| "Kaylee, stop playing in the water! Turn the sink | | | | toddler happier than their own scissors? Their own |
| off. Dry your hands. And stay out of the | | | | glue? Christmas is a good time to get toddlers |
| bathroom!" | | | | some supplies of their own. Kaylee has watched |
| "Yes, Kaylee, I will get you some milk as soon as | | | | her sisters cutting, coloring, and pasting, and |
| I am done with your sister's lesson." | | | | screamed when she tried to participate and these |
| "No, I don't want to dance right now. It's school | | | | wonderful toys were taken from her. |
| time." | | | | Putting your toddler at the table with a piece of |
| My toddler, not quite ready for school herself, | | | | paper and a pair of safety scissors is a way to |
| makes it hard for us to get through the day's | | | | keep them occupied while you teach. Be sure to |
| lessons. If I let her run about, she gets into | | | | find a scissors that both safe and still usable, so |
| everything. If I keep her close, she demands my | | | | that the child doesn't become frustrated. A bottle |
| attention. Home school parents realize that busy | | | | of Elmer's glue gives the child an opportunity to |
| toddlers can ruin the best laid plans. | | | | paste their cut pieces of colorful construction |
| This gift list focuses on a toddler's educational | | | | paper onto another paper. |
| needs and a home schooler's desire for toddler | | | | Scissors, glue, paper? Sound like a cheesy gift? |
| entertainment. | | | | Not to a toddler. Add some washable markers, |
| Reading: | | | | and you will have hours of entertainment that |
| For her birthday, little Kaylee got a LeapFrog Little | | | | keeps your toddler's hands busy and you free to |
| Touch LeapPad for ages 6 to 36 months. Prior to | | | | work. They will be proud to sit at the table like a |
| getting this present, she had no patience to sit for | | | | big kid with their own supplies. |
| a book. Suddenly, it seemed like a whole new | | | | Fine Motor Skills & Mathematics: |
| world had opened up for her. She would love to | | | | These toys are meant to build fine motor skills |
| sit on my lap and flip the pages. I didn't have to | | | | and are great tools for teaching mathematics as |
| read or say anything. I would just watch as her | | | | well. |
| love for reading blossomed. | | | | Building with MegaBloks promotes hand |
| From there, I started getting baby board books | | | | coordination, spatial awareness, geometry, and |
| for her. She was hooked, and I was celebrating | | | | imagination. Believe it or not, I have even used it |
| that I had another child who loved to read. Sandra | | | | for pre-reading skills by creating stories around |
| Boynton board books are colorful and cute as well | | | | the things we built. As my children grew, I used |
| as entertaining for child and adult alike. I have read | | | | MegaBloks to teach other mathematical skills, such |
| them so many times that I can quote every | | | | as sorting and classification, patterns, and even |
| word, and yet I love them so much that I have | | | | addition and subtraction. |
| no problems reading them again. | | | | Stringing beads and lacing & tracing shapes |
| Board books that focus on baby faces, shapes, | | | | are more great tools for keeping young kids busy. |
| colors, and numbers promote learning and keep a | | | | Keep some wooden puzzles, a toddler tote from |
| toddler's interest more than books with a lot of | | | | Lauri, a bag full of interesting rocks, another bag |
| words. So keep your eye out for colorful art and | | | | full of plastic lids, and some play dough, and you |
| simple words. | | | | will have a wide array of interesting things for |
| Art: | | | | toddlers to explore at the kitchen table. |
| How about art supplies? What could make a | | | | |