Blue

Blue

Activities for toddlers and babies

AREA SETUP

Hang different shades of blue balloons from the ceiling. Cut butterfly shapes out of blue construction paper and add them to your decor by hanging them among the balloons. If you wish, you can also have children draw butterflies using blue markers or crayons.

ROUTINES AND TRANSITIONS

Blue lunches and snacks
Throughout the week, add or include a touch of blue to the foods you serve:

• Blueberries.
• Blue tablecloth.
• Add blue food coloring to milk or rice.
• Stick large blue stickers on children's drinking glasses.
• Replace regular light bulbs above your table with blue light bulbs.
• Serve food in blue plastic plates and drinks in blue drinking glasses.

Entertaining children during walks
If your daycare is located in a quiet area, encourage toddlers to search for rocks along a sidewalk or a pedestrian path. If you prefer, deposit several rocks here and there within your backyard for a safe and simple rock hunt. Once children are done collecting rocks, fill a container with soapy water and let them wash their rocks. When they are dry, you can let children paint them with blue poster paint.

SENSORY ACTIVITIES (to look)

The blue water bin
Deposit a plastic container filled with water on large towels. A very small amount of water will do. Add blue food coloring to the water. Let children touch the water. After a while, add a variety of objects: sieves, funnels, small containers, and sponges (supervision required). Remove children's clothing for this activity, leaving them in their diapers. Let them play in the water. If this activity is done during summer months, you can add blue food coloring to water in a small kiddie pool.

SENSORY ACTIVITIES (to taste)

Blue Jell-O
Prepare blue Jell-O as you normally would, but add a little less water than usual so it is firm. This will make it possible to cut it into squares. Let babies and toddlers manipulate, stack, and eat the little blue squares.

ARTS & CRAFTS

Different shades of blue
You will need three tiny containers per child (Minigo, empty egg cartons, etc.). In each container, pour a small amount of blue paint. Add a very small quantity of white paint to the first container. Add a larger quantity of white paint to the second container. Leave the paint in the third container unchanged; it must contain only blue paint. In front of babies and with toddlers' help, mix the blue and white paint together. Let children explore these three shades of blue paint on a sheet of paper.

Blue paper
Fill a container with different types of blue paper children can manipulate, tear, and crumple. Be sure to offer papers with different textures (cardboard, crepe paper, tissue paper, wrapping paper, etc.) and in different shades of blue.

Variation 1: When children begin to lose interest in this activity, add different containers. Children will be eager to fill and empty them with blue paper.

Variation 2: Deposit a large piece of adhesive paper on a table and encourage children to stick pieces of blue paper all over.

MORAL AND SOCIAL ACTIVITIES

Dressed in blue
Select a day during the week and ask parents to dress their baby or toddler with as many blue clothing items as possible. Offer colourful stickers representing fish to toddlers who are no longer tempted to put everything in their mouth. They can stick them all over their blue sweater to represent an aquarium or the sea.

Ring around the rosie

Encourage little ones to sit in a circle on the floor. Walk around the outside of the circle with a soft, blue blanket. Let the blanket glide over each child's back or head as you walk around the circle singing Ring around the rosie. At the end of the song, hug the child that is under the blanket. You may want to use a light, airy material for this activity. Little ones may prefer a material they can see through.

COGNITIVE ACTIVITIES

Surprise box for the development of object permanence
In the sides of a large box with a lid, cut circles large enough for children to be able to slide their hands inside. Fill the box with blue items: rattles, feathers, balls, scarves, etc. Children take turns pulling an object out of the box.

It's too big
Repeat the surprise box activity, but instead of having children empty the box, have them insert blue objects through the holes. Offer a few blue objects that will not fit through the holes (larger balls for example). Let babies and toddlers realize that they won't fit through the holes on their own. Observe little ones and give them the opportunity to try and find a solution on their own. If they get upset, show them that the objects are just too big to fit through the holes. Set them aside. Once all the other objects have been placed inside the box, open the box and let them deposit them inside.

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND MOTOR SKILLS

Dancing with streamers
Purchase a roll of blue party streamers. Cut different lengths. Play music and dance with your group. Wave the streamers to the sound of the music. Every now and then, stop the music for a brief moment. When the music stops, stop moving. Children will slowly catch on and follow your lead.

Blue hunt

Select an area where little ones can safely move about such as your playroom, a hallway, or the backyard. Deposit several blue items (plastic flowers, feathers, balls, etc.) in this area. Give each child a small bucket or basket and encourage them to collect blue items. They will enjoy dropping them into their bucket or basket.

Variation for older toddlers: Add a few red objects. If a child collects a red object, act surprised to see an object that isn't blue in his/her basket.

Variation for younger babies: Babies who cannot yet walk will enjoy simply filling their bucket or basket with blue items that you set near them on the floor.

LANGUAGE ACTIVITIES

My first puppet
Cut two very simple puppet shapes out of blue or white felt for each child. Sew them together. Let babies and toddlers use blue poster paint to paint their puppet. Don't forget to make a puppet for yourself too! Once the paint is dry, slide the puppets on your hand and make them dance around, sing, and talk! If you don't want to sew the puppets, cut a single felt puppet shape out for each child, glue it on a piece of heavy cardboard, and attach a Popsicle stick to the back of it.

Chantal Millette
Early childhood educator

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