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

One of her favorite songs is “The Wheels on the Bus”. She loves to see school busses while we are driving around town.

“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 on a trampoline.
  • 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:

Dramatic Play:

Music/ Poems:

Foods:

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

Fine Motor:

  • Paint a Shape Bus then glue on square windows and use a dot dauber to make circle wheels.
  • Free The Bears on the Bus from Teachers Pay Teachers. Count the bears and match them to the number on the bus.
  • This free Hands on Bus with movable parts. Color, then cut and glue the pieces together.
  • Free Match the Wheels from Teachers Pay Teachers. Cut out the wheels for the child to match to the bus.

Trips:

  • Take a bus ride.

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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)

12 – 18 Month Tot School

Tot Tub

I place beans, pom poms, tablespoons, and measuring cups in a tub. She loves scooping, dumping, and pouring from cup to cup and back and forth.

Pom Pom Play

I placed pom poms in a wisk so that she could pull them out and place them into an empty tissue box.

Then we taped an empty paper towel tube to the wall so that she could drop the pom poms down the tube.

Pipe Cleaner Play

I placed pipe cleaners in a strainer. She could pull them out one by one.

Box Play

The kids colored a box and my son tied his rope to one end of the box. Then he gave Baby Girl a ride though the house.

Book List (12-18 months)

Flap Books

Rainbow Colors Peekaboo! by DK Publishing (Touch and Feel Book)

Noisy Farm

Kids Favorites

Go, Dog. Go! by P.D. Eastman

Mr. Brown can Moo! Can You? by Dr. Seuss

Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You Hear? by Bill Martin Jr & Eric Carle

Hokey Pokey Elmo by Abigail Tabby

Sandra Boynton Board Books

Barnyard Dance! by Sandra Boynton

Hey! Wake Up! by Sandra Boynton

Blue Hat, Green Hat by Sandra Boynton

Belly Button Book! by Sandra Boynton

Moo, Baa, La La La! by Sandra Boynton

Baby Book List (9-12 months)

Baby Girl is really starting to enjoy her books. We try to read the same books a few days in a row and leave them out on the table so she can look at them throughout the day too.

Sing Song Rhyming Books

Hokey Pokey Elmo by Abigail Tabby

Mr. Brown can Moo! Can You? by Dr. Seuss

Rainbow Colors Peekaboo! by DK Publishing (Touch and Feel Book)

Five Little Monkeys jumping on the bed by Eileen Christelow

Farm Animal Books

Noisy Farm

My first book of Animals

Little Blue Truck by Alice Schertle

Bedtime Books

Why I Love my Mommy by Daniel Howarth

Your Baby’s First Word will be DADA by Jimmy Fallon

Time For Bed by Mem Fox

Good Night Mermaids by Adam Gramble

Adding books to our bedtime routine has helped Baby create a love for books and reading.

Baby Book List (6-9 months)

Bedtime Books

Part of our bedtime routine is to read books to help baby fall asleep peacefully. It is also a great bonding time so we read our 2 favorite books about Mommy and Daddy:

Why I Love my Mommy by Daniel Howarth

Your Baby’s First Word will be DADA by Jimmy Fallon

Song Books

Baby likes the sing song books. She also loves to play Pat-a-Cake and Peek-a-Boo!

Where is Monkey? by Babs Bell Hajdusiewicz

Hokey Pokey Elmo by Abigail Tabby

Five Little Monkeys jumping on the bed by Eileen Christelow

Animal Books

My oldest child loved books with animal sounds, so I’m trying some of his favorites with Baby Girl too…

Noisy Farm

My first book of Animals

More Favorites

In My Tree by Sara Gillingham & Lorena Siminovich

You are My Merry Little Christmas by Joyce Wan

On the Night You Were Born by Nancy Tillman

She loves looking though the books and cleaning them off of the table too 🙂

Baby Book List (3-6 months)

Reading to bitty babies may seem pointless, but there are several great things about reading to the tiny ones! It lets them have your full attention and hear the sound of the voice that they love, which can sooth them. It helps them learn the love of books, reading, and learning. Encourages them to learn how to hold books and turn pages. Exposes them to rhyme and other language development. Reading is a great life long skill that you can start now with your little one.

Here are a few of our favorite books for new babies…

Where is Monkey? by Babs Bell Hajdusiewicz

In My Tree by Sara Gillingham & Lorena Siminovich

Freight Train by Donald Crews

Hello Bugs by Smriti Prasadam

Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star and other favorite bedtime rhymes by Sanja Rescek

Hokey Pokey Elmo by Abigail Tabby

Why I Love my Mommy by Daniel Howarth (My favorite)

Here are some of the books that my other children are reading now days…

10 year old boy: Wings of Fire series and Dragon Master series.

15 year old boy: Lord of the Rings series and History of Middle Earth series; also a few other books by Tolkien.

As a family we are reading the Tuttle Twins series before bed at night.