Concentration
A toddler watches a caregiver look carefully at familiar toys to find objects that are the same.
Be Prepared: Secure two sets of two blocks each that are identical in shape and color. Example: two short, blue blocks and two long, red blocks. Also secure two sets of two identical types of vehicles each. Example: two cars and two trucks. If possible, use vehicles of the same color or two cars of the same color and two trucks of the same color. Put the items in a random arrangement in a basket or other type of container.
[Invite a toddler to help you put together things that are the same. Sit next to the toddler at a low table, with the basket of items in front of the toddler.]
There are different toys in our basket. Let’s look at what is in our basket. Then you can help me put together toys that are the same.
[Remove items from the basket, one at a time. When you remove an item, put it in front of the toddler (or invite the toddler to hold it) and say its name or invite the toddler to say its name. Repeat and expand any toddler utterances about the item. Example: “You said ‘vroom,’ Laila. You are holding a car. You know that cars go ‘vroom!’” Do not comment on whether the same type of item has already been removed from the basket.
After all items have been removed from the basket, put them in a line in front of the toddler. Remove the basket from the table.
Explain that you are going to put together things that are the same. Pick up one of the items and then describe looking for another item that is the same. Example: “This is a truck. I am looking for another truck.” Hold the truck next to a car. “This is a truck and this is a car. A truck and a car are different. Oh, look. Here is another truck. I am putting together these two toys. They are the same.”
Place the two identical toys in the center of the table, within easy view of the toddler but away from the line of remaining toys.
Repeat the above procedure with each of the remaining toys. Emphasize type or size of toy, not color. Remind the toddler that you are looking at all the toys to find a toy that is the same. Consistently provide opportunities for the toddler to hold an item and say its name.]
You helped me put together toys that are the same. We looked carefully at each of the toys. We found toys that are the same. Look at the toys we put together.
[Point to and name the pairs of toys, indicating why they are the same. Example: “These blocks are the same. They are both short. These cars are the same.”]
Concentration
A toddler practices looking carefully at familiar toys to find objects that are the same.
Be Prepared: Secure two sets of two blocks each that are identical in shape and color, but different than the blocks used in Option 1. Also secure two sets of two identical types of vehicles each, but different than the vehicles used in Option 1. Example: two black flatbed trucks and two yellow pickup trucks. Put the items in a random arrangement in a basket or other type of container.
Invite a toddler to join you to look at some toys and put together the toys that are the same. Sit next to the toddler at a low table, with the basket of toys in front of the toddler. Invite the toddler to take the toys out of the basket, one at a time. Say the name (or invite the toddler to say the name) of each toy as it is removed from the basket. After all toys have been removed from the basket, remove the basket from the table and invite the toddler to line up all eight items in front of him/her. Encourage the toddler to look for toys that are the same and put them together. Pause for the toddler to figure out a way to proceed.
If the toddler seems uncertain about what to do, pick up (or invite the toddler to pick up) one of the toys and hold it next to each other toy, going from left to right in the line of toys. For each toy that is compared to the toy in your (or the toddler’s) hand, ask “Is this the same or different?” As part of the comparison, point out why two toys are different. Example: “You are holding a truck next to a block. A truck and a block are different toys.” Stop the toy-by-toy comparison when a same toy is found. Emphasize how two toys are the same when the toddler puts them together.
At the end of the activity, briefly described how the toddler found toys that were the same. Emphasize how the toddler looked carefully at all the toys to find toys that were the same.
The activity options continue the Block 15 focus on looking carefully at things for the purpose of finding items that are the same. Block 15 used pictures on a puzzle to promote concentration skills. Activities in the current block use blocks and vehicles. Use whatever items you wish from your room. As suggested in Be Prepared, it is helpful to use the same colors of items to help a toddler focus on type or size of item, not color. Option 2 is likely to work best after a toddler has participated in Option 1 at an earlier point in the week or day. Pay attention to a toddler’s reactions to Option 1 to determine how to organize Option 2. A toddler who eagerly helps you find identical items in Option 1 may be ready for a more challenging experience in Option 2, such as one or more of the approaches suggested in the Enrichment tips.
Extra support
Enrichment
Materials Needed: 6–10 blocks, including 1–2 that are different than all others; 6–8 toy vehicles, including 1–2 that are different than all others
Place the blocks and vehicles on a low table. Invite several toddlers to play with the materials in ways they wish. Some toddlers may want to build with the blocks and drive the vehicles. As toddlers play, offer gentle comments about how a toy is the same or different than another toy. If toddlers appear ready for a change in their play, invite them to put together things that are the same. Provide time for toddlers to figure out how to do this, perhaps organizing small groupings of toys that are the same. Allow toddlers to discover on their own that some toys are different than all others.
Materials Needed: see activity description
Identify 3–5 different toys that are the same as one or more toys readily available to children in your setting. Example: a doll, an animal figure, a block. Put the selected toys on a low table and invite toddlers and preschool-age children to look for another toy in your setting that is the same type of toy. This is akin to a scavenger hunt. You may wish to organize the activity so each child is searching for a specific type of toy. Example: “Jeremiah will look for another doll. Tony will look for another block.” Or you may wish to pair one toddler with one older child to look for a toy(s) that is the same as one displayed on the table. Infants may want to hold an age-appropriate item as they watch their older peers look for specific items. Emphasize the importance of looking.
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