Object inquiry skills
A toddler explores spatial relations by pushing a cart to several areas of the room.
Be Prepared: Secure several small items of interest to the toddler who participates in this activity. Place the items in a toddler-sized shopping cart.
[Kneel next to a toddler who responds to your invitation to play with the cart. Describe each of the items in the cart and discuss with the toddler where he/she may want to push the cart. Emphasize the word push.
Encourage the toddler to point to the place in the room where he/she would like to push the cart. Say the name of the place and encourage the toddler to repeat the name.
After the toddler arrives at a destination, describe the action and encourage the toddler to look at the path traveled. Example: “You pushed the cart from the table to the toy shelf. Look at where you started with the cart.”]
Where do you want to go next with your cart?
[Pause for the toddler’s response. Restate the toddler’s reply. Example: “Trucks. You are going to push the cart to the trucks area.” Encourage the toddler to point to the intended destination.
Walk alongside the toddler. Describe his/her route, such as going straight or turning to change direction.
Enthusiastically acknowledge the toddler’s arrival at a destination or completion of movements with the cart, such as making a circle around the room.]
[Describe the toddler’s actions and his/her accomplishments. Example: “You moved the cart from the table to the shelf. Then you pushed the cart all the way to our trucks area.”]
It requires time and practice for young children to understand that a pushcart takes up space in front of our bodies and requires turns at just the right time to navigate corners and changes in direction. Young toddlers cannot be expected to understand how a cart extends their space. But pushing a cart can heighten a toddler’s understanding of moving through open, and sometimes smaller, spaces. It is an advanced form of figuring out how to move from Point A to Point B. Toddlers may not understand how to turn the cart to avoid bumping into a person or object. Point and give clear directions to help children learn to anticipate movement and avoid running into an object or person. Acknowledge a toddler’s problem-solving. Toddlers will enjoy carrying all types of play materials in a cart. Some may prefer that the cart be used for a specific purpose (see Enrichment tip).
Extra support
Enrichment
Object inquiry skills
Toddlers explore spatial relations by putting items in and taking items out of carts, and pushing carts to different areas in the room.
Spot Goes Shopping by Eric Hill
Be Prepared: Each toddler needs his/her own cart for the activity. If only one cart is available, consider using tote bags so several toddlers can participate at the same time or using the cart with one toddler at a time. Gather small items that will easily fit into available shopping carts and are of interest to toddlers participating in this activity. Examples: empty food packages and cardboard blocks. Place the items on a low table in an open area so toddlers can temporarily park their carts beside the table.
Invite several toddlers to join you at the table with the preselected items on top. Encourage each toddler to bring a cart. Invite toddlers to put items in their carts. Explain that each toddler can push a cart of items to another part of the room, maybe put more things in the cart, and then bring items back to the table. We will take things out of our cart when we get back to the table.
You may wish to offer a pretend theme or purpose for the activity, such as going shopping or taking a trip to see things. Example: A toddler might put in his/her cart a doll and some pretend food items to feed the doll if it gets hungry. Follow a toddler’s interests in creating a theme. Each toddler may pursue a different theme. Some toddlers may focus mostly on putting items in the cart and be uninterested in connections among items put in the cart.
Help a toddler become aware of the size limits of a cart. Example: “One big block and one bear can fit in this cart. There is no more space in the cart.” Be sure items do not stick over the edge of the carts. Emphasize the concept of in as a toddler puts items in his/her cart.
Encourage toddlers to push their carts to a destination of their choice in the room. They may wish to collect more items for their carts, space permitting, while moving to a destination. Offer supports suggested in Option 1 for navigating a cart through the room.
After about five minutes, encourage toddlers take items out of the carts. You may wish for toddlers to return items to the table where the activity began or to find the appropriate storage places for the items. Emphasize the concept of out as a toddler takes things out of his/her cart.
Invite toddlers to join you for a brief description of the activity. Examples: “Tiana put many small boxes in her cart.” “Marcus put one cat and one bear in the cart. He took them to the doctor.” “We took the toys out of the carts. We put our toys away.” Pause for toddlers’ reactions. Repeat and extend toddlers’ words.
This activity can be repeated during play periods several times during the week. Be sure every toddler who wishes to participate gets time with you to put items in and take items out of a cart and to push the cart to a destination.
This activity adds challenge to the Option 1 activity focused on pushing a cart by adding the spatial relations tasks of putting items into a cart and then taking them out. The current activity is likely to be eagerly engaged by toddlers, who typically enjoy putting objects into spaces and removing them. Using a theme that provides a purpose for carrying things in a cart may enhance some toddlers’ experiences, especially toddlers who readily engage in pretend play. A theme also might help a toddler decide what to put in his/her cart.
Look for opportunities to draw attention to object characteristics, especially size. Example: Putting different objects into a cart may support a toddler’s awareness that more dishes than blocks can fit into a cart.
Kneeling at a toddler’s level to offer questions and comments about items in a cart enhances learning in ways that are unlikely to happen if toddlers use the cart and objects on their own only.
Extra support
Enrichment
Materials: several carts, play materials, push toys, Spot Goes Shopping by Eric Hill, ribbons
Provide several carts for toddlers to push around the room for carrying play materials. Some toddlers will enjoy the simple pleasure of pushing the toy cart. Some toddlers may incorporate the carts into pretend play. Make other push toys available so all interested toddlers may have an item to push around. Sit with several toddlers to share the Spot Goes Shopping board book. Point to the cart and the items the dog places in his cart. On another day, hang ribbons from the ceiling in a cart pathway that will lightly touch children as they push their cart under them.
Materials Needed: carts, pretend food, other play materials
Older children may enjoy setting up a pretend food store with containers and other play materials. They can manage the store that toddlers visit with their carts for an adaptation of Option 2.
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