Ms Jerica’s Go-to Activities – Bless This Toddler Mess

Is your day just not happening?

Are the kiddos just not having it?

Does your lesson plan feel like a forgotten dream?

I’ve had years of experience organizing lesson plans, so you can trust me when I say it is possible (even with wild ones) to do everything on the plan – however, there will be days where the kids are just not having it or maybe you just need a day so there is no shame in skipping or rearranging (or even delaying entire weeks #thankyoucovid).

For those days I have a list of activities that I can pull out that are low energy yet engaging (for the days that need some chill)

or are high energy yet simple (for the days they all seem to have eaten bowls of sugar and washed it down with coffee before coming in)

So for those days when we just can’t even….

…here is my list of go-to activities arranged by developmental area:

Art! – simple, no mess art activities that keep their attention!

Doodle pads – invest in these mini doodle pads, one per kiddo (and put their names on them in permanent marker to avoid quarrels over ownership 😉)

Notebooks – get each kiddo a notebook (parents are often willing to supply things like this!) and take them out periodically for the kids to “write” in! I use these especially in the summer, call them their “summer journals,” let the kiddos write in them and add stickers, then add printed pictures of the best activities throughout the summer as a keepsake!

Class mural – get a long piece of paper like easel paper or bulletin board paper, tape it down on the floor, and work together to make it beautiful 😊 to add more learning components, sit next to them and write their names, draw shapes, and write numbers and color names!

Simple Sensory! – little to no mess yet very engaging for the kiddos!

Playdough – an obvious choice! They will love using their hands to mold and create – add rollers, cookie cutters, and other tools for added engagement.

Sensory boxes – a great go to when you need something simple and with no mess. You can use any kind of box as long as there is a hole (or you can make a hole) for them to stick their hand in. I use a lot of tissue boxes because for obvious reasons we empty a lot of tissue boxes 😉🤧 You can glue pretty much anything in there and it will make an interesting sensory experience for them! In one box I glued dried penne noodles for a rough feeling, black beans for a smooth feeling, and puff balls for a soft feeling so they are getting 3 experiences in one!

Simple Sensory table – make a sensory table that is free of choking hazards and mess makers (beans, rice, pasta, sand etc.) but is still interesting. My favorite one to use is full of Easter grass (which sticks together in clumps = less mess), pompoms, foam stars, Easter eggs (great fine motor tool) and fine motor tweezers. They never got bored with it and it would keep them engaged for long periods of time.

Potato Heads – not only is it engaging and boosts their creativity, but it also uses engineering concepts and tests their knowledge of body part names and placement.

Magnet tiles – a toy that never fails! Expands their knowledge of magnetic force, as well as engineering, shapes and colors.

Building blocks – simple yet effective! One tip – this one keeps them engaged longer if you are on the floor building with them. So if you need an excuse to sit down for a while, this is it! 😉

Gross Motor – need to get them moving?

Stretches – a great (and hilarious to watch) activity for when their bodies are getting a little ancy. And it’s good for you too! Do any stretches you can think of and encourage them to copy. We did a kids yoga video here:

Bean Bags – just get some bean bags and toss them around! I usually use the bucket as the goal – they toss them in and then get to dump them out again.

Hula hoops, rings, and frisbees – super fun and easy. I don’t do this in the classroom so they don’t get the idea that throwing things in class is ok😉 Throw them around in the gym…

or take it outside! Running around in the side yard of our center saved many of our days and gave all involved a great workout 😜

(We’ve also done races and ring around the rosie with a twist. We have a kiddo stand in the center and sing (if for example the kiddo in the middle is Joshua) “Ring around the Joshua, pocket full of Joshua, Joshua, Joshua, we all fall down! (everyone falls down and you grab the kiddo in the middle and tumble down together) I know it doesn’t make much sense but the kiddos still love it and if you know what ring around the rosie is supposedly about, you’ll understand why I re-wrote it😬)

Socks – I did this once for the letter S and it was so successful I kept it going. Just bring a bag of socks from home in all sizes and patterns (holiday socks were a big win), and they will spend forever practicing this self care skill (that also uses fine motor skills) while having fun and getting creative 😍 Only thing – you need to be ok with them taking off their own socks and shoes for this. Some centers have strict rules about kiddos keeping socks and shoes on at all times.