"Can we read the book now?"
That little question came from one of the toddlers in the middle of our song, after we had already sung it several times in a row. The book had been sitting nearby, and one little voice simply decided it was time. I'll let you in on a secret: moments like that are why I do this!
After a whole month of pumpkins, I wanted a gentle segue into Fall, and Tap the Magic Tree by Christie Matheson was the perfect pick. It's an interactive book, so the readers get to tap the branches, touch the buds, rub the tree trunk, and even clap to make snow! The tree travels through all four seasons - Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter, and back to Spring again - and since there's something to DO on every page, the children stay engaged from beginning to end.
A Book They Couldn't Wait to Finish
As with our earlier books, we turned every instruction into a movement, big or small. This book gave us plenty to work with: tap, rub (our hands, instead of the tree trunk), jiggle (our shoulders, instead of the book), wiggle our fingers, swish our arms to brush away the petals, shake (the book or our whole bodies!), knock (on the table or the floor), and so much more...
The children loved every bit of it. In fact, they were so curious about what would happen to the tree next that I had to go through the book quickly during our first class! Every one of them was engaged and curious from the first page to the last. Two of the children even went back to the book to read on their own after they had finished their art activities.
Reach Up Like a Tree
Our song was one I found on the internet, and it's wonderful for toddlers:
Reach up like a tree, One, Two, Three, Branches blowing in the wind…
The leaves fall down, Falling all around, Until they touch the ground.
Scoop up the leaves, Give them a squeeze, Wait for the breeze… Then throw!
I used my whole body as the tree, with my arms as the branches swaying side to side in the wind. I wiggled my fingers and squatted down as the leaves fell, then scooped up the leaves with my arms, squeezed them by hugging myself, and opened my arms wide to "throw!"
When I repeated the song with colorful scarves, the throwing became SO much more dramatic. The children especially loved scooping up the scarves, squeezing a big pile of them, tossing them into the air, and watching them slowly float to the floor.
Since the kids loved the song in the first class, I used the song as an anchor and started the second class with it. The children remembered the words, sang along, did the actions, and we repeated the song several times… THAT is the power of music for toddlers!
Blowing the Wind
We also practiced being the wind! I brought out light, colorful plastic balls (the kind you find in ball pits), and we blew them away the way the wind blows the leaves. The children had so much fun blowing the balls right off the table. Once everyone had had many turns and things started getting a little competitive, it was the perfect moment to head to the art table.
Dot Markers and Squeezy Glue Leaves
Dot marker trees. I covered a big table with a tablecloth and gave each child a picture of a bare tree. Using dot markers, the children "painted" leaves, flowers, and apples onto their trees, sharing the markers as they worked.
Colorful glue leaves. For this one, each child got a leaf template tucked inside a clear plastic sheet protector. I had already mixed liquid glue, dish soap, and food dye in four colors (yellow, red, green, and blue) and poured the mixtures into liquid glue bottles. The children used the tiny muscles in their hands and fingers to twist open the tops, and to squeeze the colorful glue onto their leaves. Some needed a little help with squeezing, and some just needed reassurance that they could do it themselves. And once they did? They were SO proud of their work!
Since the glue was still wet at the end of class, the children took their leaves home with instructions to let them dry for at least 24 hours. Once dry, the colorful glue blobs can be peeled off and used as window clings!
Both art activities held the children's attention for 10 minutes or more, and a couple of children even helped me clean up afterward.
Sharing, Waiting, and Asking Nicely
Here's the part that was truly heartwarming. With only four glue colors to go around, the children waited patiently for their turns, shared the bottles, and even politely asked each other for a turn. When a child used only one word to ask, I modeled a longer phrase, and the children copied my phrase to ask for the glue bottle.
Music and movement really bring these classes to life. The children remember the words of the songs, and they love moving and singing together.
Our Little Class Rhythm
Most of our classes follow the same structure: introduce and read the book, move and sing, then dive into a hands-on sensory activity. The children follow this rhythm beautifully. When they finished their activities, they drifted over to the reading corner to quietly read, or played together with the scarves and other toys until it was time to go.
They're staying engaged for longer and longer each class, spontaneously using the new words and phrases they've learned, sharing, and bonding with each other. We just have SO much fun together!
Here's to many more Sensory Speech Adventures - tapping, twirling, and blowing right along with our little ones!