by Neely (Toddler’s Mom)
Fall indoor toddler play is all about Sensory Bins! They are easy to make and can be swapped out frequently to keep your little one interested. Store bin items in a large zip-lock bag between swaps. My daughter loves to play in her sensory bin filled with 2-inch colorful straws. Her older brother hides his TOOB dinosaurs or math counter sea creatures for her to find. Plastic eggs inside the bin can also increase the hide and seek challenge. Other fun filler ideas are cloud dough, kinetic sand, rice, dried beans and water beads, but be prepared for extra clean up with some of those items. Don’t be afraid to get messy! Many of our toddlers already go home with flax seed in their hair, shoes, and mouths most Thursdays.
Getting to Know Their Classmates
At parent ed night, several parents spoke to the fact that it was difficult learning the names of all the co-op family members and kids they met in September. This is how the Photo Directory was born. A simple directory was distributed to the parents in October, serving as a visual guide to quickly memorizing names.
Halloween
The Toddlers celebrated their first Halloween at co-op this year. Many small but mighty superheros were spotted in class!
We’ve been preparing our kiddos by singing Halloween themed songs for the last several weeks, though little captures the spirit of October in the Pacific NW like our old standby: “A Little Drop of Rain.”
Community center toddler rooms/gyms are now free! Most of you have already discovered that Seattle CCs have been offering their toddlers drop-in play for free for over a year now. They also recently started enforcing the requirement that you scan your Seattle Parks & Recreation card before entering. You need separate cards for each child. The toddler class has been meeting weekly at Laurelhurst CC. The toddler gym at Laurelhurst tends to be more mellow than some of the neighboring gyms due to the size of the room and selection of toys. Sandhurst toddlers also enjoy Magnuson, Ravenna-Eckstein, and Lake City. Each center has their own schedule. The NE Seattle fall brochure can be download here: https://www.seattle.gov/Documents/Departments/ParksAndRecreation/Programs/2019%20Fall%20NW%20NE%20Toddler%20Playtime.pdf