Ducks

Ducks

Activities for toddlers and babies

AREA SETUP

Rubber ducks
Purchase several rubber ducks and set them on the floor where children are sure to see them as they arrive in the morning. Use the rubber ducks to introduce your theme. Let children manipulate them.

ROUTINES AND TRANSITIONS

A duck quacks
Print and laminate several pictures of ducks and display them on the walls of your daycare, next to your changing table. Encourage children to look at the pictures during diaper changes and have fun making quacking sounds together.

Edible ducks
Use a duck-shaped cookie cutter to cut orange cheese slices. Arrange the duck-shaped cheese slices on slices of bread. If you have very small cookie cutters, you may choose to deposit the duck shapes on crackers instead. Depending on the ages of the children in your group, serve as a snack or as part of your lunch menu.

SENSORY ACTIVITIES (touch and see)

Skid-resistant ducks
Purchase several skid-resistant duck shapes (used to prevent slipping in bathtubs and showers). Let children help you stick them in windows and on mirrors (simply wet the surface to make them stick). They will love to remove and reposition the duck shapes over and over again.

SENSORY ACTIVITIES (touch and hear)

Soft feathers
Purchase a large bag of yellow feathers. Have fun manipulating them with the children in your group. Play soft music and toss them up in the air. Watch them fall back down, collect them, and use them to form little pillows or to tickle little ones.

ARTS & CRAFTS

Feathery ducks
Cut duck shapes out of heavy cardboard. Apply a thin coat of white glue all over the duck shapes. If you wish, add a few drops of yellow poster paint to your white glue. Let children completely cover the duck shapes with yellow feathers. Let dry. Hang the ducks from the ceiling.

I can color a duck
Provide washable markers or face painting pencils. Let children use them to draw directly on rubber ducks. At the end of the activity, they will enjoy washing the ducks in a large container filled with soapy water.

MORAL AND SOCIAL ACTIVITIES

Seeing real ducks
In order for little ones to really understand and benefit from this theme's activities, they must have seen real ducks. Organize a trip to a local farm or encourage parents to visit your local mall's Easter farm to observe ducks. Photograph the ducks so children will remember what they saw.

COGNITIVE ACTIVITIES

Body parts
Print a picture of a duck and use it to name its various body parts: beak, wings, feathers, eyes, feet, etc. Name the colors you see.

Hunt and seek
Create a homemade hunt and seek activity for little ones. Simply set rubber ducks in different locations within your daycare environment. The ducks must be more or less visible depending on the ages of the children in your group. Photograph the ducks and print the pictures. Encourage children to look at the pictures and identify the duck in each one.

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND MOTOR SKILLS

Active hunt and seek
Depending on the ages of the children in your group, set or hide rubber ducks in various locations throughout your daycare. Encourage children to move about to find the ducks.

Move like a duck
Invite babies and toddlers to move like a duck. For example, they can pretend to fly, waddle around, swim, etc. Make quacking sounds throughout this activity.

Chantal Millette
Early childhood educator

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