Embrace the Toddler In Your Midst

She is a pure delight - our resident toddler.  But our greatest distraction from school work.  As we progress through a new school year, I've been finding a few things that work to keep her distracted. 

1. When using math manipulatives:  share.  Nothing makes Vayla happier than snapping together her own colorful unifix cubes and filling plastic cups with colorful counting bears.
2. During handwriting lessons I have found that she is easily entertained with a few washable, dry-erase markers.  They come easily off of her white, plastic high chair tray, so we dump a few onto her tray and let her create beautiful art work.  Before lunch, the colorful scribbles disappear with the wipe of a damp cloth.
3. During a painting project this week, she so wanted to join in the fun.  I gave her a piece of red construction paper, cup of water, and paint brush.  She loved brushing the water onto the paper, her face, and clothes.  And even more, she loved it when the older kids finished up there projects and came over to "help" with her watery art project.
4. Baby Phy. Ed.:  while working one-on-one with one older child, I'll set the other one to do a phy. ed. class with the toddler.  They dance, push her up and down the driveway in her stroller, climb on the plastic climber in the front yard, or roll balls back and forth. The older kids feel important when I tell them they are the coach for the day and she loves the activities with and older sibling.
5. Pull out a bin.  I keep a couple of lidded containers ready to bring out in an emergency.  They containg plastic animals or blocks or board books, etc.

And the toddlers nap is over, which means my blogging time is over.  I'd love to hear some of your ideas that work well!