Problem-solving
Toddlers carry a ball between two baskets placed on opposite sides of an activity area, putting and retrieving his/her ball in each basket.
Be Prepared: Place two laundry (or similar type) baskets on opposite sides of the room to encourage toddlers to carry balls back and forth. The two baskets will provide destinations for toddlers’ ball-carrying efforts.
It is preferable to provide different colors of toddler-size balls. It is helpful to have some extra balls if a ball that “gets away” cannot be easily retrieved. The activity can be adapted for outdoor use.
You may wish to split up toddlers so some start at one basket and others start at the other basket. This may avoid crowding around one basket. It also may avoid the possibility of all toddlers moving together across the room.
[Invite several toddlers to join you for playing with balls. Give each toddler one ball. If there are differences across balls, describe the ball when you give it to a toddler. Example: “Here is a blue ball, Jillian. You can use this blue ball.”]
[Point to and name each of the two baskets by walking from one basket to the other.]
Today we will practice carrying a ball. We will carry our ball to a basket. We will put our ball in the basket and take it out of the basket. Then we will carry our ball to the other basket and do the same thing.
[Use a ball to demonstrate and describe the steps. Use both of your hands to carry a ball prominently placed in front of you.
Encourage toddlers to carry their ball to the basket on the opposite side of the room, put their ball in the basket, take their ball out of the basket, and then carry it to, and put it in, the other basket. Move between the two baskets and use the following strategies to support toddlers’ efforts:
We worked hard to carry a ball from one basket to another basket. Some balls rolled away and we figured out how to get them back.
[Add several highlights of toddlers’ experiences, especially those related to spatial relations skills.]
Positively accept different forms of participation in this spatial awareness activity. Some toddlers will enjoy simply carrying a ball in his/her hands and not attempt to put a ball in a basket. Other toddlers may explore different ways of putting their ball in a basket or carrying their balls. Some toddlers may toss a ball into a basket, but it is not an expectation at this age.
Toddlers will differ in their speed of movement between baskets. Discourage toddlers from running between baskets or tossing balls from a distance; the activity is not intended as basketball practice! Your commentary can offer support, enthusiasm, and guidance to individual toddlers. Limit your suggestions that toddlers look at what another toddler is doing because drawing attention to another toddler may distract toddlers’ focus on their own actions.
Extra support
Enrichment
Problem-solving
Toddlers pull a wagon in the room as part of play focused on giving a ride to a toy animal or doll and securing a pretend food item for the toy animal or doll as part of the outing.
Be Prepared: If your room has a shortage of pull wagons for each toddler who participates in the activity, consider securing a “slide and storage” container or empty shoeboxes. Tie a 20-inch ribbon or shoelace on the end of each basket so a toddler may pull it behind him/her when walking in the room. Display pretend food and related items, such as small empty food containers, on a low table as part of a pretend grocery store located near (but not next to) the area where toddlers will pull their wagons.
Invite several toddlers to join a gathering near the housekeeping dramatic play area. Encourage toddlers to give an animal (or doll) a ride in a wagon and go shopping. Invite toddlers to choose a toy animal or doll to place in one of the pretend wagons. Talk with toddlers about where they will pull the wagon.
Invite toddlers to visit a pretend grocery store with their wagon to get something their toy would like to eat. Invite a toddler to select one item each time he/she visits the store. Encourage toddlers to tell where they will pull their wagons after visiting the store.
Conclude the activity by offering some highlights of what you observed in toddlers’ shopping trips. Encourage toddlers to return their items to their appropriate locations.
Pay attention to toddlers’ use of spatial relations skills promoted in this activity. Your help may be needed for some situations. Keeping “ownership” of the problem-solving with a toddler is generally best. Example: If a toddler gets the pull toy stuck on a chair leg or shelf corner, help him/her with problem‑solving by describing the situation and giving the toddler ample time to solve the problem. Example: “Your pull wagon cannot go because it is caught on the chair. I am sure you can solve this problem. What will you try first? I will stay next to you as you get the pull wagon free.” If a toddler is upset, help him/her get calm before attempting to solve the problem. Encourage and praise problem‑solving. “You tried a great idea. You moved your wagon backwards with your hand.”
Toddlers enjoy independence and may want to use the pull wagon for materials you did not suggest. It is okay if toddlers want to transport little cars, blocks, or small toy animals.
Show toddlers how they can fit several cardboard blocks into the pull wagon to take them to a different location in the room. Also, if a toddler is trying to carry two dolls in his/her arms, suggest he/she place the toys in the wagon to pull.
Toy wagons are not suggested for this activity because they tend to tip over easily. Generally, toddlers will not try to sit in the box or wagon described in this activity, but may try to sit in a small unstable wagon. Wagons for toddlers to ride in should be large and sturdy.
