My 17 month old and I try to read books daily, follow a routine, and try to learn skills like scribbling almost every day. But most importantly, I try to share Jesus with my toddler through books, music, and loving him as the gift from God he is.
I have a middle school teaching degree, but I don’t think you have to have an educational degree to teach a toddler. It is kind of funny how I get a little excited planning what we will do for the day. It’s almost like lesson planning… but the lesson can easily be destroyed depending on his mood. 😉 Bless toddler teachers. 😉
So today, I wanted to share with you things we do, toys we use, and songs we sing.
In the morning:
TV Time
Normally after breakfast, I will let Milo watch 15-20 minutes of television. I use this time to get a few chores done around the house or any other important thing that needs to get done.
Milo loves the shows Patch’s Number Forest and Cal’s Sound Yard.
I highly recommend these shows. Milo has learned his numbers 1-4 and letters like A, E, C, and H from these shows.
Whenever Milo has been a good boy, feeling sick, or I am having to unload the groceries, I let him watch this Baby Einstein video for fun. He loves this show.
****AFFILIATED LINKS **** -DISCLOSURE- PLEASE KEEP IN MIND THAT SOME OF THE LINKS IN THIS POST ARE AFFILIATED LINKS AND IF YOU GO THROUGH THEM TO MAKE A PURCHASE I WILL EARN A COMMISSION. KEEP IN MIND THAT I LINK THESE COMPANIES AND THEIR PRODUCTS BECAUSE OF THEIR QUALITY AND NOT BECAUSE OF THE COMMISSION I RECEIVE FROM YOUR PURCHASES.
Books
In the morning we read 4-5 books. Here are my recommendations:
Pop-up peekaboo! Farm (This is a great book to incorporate stuffed animals as well as animal noises.
Pop-up peekaboo! Under the Sea
Eric Carle’s A B C ( I sing the ABC song after reading this book.)
If You’re Happy and You Know It – Little Words Matter. (Milo learned how to say “Amen” from this book!)
In the After Noon
Education Toys
Milo loves these Magnet letters. He is even learning to match them, like big S to small S.
He also enjoys playing with these magnetic dinosaurs.
I found this toy at Target. I will try to link it here! He enjoys pushing the shapes through the hole and turning it over.
I try to let Milo learn how to scribble with jumbo crayons and a notebook. He still doesn’t seem very interested in learning about scribbling. He does however love to put crayons in a small hole on his shoebox. Click here to watch! I think this is a great hand eye coordination skill he has learned.
As long as I am not busy, I never turn down books when Milo wants to read.
Here are some of his afternoon books:
Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What do You see?
Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes by Mem Fox
Trucks – Priddy Books (These book has flaps he loves to lift!)
Dr. Suess Books – Hand, Hand, Fingers Thumb (I try to also sing the song, “Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes” with books about the body.)
Poke-a-dot First Words ( Milo played with this for 10 minutes straight when he first got it!)
Night time
At night we spend family time together. Milo often plays with his toys and daddy. We always read books before bed.
Books for Bedtime
Pajama Time by Sandra Boynton ( Milo’s favorite bedtime book. I can read this book without even looking at the words 😉 )
Snuggle Puppy by Sandra Boynton
Big Trucks Getting the Job Done Together (Milo learned how to say “Beep Beep” from this book!)
Pigs in a Blanket by Hans Wilhelm
How I share Jesus with my toddler
Sharing my faith with my son is one of the most important things I can do as a mother. I try to make time each day to read Christian books with him. I also try to sing with him every day the song, “Jesus loves me.” Each time we sing the song, I do the hand motions that I learned as a child with the song.
I recommend the iTunes album “The Best of Kid’s Bible Songs.” Whenever Milo seems fussy, this album seems to help and also great to play in the car.
Christian Books
God Created Everything illustrated by Pan Georgiou ( I could not find this online.)
Little Bible Heroes Storybook (This also has video links in the book to go with each story. Milo loves this book!)
I also pray with Milo before each meal and at bedtime. He will even say “Amen” as soon as I start praying, because he knows food comes right after. 😉
I hope all these books and toy ideas can be helpful, especially with the Christmas holiday coming up.
I pray from all these activities Milo learns to love learning, reading, and Jesus.
~ Gracefully Fashionable Britt