Tot School with Nolan- 16 months

So….(I say 'SO" way too much and will work on it.)….. I had not initially planned on doing Tot School with Nolan.  But over the past week, it kind of just worked out that way.  In my mind…I felt like I didn't have enough time or energy to plan something out for him….he'd just 'play' while the girls are doing school.  Well…as it turns out…Nolan thinks he's as big as the girls and needs to be in the middle of it all.  And he won't just 'play' with his own toys.  So the wheels in my head are turning and I'm trying to come up with some more things for him to do.  We'll see!

While I don't sit down and make elaborate plans for him…my plan is to try and have several activities for him to do that stay strictly in the school room and can only be played during school hours…in hopes that it will take him longer to get tired of them.  I haven't bought anything new…but just watching him and figuring out the things that he likes that keep him entertained anywhere from 2-15 minutes at a time.  :)

Here are a few things from the past 2 weeks.

Sometimes he just likes to eat his fruit pouch in the 'Cozy Corner'.

Help sister with letters.  (the dry erase markers….ohmygoodness…..he loves the dry erase markers.  and he thinks he neeeeeeds the dry erase markers.  It's a battle every day.  Multiple times in a day.

He loves this wooden tool box by Melissa & Doug.  I've had this toy for a few years and he's really the first to have any interest.  This keeps him occupied anywhere from 5-10 minutes.  That's a lot!  :)

I moved our little toddler kid's table from Ikea into the schoolroom.  It does not really fit, but it works ok for now, I guess.  I put a couple of puzzles on there one morning, and I didn't bring attention to them…and it only took him a few minutes to find them.  By himself, they keep him occupied for maybe a minute or 2…but he does like to do them for longer when I help him.

(never a dull moment!!!!)

Just hanging out….

I cleaned out a Pringles can and filled it with old, empty thread spools.  Look at his face in this first picture.  This is the look of "I have something I'm not supposed to have"….and that has to be my goal in this whole 'tot school' thing…because he reeeeally enjoys things he thinks he's not supposed to have.  ;)

He loves calendar time.  Sure…he has no idea…but he tries to dance and clap as we sing.  And it's the cutest thing.

This is one of the learning toys that one of the girls got for Christmas a few years ago.  He loves it.

Something so simple, and really nothing at all.  A bag of pumpkin counters (yes they are a choking hazard and I have to watch him).  He loves opening the bag, dumping them out, and putting them back in.  He also likes for me to close the bag and re-open it for him.  It's the little things, right?

These stacker pegs….they're his favorite right now.

I don't normall encourage the loud ball popping toy.  :)

He's never too far away….if he's occupied for even a couple of minutes- I consider it success!

And he spends some time in my lap, too!  :)

I'm a little excited to try a few new things this week!

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