Extra support
Move furnishings, if necessary, so toddlers can pull the wagons in a circular pattern in the room.
Enrichment
Invite toddlers to share Maisy Goes Shopping by Lucy Cousins (see Optional Reading). Draw attention to the pictures of a wagon and shopping cart.
Problem-solving
Toddlers manage a physical barrier as part of pushing a cart during a shopping trip in the room.
Walk around
Maisy Goes Shopping by Lucy Cousins
Be Prepared: Arrange play housekeeping items on 1–2 low tables as a pretend store. Print the word “Store” or “Open” on a sheet of paper and attach it to the front of the table. Use toddlers’ interests to select other items to place in the store.
Set up the pretend store in an area that requires moving around an object (such as a post in the room) or center for walking from one part of the room to another part of the room. Another option is to create a temporary construction zone that toddlers must walk around. The intent is to promote toddlers’ spatial relations skills as part of pushing a cart.
A doll carriage may be used to supplement available toy pushcarts for toddlers to move items around the room. The intent is to provide something a toddler can push, in contrast to pulling a wagon in Option 2.
[Invite 3–4 toddlers to the dramatic play area.]
Today we have a pretend store where we may get things for our pretend homes.
[Walk with toddlers to the table set up as the store. Note the object or center toddlers need to walk around to get to the pretend store.]
There are different kinds of things we can get at the pretend store.
[Point to and briefly name and describe some items.]
What things would you like to get at the pretend store?
[Pause for toddlers to share their interests. Repeat and extend toddlers’ comments. Example: “Dog food. Cheri says she wants to get some food for her dog.”]
There are different ways to walk to the store from our home (the housekeeping area).
[Describe paths toddlers can use. Example: “We can walk around the block shelf and get to your home. Or we can go another way and walk around the computer station. Demonstrate different routes to the store or house.]
Return to home (housekeeping area) and invite toddlers to go in pairs to the store. Encourage toddlers to bring home 1–2 items at a time, and go again to the store if there is something else they want to get.
After several rounds of shopping, explain that it is time for the store to close. Encourage toddlers to put away items they played with. Remind toddlers where the carts are stored. Acknowledge toddlers’ efforts. Example: “Tyler is putting baby dolls in the bed. Serina is putting dishes on the shelf.”
We used carts to move things from our pretend store to our home. How did we get around the (describe barriers) with our carts?
The activity may engage some toddlers for several trips to the store and other toddlers for one trip. Some toddlers may get new play ideas from the activity and move to another area to build or pretend.
Describe the paths you noticed toddlers taking if they seem reluctant to describe their route. For most toddlers, the appealing part of the activity is likely to be securing and carrying items from the pretend store. Give reminders to walk indoors, and to watch where other friends are standing or moving. Keep an eye on the store’s inventory and replenish with items of interest to toddlers.
Extra support
Enrichment
Provide half sheets of paper for toddlers to “write” a shopping list. Talk with toddlers about what they will get at the pretend store.
Materials Needed: The Little Red Hen by Carol Ottolenghi, lightweight sleds, lightweight objects to carry such as cardboard blocks, milk jugs, plush animals, dolls, and balls in assorted sizes, 2 baskets, large-size toy vehicles, books about vehicles, direction signs, small cars and trucks
Talk with toddlers about how people carry things from one place to another. Draw attention to the cart used by the little red hen in the Carol Ottolenghi book.
If you live in a climate with snow, encourage toddlers to pull lightweight sleds to move snow, or other material.
Provide lightweight objects that are easy to carry. Toddlers enjoy carrying cardboard blocks, milk jugs, plush animals, dolls, and balls in assorted sizes. If space is available, put two baskets in different locations for toddlers to use as a variation of the first activity. Alternatively, toddlers may carry items to/from a basket and another location in the play area. On another day, set out large-size toy vehicles and encourage toddlers to transfer toys from one place to another using the vehicles. Display books about vehicles.
Another day, place direction signs in the construction area with small cars and trucks.
Materials Needed: balls; soft items, such as ruffled plastic bath sponges, adult socks, newspaper and tape, or kitchen scrubbies; boxes and round laundry baskets; carpet squares; music
Older children will enjoy opportunities to move items in your setting. In addition to the balls, offer soft items such as ruffled plastic bath sponges or adult socks rolled up together. Other possibilities include balls made from newspaper and tape or kitchen scrubbies. Provide boxes and round laundry baskets as targets and containers. Consider creating a barrier in the children’s path to encourage them to find a way around it.
For mobile children, place carpet squares around the perimeter of the room and turn on music you and the children enjoy. Lead the children in walking around the room. Older children may enjoy hopping around the perimeter. Outdoors, walk with children to the border of the play area and encourage them to look at familiar items from “far away.”
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