled with purple toys for my granddaughter to play with too.

Here are the links to posts for the individual colors that we learned:

Tot-School Green Day

Read:  

Song: 

THERE’S A COLOR WE ALL KNOW
Tune: “Old MacDonald Had a Farm”

There’s a color we all know,
G-R-E-E-N.
It’s the color that means “Go!”
G-R-E-E-N.
Oh, grass is green and lettuce is green,
Leaves and spinach and peas are green,
There’s a color we all know,
G-R-E-E-N
–Elizabeth Scofield

Color Recognition:  Show the child 3 cars or toys (be sure one is green).  Have the child point to the green car.

Word Recognition:  Print the green paper to use with do-a-dot markers. 

Discuss: 

  • What is something green? Frog, tree, grapes, etc…
  • “I spy something green…”

Snack:  Green Sugar Cookie, Grapes, Green Beans, Honeydew, Kiwi, Lettuce, Cucumber, Green Apple, Green Koolaid, Pickle

Green Playdough

Get out any green play dough and green play dough toys and tools. Show the child how to use the tools.

Green Mixed Media Collage

Materials: any drawing materials that you have that are GREEN (crayons, markers, colored pencil), white and green paper, scissors, glue

Description: Child used drawing materials on the white paper. Then she will cut small pieces of her paper and glue them all onto the green paper.

Skills Targeted: teach your tot to follow directions, be creative, and fine motor skills.

Play with Green Balloon

This girl loves to play with balloons, so I got out a green one for her to play with today.

GREEN word and pictures

I found these Color Headers in the Target back to school clearance a few years ago.  She put the yellow pictures onto the GREEN word.

Shopping for Green Food

Materials:

Directions:

  1. Put play food in a shopping basket.
  2. Have the child pick out all of the green foods and place them on her plate.

Skills Targeted: teach your tot color recognition, teach your tot to follow directions

GREEN Baby Bin

I made a Baby Bin filled with green toys for my granddaughter to play with too.

Here are the links to posts for the individual colors that we learned:

Tot-School Blue Day

Read:  

Song: 

WE LOVE BLUE
Tune: “Three Blind Mice”

We love blue. We love blue.
Yes, we do. Yes, we do.
We love the ocean and sky so blue.
We love blue ribbons and blue jeans, too.
We love blueberries, so good for you.

We love blue.
–Liz Ryerson

Color Recognition:  Show the child 3 cars or toys (be sure one is blue).  Have the child point to the blue car.

Word Recognition:  Print the Blue paper to use with do-a-dot markers. 

Discuss: 

  • What is something blue? Blueberries, train, jeans, etc…
  • “I spy something blue…”

Snack:  Blueberries, Blue Jello, Blue Popsicle, Blue Gatorade, Blue Chips, Blue Unicorn Pudding

Blue Playdough

Get out any blue play dough and blue play dough toys and tools. Show the child how to use the tools.

Blue Mixed Media Collage

Materials: any drawing materials that you have that are BLUE (crayons, markers, colored pencil), white and blue paper, scissors, glue

Description: Child used drawing materials on the white paper. Then she will cut small pieces of her paper and glue them all onto the blue paper.

Skills Targeted: teach your tot to follow directions, be creative, and fine motor skills.

Play with Blue Balloon

This girl loves to play with balloons, so I got out a blue one for her to play with today.

BLUE word and pictures

I found these Color Headers in the Target back to school clearance a few years ago.  She put the blue pictures onto the BLUE word.

Blue Fish Painting

Materials:

  • White paper
  • Blue paint
  • Paintbrush
  • Masking tape
  • Googly Eye

Directions:

  1. Use the masking tape to make the shape of a fish on the white paper.
  2. Let the child paint the whole paper blue.
  3. After it dries peel off the masking tape.
  4. Add a googly eye.  It looks like you have a blue fish swimming in blue water now.

Skills Targeted: teach your tot color recognition, teach your tot to follow directions

BLUE Baby Bin

I made a Baby Bin filled with blue toys for my granddaughter to play with too.

Here are the links to posts for the individual colors that we learned:

Tot-School Red Day

Read:  

Song: 

I LOVE RED
Tune: “Three Blind Mice”

I love red, I love red.
That’s what I said, that’s what I said.
Firetrucks, wagons and strawberries piled high.
Stop signs, hearts and pizza pies.
Roses, tomatoes and apples, oh my.
I love red.
That’s what I said.
–Jean Warren

Color Recognition:  Show the child 3 cars or toys (be sure one is red).  Have the child point to the red car.

Word Recognition:  Print the Red paper to use with do-a-dot markers. 

