Tot School for June 7th

I have done bits and pieces of tot school trays with Baby Britches...but failed to take photos. (DOH!) But today I remembered to snap some pics while he enjoyed his tray.

Let me back up first and say that I have found a way to make my tot trays more doable in our house. I simply put the groups of activities or manipulative in a ziplock bag. Then on any given day, I pull a bag and place it onto my el cheapo $1 store special aluminum cookie sheet and that's it! He likes to open bags right now, so I let him continue working on that skill.

 This not only keep everything under control (simply put it all back in the bag) but I can label it and easily store it. I have room for multiple bags...but not multiple boxes. I can also have Little Britches help me get ready for school by having him choose a bag for Baby Britches to play with. We typically do 2-3 bags a day in a normal school week.

Today's bag was new. In fact it came in the mail this week. "The mail?" you ask. Yes. My mom is awesome. She finds all sorts of hodge podge things when she goes shopping and then once she fill a flat rate priority mail box, she pops it in the mail to me. I never know when I will get them. I got one this week! And I squealed with delight when I pulled out the bag. Why did she send?? Why she sent these fabulous little wood peg games with the tees to go with them! 

You know...the little games on every table at Cracker Barrell? She sent me a whole big gallon bag full of them! EEEP! Talk about good box!

She told me they had been something she'd purchased for their RV...but never really used them. So she sent them in hopes I could...um yes!

Anyways, it was an easy guess today on what bag to use for our Tot School minutes. For today I put two of the wooden boards and a handful of pegs. I chose triangle and a rectangular shaped boards.

It was funny because at first when he saw me with the cookie sheet he was not happy and told me "no Mommy. No!" but as I got closer and then as he saw what I had on it, his face went from a frown into big eyes glowing with curiosity. As I set it down I asked him--"Can you put the pegs in the holes?" He gleefully sat on his knees in the chair at the table and said "Holes!"

And he was off...

He didn't have any real order to how he put the pegs in the holes. He just sort of went back and forth between the boards.

But eventually he started saying "Boo. Ye-wo. Arng. " trying to name the colors. At this stage in the game, those are his three favorites--everything is either blue, yellow or orange. Red and green don't exist in his world! LOL!

He loved it and played with it a good 15 minutes. After he filled all the holes up, he flipped it over and dumped them out and then put a few more back in. I think this tray will be one he will definitely enjoy. I am also planning on getting some cheap styrofoam balls for him to put the pegs into too. I see so many ideas for activities coming from these pegs...

Baby Britches (34 months)

http://www.1plus1plus1equals1.net/2013/06/tot-school-gathering-place-week-22

http://www.vicki-arnold.com/category/mom-tested-family-approved/