Self-control
Toddlers watch how a caregiver calms down after a stimulating activity.
Be Prepared: A possibility for a sound-making rain stick is the Here Fashion 8” Rainmaker Toy for Babies.
[Invite several toddlers to join you on the floor to listen to the sounds of a new toy. Hold the rain stick vertically in front of you.]
I have a new toy. It is called a rain stick. The rain stick can make sounds when I move it in different ways! Sometimes the rain stick can sound like it is raining!
Listen closely. Let’s find out if we can hear a rain sound!
[Turn over the rain stick, holding it vertically with the opposite side up. Pause quietly and touch your ears to encourage toddlers to listen to the sounds.]
What did you hear? Did our rain stick make a sound like it was raining?
[Pause for toddlers to respond.]
Now I am going to make a different sound with the rain stick. Watch what I do and listen to see if it makes a different sound!
[Shake the rain stick in front of you for several moments.]
Now I am going to shake it fast. Listen to the sound! Does it sound like rain is falling really fast?
[Demonstrate shaking the rain stick fast. Then begin shaking the toy slowly. Use a quieter voice.]
Now I am shaking it slow. Our rain stick is making a quiet sounds.
I am going to roll the rain stick on the floor. Let’s find out what our rain stick sounds like when I roll it!
[Demonstrate rolling the rain stick back and forth on the ground in front of you.]
What sound do we hear now?
[Pause for toddlers to respond. Recognize and repeat each response. Example: “Natalia is pointing to the picture of an umbrella on our wall. Yes, we use an umbrella in the rain. Natalia thinks this sounds like rain!”]
I had fun playing with the rain stick and making different sounds! I feel excited!
The rain has stopped. It is time to calm down. I am going to put the rain stick on the floor. I am going to sit quietly and rest my body. I want to calm down.
[Close eyes briefly and take a slow, deep breath. Relax your arms. Quietly hum or sing a familiar song.
Use a quieter voice to describe how you calmed down.]
[Describe your actions. Example: “I got excited playing with the rain stick. I moved it in different ways and heard different kinds of sounds! Then it was time for me to calm down. I put the rain stick on the floor. I sat quietly to rest my body. I took a deep breath. I hummed a little song. Now I feel calm.”]
Self-control
A toddler practices calming down with caregiver support after an exciting activity.
Be Prepared: A sound-making rain stick is used in Option 1. A possibility is the Here Fashion 8” Rainmaker Toy for Babies. If only one stick is available, use any type of stick for your contribution to the activity. Give the available rain stick to the toddler.
Invite a toddler to join you on the floor to play with a rain stick. Give the toddler a rain stick and encourage him/her to make sounds with it. Use your rain stick to demonstrate things to do. Example: “I am going to turn over my rain stick, like this. You can do it too! Listen closely!” Possible movements of the stick include: shaking the stick, moving the stick fast and slow, and rolling the stick back and forth on the floor. After each movement, pause and talk with the toddler about the sounds you and the toddler hear. Describe the toddler’s reactions. Maintain a pace that promotes excitement but not overstimulation.
Comment on feeling excited by playing with the rain stick as a transition to calming down. Example: “We had fun playing with the rain sticks. We made different sounds! We got excited! Now it is time to calm down.”
Demonstrate and describe how to calm down. Encourage the toddler to imitate your actions. Offer the following steps:
Acknowledge the toddler’s efforts to calm down. Example: “We are sitting quietly and getting calm. Our bodies are getting calm.”
Most toddlers will enjoy watching you use the rain stick (Option 1) and manipulating the rain stick (Option 2). Some toddlers will focus on making movements with the rain stick and others may be interested in different sounds they hear. Some may prefer to mostly shake the rain stick and may need additional support to try different ways of moving it. (See Extra Support tip below.) Some toddlers will find it challenging to stop shaking their rain stick to calm down. Pay attention to early signs of possible difficulty calming down, such as high excitement with a specific movement of the stick, and limit the number of movements you demonstrate.
Extra support
Enrichment
Materials Needed: sound-making rain stick (used in Options 1 and 2), basket, music player with soothing rain sounds, blanket
Place the available rain stick(s) on a blanket and invite a toddler(s) to play with it while listening to recorded rain sounds. Encourage the toddler(s) to move the rain stick in different ways. Talk with the toddler(s) about what he/she is doing and hearing. Example: “Callie is rolling her rain stick over and over. What do you hear?” After several minutes, ask the toddler(s) to put the rain sticks in the basket, cover it with the blanket, and sit quietly with you while listening to the soothing rain sounds.
Materials Needed: variety of age-appropriate shakers (such as egg shakers, maracas, rattles, and rain sticks), basket
Children of all ages enjoy making sounds with different types of shakers. Place the shakers in a basket and invite each child to select and make sounds with a shaker. (If conflicts arise over particular shakers, you may wish to pass them out and encourage the children to exchange shakers every couple of minutes.) Children may enjoy making a thunderstorm together by shaking first slowly, and then gradually faster. Invite the children to stomp their feet to make thunder sounds. Babies will enjoy holding their own shaker during the activity. Before moving on to the next activity, invite all children to place their shakers in the basket and sit quietly for a few moments.
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