Discuss: 

  • What is something red?  Apples, fire trucks, ladybugs, etc…
  • “I spy something red…”

Snack:  Strawberries, Red Apples, Red Juice, Red Jello, Radishes, Watermelon, Licorice, Pepperoni, Tomato

Red Playdough

Get out any red play dough and red play dough toys and tools. Show the child how to use the tools.

Red Mixed Media Collage

Materials: any drawing materials that you have that are RED (crayons, markers, colored pencil), white and red paper, scissors, glue

Description: Child used drawing materials on the white paper. Then she will cut small pieces of her paper and glue them all onto the red paper.

Skills Targeted: teach your tot to follow directions, be creative, and fine motor skills.

Play with Red Balloon

This girl loves to play with balloons, so I got out a red one for her to play with today.

RED word and pictures

I found these Color Headers in the Target back to school clearance a few years ago.  She put the red pictures onto the RED word.

Find the Red Ball

Materials: 3 red solo cups, a small red ball

Description: Place three cups with their opening down on the ground. Show your toddler the red ball and place it under one of the red cups. Move the cups around for a few seconds. Have your child see if they can follow the cup with the red ball and guess what cup it is under. Once you do this several times, allow your toddler to put the ball under the cup and try to trick you!

Skills Targeted: teach your tot color recognition, teach your tot to follow directions, teach your tot to play games, teach your tot to make guesses.

RED Baby Bin

I made a Baby Bin filled with red toys for my granddaughter to play with too.

Here are the links to posts for the individual colors that we learned:

Colors Tot-School

We are learning colors this month. We spent a couple days on each color, basically however long she needed to remember the new color. Storm is 2 years old, but you could use most of these activities for 3 and 4 year old children as well. I also have a few activities for babies; we included my granddaughter in some of the lessons. You can click the links at the bottom of this post to see what we did for each individual color.

Preschool Colors Book List

Tot-School Colors Book List

  • Red by Patricia M. Stockland
  • Yellow  by Patricia M. Stockland
  • Blue by Patricia M. Stockland
  • Green by Patricia M. Stockland
  • Purple  by Patricia M. Stockland
  • Orange by Patricia M. Stockland
  • Black  by Patricia M. Stockland
  • Brown  by Patricia M. Stockland
  • White by Patricia M. Stockland
  • Gray by Patricia M. Stockland
  • Pink by Patricia M. Stockland

Baby Colors Book List

Color Music Songs:

Color Activities:

  • I found these Color Headers in the Target back to school clearance a few years ago.  I punched out the pieces and laid them on the floor for her to match up. 

Color Busy Book:

I made Storm a busy book to match up colors. I printed all of these pages from free resources that I have found. Then I laminated them and 3 hole punched them and placed them in a binder. I cut out the matches and added velcro dots to them so that she could place them in the appropriate spot.

  • Paint Brush Colors

Here are the links to posts for the individual colors that we learned:

“The Wheels on the Bus” Tot School

“The Wheels on the Bus”

Color: Yellow

Shape: Circle

Number: 4

Letter: B

Verse 1: wheels go round

  • Look at the wheels on our van.
  • Show the wheels on the toy bus and push it on the floor to see them go round and round.
  • Roll a ball to go round and round.

Verse 2: people go up and down

  • Jump up and down.
  • Hold a baby doll up then down.

Verse 3: horn goes toot

  • Sit in the van and honk the horn.
  • Show child some other types of horns.

Verse 4: money goes clink

  • Drop coins in a jar or piggy bank to go clink.

Verse 5: wipers go swish

  • Wash the van window.
  • Turn on the window wipers in the van.

Book List:

  • Wheels on the Bus by Sylvie Kantorovitz Wickstrom
  • Wheels on the Bus by Jerry Smath
  • The wheels on the Bus by Dana Regan
  • Big Gus The Double Decker by Ian Pillinger
  • The Bus Driver by Todd H. Doodler
  • Red Truck, Yellow Bus: A Book of Colors by Rookie Toddler
  • I’m Feeling School Bus Yellow by Tina Gallo

Dramatic Play:

  • Play with Sesame Street bus.  “Doors go Open and Shut”
  • Melissa & Doug Transportation

  • Fisher Price Little People School Bus

Music/ Poems:

  • “Wheels on the Bus” youtube    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bOiYN7iU-W8&t=572s

Foods:

  • Graham Cracker
  • Cinnamon Toast Crunch
  • Cheese
  • Mini Oreo

Fine Motor:

  • Paint a Shape Bus

Trips:

  • Take a bus ride.

