Object inquiry skills
Toddlers practice naming pictured items of familiar clothing and talk about where and when different types of clothing are worn.
UPDATE: The book originally featured in this activity plan (Let’s Get Dressed by Caroline Jayne Church) may be difficult to secure. Two additional book possibilities are now offered (see Materials Needed). The plan’s suggested strategies for engaging children accommodate any of the books listed in Materials Needed.
[Invite several toddlers to join you to talk about getting dressed. Point to the socks and shoes you are wearing. Example: “I put on these socks this morning when I got dressed. Then I put on these shoes. I put the socks and shoes on my feet. Let’s all point to the shoes we are wearing today!”
Encourage toddlers to point to their shoes. Then display the book cover.]
Let’s look at the picture on the cover of our book.
[Use questions to encourage children to talk about clothing items shown on the book cover and what the pictured child or animal is doing or might do with the clothing item. Examples:
Our book is called _________ (point to and say book title). All of us got dressed this morning. Let’s find out if some of the types of clothes we are wearing today are shown in our book.
[Open the book and hold it so each toddler can easily see the illustrations. Read the text with enthusiasm. Use your own words to describe illustrations. Adjust your descriptions in response to children’s reactions. The strategies described below can help strengthen toddlers’ understanding of different items of clothing and where the clothing is worn on our body.
Our book today helped us talk about the clothes we wear and where we put different types of clothes on our body. Let’s all point to where we would wear a hat on our body. What do we call this part of our body? (our head)
This activity involves a number of cognitive challenges in identifying and understanding where and when different types of clothing are worn. Two strategies included in the activity description—inviting toddlers to say whether they are wearing the same type of clothing today and pointing to where the type of clothing is worn on their body—are aimed at helping toddlers connect a clothing item to their experiences and understandings. The strategies help make the activity meaningful to toddlers. The suggested approach in the opening segment (drawing attention to your socks and shoes) is another way to support meaningful learning. Keep in mind that families may use clothing item names that differ from those included in the book (sneakers, sandals, shoes). Help toddlers learn different names for similar types of clothing.
Many toddlers will recognize familiar clothing items and may know some or all of the item names. Others may recognize an item and look to you to provide the item’s name. Encourage toddlers to repeat the name of each clothing item the boy puts on. Toddlers who prefer to watch and listen will benefit from hearing names of the clothing items.
Extra support
Enrichment
Object inquiry skills
A toddler practices naming actual items of familiar clothing, with opportunities to talk about where and when clothing items are worn.
UPDATE: The book originally featured in this activity plan (Let’s Get Dressed by Caroline Jayne Church) may be difficult to secure. Two additional book possibilities are now offered (see Materials Needed). The plan’s suggested strategies for engaging a child in the activity accommodate any of the books listed in Materials Needed.
Be Prepared: Secure clothing items (shirt, pants, socks, etc.) included in the book you chose for this activity. Also include some items worn during particular kinds of weather common to your area, such as mittens or rain hats. Place the items in the box/bin.
Invite a toddler to join you to look at and talk about pictures in a book and some clothes. Use the strategies suggested in Option 1 to engage the toddler with the topic. At the conclusion of the book, introduce the box of clothing items. Invite the toddler to pick an item from the box and say its name. Offer hints, if appropriate. Example: “You picked something that we wear on our legs. You are wearing them on your legs right now! Let’s think hard about what they are called!” Promptly provide the name of the item if the toddler is unsure.
Depending on the toddler’s interest and clothing knowledge level, add more discussion about the clothing by encouraging the toddler to say and point to where the type of clothing would be worn on his/her body, and whether he/she is wearing the type of clothing today. If a type of clothing item is worn during a particular kind of weather, talk with the toddler about how the clothing item is helpful (example: mittens keep our hands warm when it is cold outside). Engage the toddler in a discussion of when he/she wore a weather-related clothing item.
Continue discussion of toddler-selected clothing items as long as the toddler remains interested. It is not necessary to consider all items.
