First Tot Trays

Hammy and Snickers are 19.5 months old

I introduced my kids to tot trays this week and they were a big hit!  I was so happy that they enjoyed working on them.  They have both done them several times each over the course of the last few days.

Matchsticks in a Cheese Shaker

First things first, these were match sticks NOT matches ;-) Ok?

Supplies:

Trays - Oriental Trading
Match sticks - Discount School Supply
Cheese shaker - Dollar Tree
Clear dish - Walmart

I have seen this idea on Pinterest using toothpicks but I liked the match sticks better.  Anything that comes in a rainbow array of colors with no excluded colors is fantastic in my book!

Hammy tried it first and instantly knew what to do.  He did this one to completion 3 times in a row the first day.  I only provided about 30 matchsticks in the clear dish.

He got on the tray to do this game, which I thought was so cute.  When he was finished putting all of the match sticks in the jar he put the little dish on top every time to show me he was all done.  Clever little Hammy!

Snickers liked this game too, not as much as Hammy.  She has better fine motor skills than he does, she was able to do this game pretty fast.  She liked to take the jar off the tray and work on it on the carpet.  

Older Child

I am now watching my 3.5 year old niece, Roo on Mondays, yesterday was the first time.  She was introduced to these and other tot trays and LOVED them!  She whizzed right through this one putting the match sticks in and then asking me to dump them out and do it again.

Alphabet Peg People in an Ice Tray

Supplies:

Pegs - Michaels
Paints - Martha Stewart acrylics, Michaels
Ice Tray - Amazon, it's for water bottles
White dish - Target

This idea came from HERE I had been on the look out for some way to use them on a tot tray and when I saw this ice tray I knew it would be perfect.  Right now I just wanted my kids to use it for fine motor and one to one correspondence and if they happen to notice the letters written on the pegs, bonus!  In the future I want to find a way to label the ice tray so that they can put the peg people in matching slots.

Hammy liked this one a lot too, but he did not stay with it long enough to complete it.

This was inevitable!

Once he moved on from putting them in the ice tray he though they needed to be cooked so he added them all to the pot lol.

Snickers did this one too but I didn't get any pictures.  She did not complete it either.  They have only returned to this one a couple of times in the last few days.

My niece, Roo was able to complete this game but didn't like that there were 27 slots in the ice tray and only 26 peg people lol.  Perhaps I will make an extra vowel!

Presentation

Right now I have just set the trays up on the Expedit shelf in the arts and crafts area but eventually (hopefully soon) when we get the Trofast system for the other side of the playroom I will set them up on that shelf instead.

I worked with the kids this week on selecting and carrying the trays to the floor, working on them, cleaning them up and bringing them back to the shelf.  They both seem to like "procedure" and routine.  I want them to feel independent with it and above all have FUN, and feel proud of their accomplishments.

My niece did some other tray games that I have not photographed yet.  I will post them soon.

Thanks for reading, feel free to leave any questions in the comments or on my facebook page.