Insect Tot School

Color: Black

Shape: Oval

Number: 6

Letter: I for Insect

Day 1:  Insects                         

Read:  

Music: Bug Instruments

Experiment: Bug Hunt

Play:  Bug Sensory Tub

Day 2:  Ants                            

Read:  

Music: sing the ants go marching

Experiment: Ant Farm

Play:  Counting Ants

Day 3:  Ladybugs                         

Read:  

Music: sing Ladybug Ladybug fly away home

Experiment: Ladybug Habitat

Day 4:  Bees                      

Read:  

Music:

Day 5:  Inchworms                       

Read:  

Play:  Make Playdough Inchworms

Music: Itchy Inchworm https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=coW1OJnbut8&list=PLtcVDUfj-tZytwkA64XHNSi0PwA0TMrJM&index=9

Day 6:  Butterflies                        

Read:  

Music: sing bullfrogs and butterflies

Experiment: Raise Butterflies

Play: Butterfly Life Cycle Toys

Butterfly Sticker

I ordered a couple toddler age books from Abeka.com. Following are some of the specific books with links that are used in this Insect Tot School Unit:

Movie List:

Book List:

Music/ Poems:

Gross Motor: 

  • Move like an insect cards

Fine Motor:

Trips:

  • Butterfly House

Mouse Cookie Baking Week

I got to teach a “Baking Week” at our Summer Camp. I had about 20 kids Kindergarten-5th grade. I had 4 groups of kids in the kitchen, each with 1 older child to help the younger ones. Each day we made a food from one of the “If You Give a Mouse a Cookie” books.

Daily Activity Schedule:

  1. Read Story/ Circle Time
  2. Recess
  3. Divide Teams
  4. Review Kits and Safety Rules
  5. Kitchen Cooking
  6. Activity Time
  7. Lunch
  8. Recess
  9. Quiet Time (Kids Baking Championship – Food Network)
  10. Color/ Activity Sheets from the MouseCookieBooks.com activities page
  11. Snack

Day 1:  If you Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Numeroff

Jello Cookies

Board Game

Jello Cookies

(24 cookies)

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/3 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 tsp cream of tarter
  • ½ tsp baking soda
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • 6 tbsp butter at room temperature
  • ¾ cup sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 3/4 tea. Vanilla
  • 3 tbsp flavored Jello
  • 1 cup of Extra sugar

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Combine the flour, cream of tarter, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl and set aside.
  3. Add the butter and 3/4 cup of sugar to a large bowl and cream together until fluffy about 5 minutes.
  4. Add the eggs and mix
  5. Add the vanilla and mix
  6. Add the medium bowl ingredients to the large bowl and mix together.
  7. Knead in the Jello with your hands.
  8. Place the extra cup of sugar into a small bowl.
  9. Scoop 2 Tablespoons of cooties and roll them into balls, then roll them in the sugar until completely covered.
  10. Place the balls on a prepared sheet pan with 2 inches between each cookies.
  11. Bake in the oven for 10-13 minutes until the tops of the cookies are golden.
  12. Cool on the pan for 3-5 minutes.

Day 2:  If you Give a Moose a Muffin by Laura Numeroff

Banana Muffins

Banana Muffins

(12 muffins)

Ingredients:

  • 1 eggs
  • 6 Tablespoons butter
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 2 overripe bananas
  • 1 cup flour
  • ¾  tea. Baking soda
  • ¼  tea salt
  • ½  tea. Vanilla
  • 12  Muffin Cups

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Mix the eggs, butter, and brown sugar.
  3. Mash in the bananas.
  4. Blend in flour, baking soda, salt, and vanilla.
  5. Place muffin cups in 12  muffin holders. And fill ¾ full with batter.
  6. Bake for 16 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Day 3:  If you Give a Dog a Donut by Laura Numeroff

Donuts

Make Your Own Donut

Glazed Baked Donuts

(6 donuts)

Ingredients for Donuts:

  • 1 Cup Flour
  • ½ Cup Sugar
  • 1 tsp Baking Powder
  • ½ tsp Salt
  • 2 tbsp butter melted
  • 1 large egg
  • ½ Cup Milk
  • 1 tsp Vanilla

Ingredients for Glaze:

  • ½ cup Powder sugar
  • ½ tsp Vanilla
  • ¼ stp Salt
  • 2  tbsp milk
  • Sprinkles

Directions for Donuts:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray donut pans
  2. Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt.
  3. In a separate bowl, stir together the melted butter, egg, milk, vanilla.
  4. Gradually add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until combined (do not over mix)
  5. Pour the mixture evenly into the donut pans filling each about halfway full.
  6. Bake for 10-13 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.
  7. Let the donuts cool in the pan for 5 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack.

Directions for Donuts:

  1. Whisk together powder sugar and salt.
  2. Then stir in the vanilla and gradually add the milk.
  3. Dip the cool donuts in the icing covering about half of the donuts. Then top with sprinkles.
  4. Let the donuts cool about 30 minutes.