Toddlers are likely to enjoy rummaging through the collection of clothing and picking an item that is familiar or somehow appealing. Engaging the toddler in a conversation about his/her use of a clothing item is an important part of the activity. Back-and-forth discussion deepens understanding and promotes vocabulary knowledge and use.
This activity increases the challenge of Option 1 by asking toddlers to say names of real clothing items. Approach the activity as a laid-back practice opportunity, not a test. It is not necessary for a toddler to use the clothing item name introduced in the book. As suggested in Option 1’s What to Look For section, families may use names of clothing that differ from what is offered in the book.
Extra support
Enrichment
Object inquiry skills, Problem-solving
A toddler helps a caregiver put clothing items on a toy doll or teddy bear and talks with a caregiver about the names of clothes and parts of a body they go on.
Be Prepared: Secure doll-sized clothing items, such as shirt, pants, shoes, socks. Place the items in the bag.
Invite a toddler to help you put clothes on a toy doll (or teddy bear). Provide the doll and the bag of clothes. Invite the toddler to pull items of clothing from the bag and say the name of each. Promptly offer the item’s name if the toddler does not say it, and encourage the toddler to repeat the name with you as both of you look at the clothing item. Ask the toddler where the item goes on the doll. If the toddler points to a body part without naming it, offer the name of the body part as the toddler points.
Talk with the toddler about whether some things should be put on the doll before other things. Example: socks are put on before shoes are put on. Encourage the toddler to recall how he/she gets dressed as part of a discussion about the sequence of clothing items.
Invite the toddler to help you dress the doll. Toddlers are not expected to manage putting the clothes on the doll, but will appreciate a specific part of the task that you offer. Example: You position the clothing item on the doll and the toddler takes the next step, such as putting the doll’s arm through the sleeve of a shirt, or pulling on a sock that you position on the toes.
Talk with the toddler about the process of putting on the clothes. Connect to the toddler’s experience. Example: “Sometimes it is hard to put a head through the hole in a shirt. Do you ever have trouble getting your head through the hole in a shirt?”
After the doll is dressed, invite the toddler to again point to and say the names of the clothes. Also, ask the toddler whether he/she is wearing the same kind of clothes today. If time and child interest permit, look at pictures of clothing items in the book. Invite the toddler to say the name of each and point to the same type of clothes on the doll, if available.
This activity is meant to be lighthearted, with a collaborative arrangement between you and the toddler during the doll dressing segment.
Watch the toddler’s reactions to the activity to determine how much information to share. Toddlers differ in their level of interest in details. Some may respond enthusiastically to developmentally appropriate teaching strategies, such as the second Extra Support tip suggested below. Others may tune out this level of detail. Try to offer an appropriate amount of information so the toddler’s understanding of getting dressed is enhanced without risking information overload. Although you dress the doll in this activity, engaging the toddler in joint action with the doll dressing can promote problem-solving skills as the toddler considers how the clothing item is put on the doll. Problem-solving is also promoted with a discussion of the order in which clothing is put on.
Extra support
Enrichment
Materials Needed: Oliver West! It’s Time to Get Dressed! by Kelly Louise (author) and Rebecca Sinclair (illustrator) or Getting Dressed with Lily and Milo by Pauline Oud or, if available Let’s Get Dressed by Caroline Jayne Church; several dolls or teddy bears dressed in baby clothing, such as pants, shirts, dresses, pajamas, shoes, hats
Arrange the dressed dolls/bears in the housekeeping area. Invite toddlers to play with the dolls/bears. Talk with toddlers about clothing items each doll/bear is wearing. Toddlers may enjoy looking at the pictures in the book while they explore the clothing on the doll/bear they are playing with. Encourage toddlers to name the clothing items their doll/bear is wearing.
Materials Needed: See Option 2 or 3
Preschool-age children may enjoy participating in Option 3, particularly the role of dressing the doll. Older toddlers may like to join younger toddlers in the Option 2 activity. Babies will enjoy holding a doll or bear during any of the options.
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