DOUBLE TAP TO ZOOM ON PHONE OR TABLET Tropical Birds Small Group Activity • Thursday TODDLERS Toddler Materials Painting with unique materials broadens toddlers’ sensory and learning experiences. Today’s activity uses feathers both for painting and for creating colorful tropical birds. Teacher Prep Supplies • Paint shirts • Paper plates • Feathers • Paint • Small containers • Construction paper (black, orange, and multicolored) Prepare by cutting circles for eyes from black construction paper and triangles to form beaks from orange construction paper. Pre-make tail feathers by cutting 6-inch thin strips from multiple colors of construction paper. Fold the paper plates in half. Find pictures of tropical birds including, parrots. Activity Instructions • Invite toddlers to put on paint shirts and gather at the small group tables. • Talk with toddlers about the colorful birds that live in the jungle. Show them the photos. • Let the toddlers know their birds will have colorful feathers, too, and that instead of using paintbrushes, today the toddlers will use feathers to paint. • Pass out messy trays and folded paper plates. • Make available small bowls of paint and feathers for painting. Teacher Tip Trading is an emerging skill for toddlers. The key is to let toddlers remain in control of the choice to trade. Make suggestions like, “You could ask Michaela to trade colors by saying ‘trade Michaela?’” In this way, both children hear the suggestion but they get to choose their actions. • Once the toddlers have painted their parrots, pass out the eyes and beaks. Using the wet paint as glue, encourage the toddlers to place the eyes on each side of the fold and the beak at the end of the plate. • Introduce the feathers. Using the wet paint as glue, let the toddlers place the feathers all over their birds. • Set the parrots aside to dry. Once they are dry, fold in half and attach the tail feathers. Documentation Display the birds on the counter and encourage the toddlers to tell their parents or another adult about how they decorated their birds. SOCIAL EMOTIONAL Toddlers practice working together in a group setting, cooperating, and sharing materials. MOVEMENT & COORDINATION Toddlers build muscles in hands and fingers and develop fine-motor control working with feathers. COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL LANGUAGE & COMMUNICATION Toddlers hear and practice descriptive words to talk about their birds. COGNITIVE Toddlers learn about birds. www.drterrierose.com 51