All About Ambulating

For a year or more I've been doing babytimes and storytimes for 3,4, & 5 year olds.  My current partner and I have changed it up a bit and I'll continue to do the storytimes, but she'll take over with the babies and I'll "move up" to the toddler programs.  While this doesn't sound like a terribly huge change, it is actually a major shift in focus for me.  When working with babies and their caregivers I primarily concentrate on simple touch, tickle, bounce, clap, and peek-a-boo rhymes.  With the toddlers it's all about ambulating.  I do lots of activities and songs that involve movement with them, because that's what they do and like, and that's what gets their attention.  In any given toddler program we may gallop like a horse, splash like the rain, twinkle like a star, tip over like a teapot, row our boats, and stop like a dragonfly on a leaf, among other things.  At the end of Toddler Time we are all exhilerated and a tad tired, which is a wonderful seque into quietly (?) looking at books.

Lights out!

WHOOPS! The lights went out just before a Toddler program recently, due to a blown transformer. I opened the blinds in the program room and waited a couple of minutes to see if power would be restored. While I was standing and waiting, one of my toddlers walked over to my chair, patted it determinedly, and tried to say, "Sit! Sit!", but it came out like, "Shi, shi." Then she walked over to the door of the program room and tried to close the door, saying, "Clo, clo." Her mother explained to me that her little girl, Alina, wanted me to close the door (to a darkened room), sit in my chair, and begin the program. Little Alina was adamant about having her library time. I was touched by her enthusiasm, and urged on by the caregivers. So we all walked out to the main floor where there were partial lights still on, and we had our books, rhymes, and songs where everyone could hear. The little ones were really focused and happy, even with the disruption. And even without the musical instruments which are a usual part of their activities. It was a delightful, serendipitous experience!