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Month 1 · Week 1 · Day 4 | Pebble

Toddler (2–3 years) · Month 1 · Week 1

Day 4

First days — building felt safety and name recognition

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Child uses big and small as describing words beyond objects — applied to sounds and movements Child presses fingers and palms into clay leaving clear marks

Teaching48 minPrep13 minStart Teaching

Today at a Glance

  1. 9:00 AM · Settling In

    15 min

    Arrival & Settling In

    Routine

  2. 9:15 AM · Circle Time

    20 min

    Circle Time Songs

    Music & Movement

    • OPENING SONG3–5 min

      Hickety Pickety My Black Hen

      Actions included — see song resource card

  3. 9:35 AM · Numeracy

    25 min

    Big Voice, Small Voice

    Numeracy

  4. 10:00 AM · Sensory

    25 min

    Clay Pressing — First Hand Strength

    Fine Motor

  5. 10:25 AM · Snack

    25 min

    Snack & break

    Wash hands, snack, bathroom, and a gentle reset before the next learning block.

    Routine

  6. 10:50 AM · Sensory

    25 min

    Open Palm Handprint Art

    Art & Craft

  7. 11:15 AM · Free Play & Departure

    15 min

    Free Play & Departure

    Quick recap: Today we explored big voice, small voice, clay pressing, and open palm handprint art. Invite children to share one favourite moment, then sing your goodbye song. Child-led exploration and calm goodbye.

    Routine

Quick Preparation

Materials to gather

Resources to print

Songs to prepare

Storybook

Setup checklist

0 of 15 items ready

Assessment Today

Home Connection

Activity

Body part naming in the bath: as you wash each part, name it clearly.

Conversation starter

Now a tiny voice!' Big and small go far beyond objects.

Suggested book

Week 1: The Kissing Hand by Penn

Optional extension

Introduce fast/slow as a second pair.

Quick Stats

3

Activities

48 min

Teaching Time

13 min

Prep Time

1

Resources

1

Songs

0

Stories

1

Printables

NumeracyTOD-NUM-002

Big Voice, Small Voice

Duration
10 minutes
Preparation Time
0 minutes
Group Size
Whole class
Start teaching — follow the steps below.

Learning Objective

Child uses big and small as describing words beyond objects — applied to sounds and movements

Materials Required

  • No materials required

Teaching Steps

  1. 1

    Can you say hello in a BIG voice? HELLO!

  2. 2

    Now say it in a tiny small voice — hello...

  3. 3

    Make your body BIG — stretch out wide!

  4. 4

    Now make your body SMALL — curl up tiny!

  5. 5

    Clap a BIG clap — now a small quiet clap

Questions to Ask

  • Can you say hello in a BIG voice? HELLO!
  • Now say it in a tiny small voice — hello...
  • Make your body BIG — stretch out wide!
  • Now make your body SMALL — curl up tiny!
  • Clap a BIG clap — now a small quiet clap

Teacher Notes

Observe whether child modulates voice and body size in response to big/small cues. This confirms vocabulary has been internalised beyond object recognition.

Extension / Enrichment

Support: Use a drum — big hit for BIG, gentle tap for small. Extend: Introduce fast/slow as a second pair. Connect: big steps are SLOW, small steps are FAST.

Assessment

Observe whether child modulates voice and body size in response to big/small cues. This confirms vocabulary has been internalised beyond object recognition.

Home Connection

In the car or at dinner: 'can you say your name in a big voice? Now a tiny voice!' Big and small go far beyond objects.

Fine MotorTOD-FM-002

Clay Pressing — First Hand Strength

Duration
15–20 minutes
Preparation Time
5 minutes
Group Size
Small group
Start teaching — follow the steps below.

Learning Objective

Child presses fingers and palms into clay leaving clear marks

Materials Required

  • Air-drying clay — one palm-sized ball per child
  • A flat board or mat per child
  • Damp cloth for cleanup

Teaching Steps

  1. 1

    Press your finger in — look, you made a mark!

  2. 2

    Can you press harder? What happens?

  3. 3

    Press your whole palm flat — look at your handprint!

  4. 4

    What does the clay feel like? Is it soft? Cold? Squishy?

  5. 5

    Can you make lots of holes with your fingers?

Questions to Ask

  • Press your finger in — look, you made a mark!
  • Can you press harder? What happens?
  • Press your whole palm flat — look at your handprint!
  • What does the clay feel like? Is it soft? Cold? Squishy?
  • Can you make lots of holes with your fingers?

Teacher Notes

Observe whether child engages with clay without significant distress and makes deliberate marks. Log: engages freely / engages with reassurance / refuses contact.

Extension / Enrichment

Support: For children with tactile sensitivity: offer tools first (a stick, a rolling pin) before asking for bare-hand contact. Extend: Roll the clay into a ball. Press it flat. Roll again. Introduce the concept of change and reversibility.

Assessment

Observe whether child engages with clay without significant distress and makes deliberate marks. Log: engages freely / engages with reassurance / refuses contact.

Home Connection

Any commercial playdough at home works identically. Press, poke, squeeze, roll — 10 minutes of playdough is among the highest-value fine motor activities available.

Art & CraftTOD-ART-001

Open Palm Handprint Art

Duration
20 minutes
Preparation Time
8 minutes
Group Size
Small group
Start teaching — follow the steps below.

Learning Objective

Child makes handprints on paper using paint — process only, no product expectation

Materials Required

  • Non-toxic washable paint in 2–3 colours
  • Large paper A2
  • Aprons
  • Shallow paint trays
  • Damp cloths

Teaching Steps

  1. 1

    Press your hand flat in the paint — now on the paper!

  2. 2

    Look — your handprint! That is YOUR hand shape

  3. 3

    Try a different colour — press again!

  4. 4

    What does the paint feel like?

  5. 5

    You are an artist

Questions to Ask

  • Press your hand flat in the paint — now on the paper!
  • Look — your handprint! That is YOUR hand shape
  • Try a different colour — press again!
  • What does the paint feel like?
  • You are an artist

Teacher Notes

Observe sensory tolerance for paint on skin. Observe whether marks are deliberate vs random. No assessment of artistic quality — ever.

Extension / Enrichment

Support: For paint-averse children: use a sponge stamper in the shape of a hand — same visual result without direct skin contact. Extend: Make a classroom handprint mural — all children's handprints on one large shared paper. A beautiful community display.

Assessment

Observe sensory tolerance for paint on skin. Observe whether marks are deliberate vs random. No assessment of artistic quality — ever.

Home Connection

Washable paint and a sheet of paper taped to the bathroom wall — the bath is the perfect mess-management strategy. Handprint art takes 10 minutes and lasts forever as a keepsake.

Suggested printables

  • •Settling-In Art Talk — Finger Marks & Clay · worksheet

Suggested printable: Settling-In Art Talk — Finger Marks & Clay. Printables are teacher-sourced. Search Canva or Twinkl for an age-appropriate version that matches this lesson theme.