Day 4:  If you Give a Cat a Cupcake by Laura Numeroff

Cupcakes

The Art of the Cupcake

Chocolate Cupcakes

(12 cupcakes)

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 Cup granulated white sugar
  • ¼  cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • ¾ teaspoons baking powder
  • ¾ teaspoons baking soda
  • ¼ teaspoons salt
  • 1 large egg
  • ½ cup milk
  • ¼ cup vegetable oil
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla
  • ½ cup boiling water
  • 12 Cupcake Liners

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. Mix together the sugar, flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking power,  and salt.
  3. Add the eggs, milk, oil and vanilla into the same bowl.
  4. Mix for five minutes.
  5. Stir in the boiling water last.
  6. Place 12 cupcake liners in the pan, filling each tin or liner about 2/3 full.
  7. Bake 30 to 35 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.

Day 5:  If you Give a Mouse a Brownie by Laura Numeroff

Brownies

Brownies Recipe

(9 brownies)

Ingredients:

  • ½  cup butter or margarine, melted
  • 1 cups sugar
  • 1/2 cup baking cocoa
  • 2 eggs
  • ½  cup flour
  • ½  cup chopped nuts (optional)

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. In a bowl, mix the margarine, sugar and cocoa.
  3. Add the eggs and mix well.
  4. Stir in flour; mix well.
  5. Grease a 8×8 inch pan and pour the batter into the pan.
  6. Bake . for 30 minutes or until the brownies test done with a wooden pick. Cool in pan.

Other Baking Ideas:

  • Pizza
  • Fruit Pizza
  • Pretzels with cheese sauce
  • Pancakes

Kids Baking Shows:

  • Kids Baking Championship – Food Network

Book List:

Creation Tot School

Color: Blue

Shape: Circle

Number: 7

Letter: W for World

Day 1: God Created the Light and Dark

  • Snack: Raisins and Popcorn
  • Turn on and off Lights, 
  • Light and play with flashlights.

Day 2: God Created the Sky and Sea

  • Snack: Blue Jello and Marshmallows
  • Point to Sky and look at Clouds, 
  • Water and play with water toys.

Day 3: God Created the Dry Land and Plants

  • Snack: Chocolate Pudding with crushed cookies and Broccoli
  • Look at Trees and Plants and Dirt, 
  • Play in the dirt and plant some flowers. 
  • Play with wooden cutting fruits and vegies.

Day 4: God Created the Sun, Moon, and Stars

  • Snack: Cheese cut into starts
  • Look at Moon and Stars, 
  • Day or night?, (ask the child when they do things like go to bed, eat lunch, dream, play outside, etc…)
  • Playdough Sun, Moon, Stars
  • read “Bathwater’s Hot” by Shirley Hughes

Day 5: God Created the Birds and Fish

  • Snack: Goldfish
  • Talk about fish and birds,
  • Visit a pet store,
  • Feed the Ducks.

Day 6: God Created the Animals and People

  • Snack: Animal Crackers,
  • Visit a zoo,
  • Play with dog and cats.

Day 7: God Rested (God Made Me)

  • “Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes”: Point to Body Parts, draw body with sidewalk chalk.
  • Relax with Yoga.

Gross Motor:

  • Run and Play Outside
  • Bubbles Circles
  • Creation Hop Scotch

Fine Motor:

  • He’s Got the Whole World In His Hands Craft
  • Play Dough (Blue, Circle, 7, W)
  • Abeka

I ordered a couple toddler age books from Abeka.com. Following are some of the specific books with links that are used in this Creation Tot School Unit:

Book List:

Movies

Music/ Poems:

Circus Tot School

Color: Red

Shape: Circle (Balloons, Balls, Hoops)

Number: 3

Letter: C for Clown

Movie:

Gross Motor:

  • Circus Yoga
  • Riding Lion Toy
  • Flaming Hoops (Hoola Hoop & Crape Paper)

Fine Motor:

  • Balloon Clown Coloring Sheet (Red, circles)
  • Abeka

I ordered a couple toddler age books from Abeka.com. Following are some of the specific books with links that are used in this Circus Tot School Unit:

Dramatic Play:

  • Streamers and Balloons (Red)

Book List:

Music/ Poems:

Foods:

  • Popcorn
  • Sno-Cone
  • Animal Crackers
  • Corn Dogs
  • Swirly Suckers

Tot Tubs:

  • Play Dough Play Mat (make balls circles for seal’s nose)
  • Bubbles (Circles)
  • Sidewalk Chalk
  • Popcorn Sensory Tub (popcorn kernels, red measuring spoons, yellow & white pom poms, Popcorn Cups)
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