TIPS FOR GROWING: Edition 17 - Tools for TOTS ... ACTIVITIES FOR LITTLE SPROUTS
11.10.2024
TOPIC:
Tools for TOTS ... Activities for Little Sprouts!
Welcome to the Seventeenth Edition of Tips For Growing! These blog posts will focus on important clinical topics that are regularly encountered when working with children.
Today’s "Tips For Growing" will focus on the toddler years, key milestones of toddler development, planning and implementing therapy for toddlers, and providing parents/caregivers with educational resources and tools.
We hope these seeds of information will help with the most important job there is . . . helping children grow.
Oh The Toddler Years!
Parents may find this stage of development both magical and exhausting. Watching a child explore while experiencing things for the first time is delightful. Toddlers undergo tremendous changes at this time. At this stage children begin to use their imagination for pretend play, follow 2 part directions, speak in single words and then sentences, run and jump, use crayons and blocks, use the toilet, and solve simple problems. Technically, the toddler years are considered the ages between 1-3 years according to the American Academy for Pediatrics, while 3 to 5 year olds are characterized as preschoolers.
Key Milestones
Helping parents learn and understand about each stage of toddler development should minimize unrealistic expectations that can result in misunderstandings and conflict. These “milestone lessons” can help a parent learn what to expect of their little one so as to cultivate positive change in their toddler. Of course, we realize that every child develops differently and at their own pace, so always be sensitive when presenting this type of information. It may not be prudent to over-focus on age ranges, only focus on how to teach parents/caregivers how to help their child take tiny steps forward from one skill to another. Repeated reminders that a 30 month old child is functioning like a 16 month old can be devastating to hear.
As we know, the toddler years are a time for immense changes. To help clinicians and parents/caregivers stay on the same page, Tools To Grow offers a variety of comprehensive Milestone Charts.
> Here are some select milestones that occur between 1-3 years of age:
Gross Motor Skills:
- Walks alone
- Pulls toys behind when walking
- Begins to run
- Stands on tiptoe
- Kicks a ball
- Climbs onto and down from furniture unassisted
- Walks up and down stairs holding on to support
Fine Motor Skills:
- Turns book pages one at a time (21-24 months)
- Imitates a circular scribble (24-30 months)
- Throws a ball (26 months)
- Builds tower of four blocks or more
- Snips with safety scissors (31 months)
Cognitive Development:
- Finds objects even when hidden 2 or 3 levels deep
- Sorts by shape and color
- Plays make-believe
Communication Skills:
- Points to object or picture when it’s named for him
- Recognizes names of familiar people, objects, and body parts
- Says several single words (15-18 months)
- Uses simple phrases (18-24 months)
- Uses 2-4 word sentences
- Follows simple instructions
Social-Emotional Development:
- Imitates behavior of others
- Aware of themselves as separate from others
- Enthusiastic about the company of other children
- Demonstrates increasing independence
- Begins to show defiant behavior
Adaptive/Daily Living Skill:
- Indicates need to go to the toilet (about 2 years)
- Use the toilet in the day with a few accidents (about 3 years)
- Uses spoon to scoop and feed self with little spillage (20 months)
- Removes untied shoes (18 months)
- Holds cup with one hand (24-30 months)
> Tools to Grow is pleased to provide many Developmental Milestone Charts for (1) Communication, (2) Physical Skills, and (3) Adaptive/Self Help Skills.
(1) Communication:
(2) Physical Skills:
For Parents & Caregivers -
- Fine Motor Milestone Charts
- Gross Motor Development Chart
- Gross Motor Milestone Chart- Birth -24 months
- Gross Motor Milestone Chart- 2-8 years
- Early Intervention Collaboration
For Therapist’s Use -
(3) Adaptive/Self Help Dressing Skills:
Toddler Temperament
Power struggles are hard!! Remember to pick your battles carefully. Sometimes it is hard, but do your best to remember that challenging behavior from your tot is not personal. To help minimize behavioral outbursts, adults should do their best to set boundaries and make expectations clear. Let your toddler know what is expected beforehand, so they will not require repeated reprimands after engaging in unwanted behavior. Repeatedly telling a child what they are doing “wrong” may stifle a child’s confidence and creativity. So remember… It is a lot more satisfying and effective to praise your toddler for doing the “right thing” than offering repeated corrections.
Despite best efforts, there will be times when using the art of “distraction and redirection” are essential. These strategies may help modify a child’s behavior while avoiding the use of overt correction.
Use redirection to help children learn about what is appropriate.
Redirection involves altering the child’s task to something the adult deems desirable/safe/ healthy/appropriate. Some examples include:
- Hold the toddler’s hand to show another way. This type of physical redirection can be used when a toddler is too rough or “hitting”. You can provide hand over hand assistance to demonstrate gentle touching. Or, if running repeatedly around the room, take your tots hand, while showing and telling them it is time to walk.
