Social interaction skills
Toddlers participate in a book sharing about good things we do with our hands.
[Invite 3–5 toddlers to join you in reading a book about our hands.]
Let’s all look at one of our hands. Each of our hands has a thumb and fingers.
[Hold up one of your hands for toddlers to see. Point to your thumb and then your fingers.]
Let’s all hold up our thumbs. Sometimes we call this “thumbs up.”
[Lead toddlers in holding upright each thumb, with fingers pulled toward the palm of the hand.]
Now let’s hold up our hand so we can see our thumb and all of our fingers.
[Lead toddlers in holding up their hands.]
[Show book cover. Point to the pictured boy’s hands. Point to the book title when you read it.]
The boy on the cover of our book is having fun with his hands! Look at his big smile.
Our book reminds us of many things we do with our hands.
Our book also reminds us of something we should not do with our hands. Our book is called Hands Are Not for Hitting.
Why is it wrong to hit someone?
[Engage toddlers in brief discussion of how someone feels when he/she is hit. Also talk about what the person who does the hitting might feel after hitting someone.]
Our book can help us talk about how we use our hands in good ways.
[Help toddlers connect the book’s text and pictures to their own experiences. Examples: Invite toddlers to talk about and show how we can use our hands to say “hello.” Ask toddlers to tell and show what they do with their hands if someone gives them a hug and when they give a hug.
Draw attention to some hand-related details of book illustrations, such as the following:
We talked about ways we use our hands to do good things for ourselves and for other people. Sometimes people give a “thumbs up” when they are happy about something they see or are doing. Let’s give ourselves a “thumbs up” for using our hands in good ways!
[Lead toddlers in “thumbs up” actions.]
The benefits of this activity depend largely on using the book as a springboard for discussion about how we use our hands to take good care of ourselves, have fun, and help others. The many ways we use our hands every day are often taken for granted, even by toddlers. Pay attention to toddlers’ reactions to the book text and pictures as possible opportunities for fostering conversation and improved awareness of how we use our hands.
In the discussion of hitting, emphasize that both our body and our feelings can get hurt. Hitting is not safe. Hitting is not a good way to get along with others. If a toddler tells about a time he/she was hit, respond with empathy in a way that acknowledges the incident and also moves the conversation to the session’s focus on good ways to use our hands.
Extra support
Enrichment
Social interaction skills
Toddlers use their hands to create a gift of art for someone of their choosing.
Be Prepared: This is a follow-up activity for toddlers who participated in Option 1. Secure paper, crayons, and markers or other art materials of your choice. Place materials on a low table for 2–4 toddlers to use at one time.
Invite up to four toddlers to draw a picture or make another type of art that they can give to someone. Remind toddlers that there are many ways we can use our hands to do good things. Show the book’s picture of children engaged in drawing. Explain that our picture or piece of art can be a gift. Sometimes we call a gift a present. Making a gift is one of the ways we can use our hands to be kind to someone else. We can give our present to our family, someone in our family, or to a friend. It is our choice.
Encourage toddlers to draw or create whatever they wish. Facilitate access to materials and talk with individual toddlers about their efforts. Emphasize that we are using our hands to do a good thing. You may wish to offer a “thumbs up” for a toddler’s efforts (see Option 1). Offer to write a toddler’s words on the back of their work. Help each toddler get the work to the intended recipient.
A toddler may not have a firm plan for a drawing or piece of art work at the point he/she begins creating. Talk about a toddler’s effort while the work is in process. Example: “You are using a lot of beautiful red for your picture.” The toddler also may be uncertain about who might receive the work. A toddler can tell you about the work and its recipient when you offer to write on the back of it. Look for ways to use the dictation time to emphasize the toddler made something special with his/her own hands. If a toddler seems uncomfortable with the idea of creating a picture for one person only, remind him/her that the work could be given to his/her family or more artwork can be created (see Interest Area suggestion).
Extra support
Enrichment
Materials Needed: Option 2 materials
Provide art materials for toddlers who wish to create additional piece(s) of art as a gift for someone. A toddler may wish to draw a picture for each member of his/her family. Support toddlers’ efforts with strategies suggested in Option 2, including your offer to write on the back of the work.
Materials Needed: see activity description
A preschool-age or older child in your setting may enjoy participating in Option 2. Engage in a oneto- one sharing of the board book’s pictures with a mobile infant or younger toddler (12–24 months).
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