- Offer choices that the adult approves of. For example, offer an apple or orange slice, versus an apple or candy.
- Provide substitutes and model alternatives. Show the child how to throw a ball versus throwing a book. Or, provide a play hammer for banging dough versus banging the TV remote.
Use distraction to shift the toddler’s attention away from their frustrating experience or inappropriate behavior.
Children at this age may become very cranky when expected to share, take turns, sit still, are tired, or are hungry! Some thoughts about distraction:
- Try changing the child’s scenery and environment by taking them to the window, going to a new room to play, turning off the television, putting on fun or calming music, turning off the lights and offering a flashlight.
- It is very important to note that distraction will not be effective if the child is very upset or is in the depths of a tantrum. Distraction should generally NOT be used if the child was aggressive toward another person or highly destructive. Many would say that a more direct approach with consequences should be implemented in such circumstances.
Therapy With Toddlers
Therapists that have the opportunity to see the world through a toddler’s eyes also experience this joy. But with that joy also comes special responsibilities and considerations for service provision. Although it may sound like a cliche, therapists delivering services to this age group should definitely strive to partner with parents and caregivers. The toddler’s parents/primary caregivers need to be empowered to be the key adult in helping their child.
Therapists should facilitate the parent-child relationship while modeling intervention strategies and providing understandable education. This is not to say that there is not a place for direct intervention between the toddler and therapist. Therapy for toddlers should rarely be implemented without their primary caregiver being directly involved. It is the therapist’s responsibility to reinforce the parents' natural intuition and support their bond with their tiny person!
Planning and implementing therapy for toddlers and their caregivers can be a lot different than treating school aged children. Here are some important things to consider:
- Play is vitally important. Play=learning for toddlers.
- Toddlers are on the go! If possible, they like to keep moving. Toddlers will most likely not tolerate prolonged table top activities. They learn while moving and exploring, so prepare for that.
- Toddlers tend to move from one activity to another quickly. They should not be admonished for “having a short attention span”. You may have to work a bit to capture their attention to maximize learning opportunities.
- Encourage desired behavior with genuine praise, high fives, hugs, and other types of celebrations.
- Get on their level. If at all possible, position yourself at the child’s eye level. So much cognitive, emotional, social, and speech/language learning is happening when face to face. Being on the child’s level also helps you tune into each other’s feelings.
- Toddlers learn best using a multi-sensory approach. They will not respond well to exclusive use of verbal cues to be directed and taught.
- Unplug! While it cannot be denied that technology has its place, old fashioned play and human interactions develop strong bodies, flexible minds, and connections with people. Children need to jump, climb, and make things work with their hands. They need to feel mud and rain, smell flowers, listen to the wind, run through the grass, step over logs, crunch leaves, and see the clouds. This is true of children of ALL abilities. Outdoor play experiences can be modified for each and every toddler. If a child’s illness precludes extended time outdoors, then bring the outdoors in, if it is safe to do so.
Are you looking for ways to share information with parents and caregivers regarding how to promote positive changes in their child’s development?
Tools To Grow has done the work for you!
Resource Links:
Parent Information and Collaboration
Tools to Grow is pleased to share the many carry over resources and Parent/Caregiver Education tools we offer:
(1) Adaptive/Self Help:
(2) Communication:
- Speech Production & Sound Development: What to Know and How to Develop Language Skills
- Listening & Speaking: What to Know and How to Develop Language Skills
(3) Gross Motor:
(4) Fine Motor:
- What to Expect & How to Help Develop Fine Motor Skills
- SCISSOR SKILLS: What to Know & How to Develop
- Learning to Cut with Scissors- Fun Things to Cut
- Fun & Easy Fine Motor Play
- What to Expect & How to Help Develop Fine Motor Skills - 0-36 Months
NEW!
Tools To Grow has launched its newest themed resource!
TOOLS FOR TOTS ...
ACTIVITIES FOR LITTLE SPROUTS
TOOLS FOR TOTS FARM THEME:
- Designed for Tot ages of approximately 1-3 years
- Categories include:
- Fine Motor Skills
- Gross Motor Skills
- Sensory Play and
- Speech & Language
- 47 pages of fun and learning activities
TOOLS FOR TOTS TURKEY THEME:
- Designed for Tot ages of approximately 1-3 years
- Categories include:
- Fine Motor Skills
- Gross Motor Skills
- Sensory Play and
- Speech & Language
- 54 pages of fun and learning activities
- Find it here!
We hope these seeds of information will help with the most important job there is . . . helping children grow.
Kind regards,
Patti & Shelley
Your Team at Tools to Grow, Inc.
References: American Academy of Pediatrics Parenting Website.
