What do you do with your Toddlers during school?

Such a common question & a huge worry of mine when I had a 2yr old and then a new born. Since then I've had a child every two years or so...Now we're on our sixth child due in November. 

I have an 8yr old & a 6yr old who are officially doing curriculum work for 2nd & 1st grade that we started early in June unofficially doing a little here and there but not every single day. So far we've gotten 36days of schooling in. Monday we start the "official" School year simply because it's labour day & daddy will be home & able to join in on the fun activities we've got planned. We're not doing much more than having fun but it's our official day back to school. Which lead me to think of ways to keep my 4 & 2 year olds learning and busy. Preferably with not much help from me so I can get things done with my two oldest. 

Here's what I've been doing: 

Jojo's totboxes:

I'll give a peek into each box but before I go on I want to give a huge thank you to the mama that put this PDF together. Here's the link...you'll love it. Also I did laminate most of these. 

http://www.123homeschool4me.com/2013/06/superhero-worksheets-for-kids.html

Boxes:

1) Trace the letter H (for Hero) these are crayola dry erase crayons & a felt rag the crayons come with.

2) Count the Spiders

CloseUp: 

3) Two days ago I only had four of these Sterilite 6.2Qt boxes. I found two more at walmart & have changed up the numbers on the original photos some of the boxes may have different numbers now because of it. This one is one of the few that I didn't laminate. I did put it in this sheet protector sleeve I found at the DollarTree. Also used with the dry erase crayola crayons. 

4) Now known as box number 4. Shadow Match. 

5) Superhero Puzzles: Now known as box number 5

6) Now known as box number 6. The child counts the superheroes & pins the correct numbered clothespin. This also helps with dexterity. I dyed the clothes pins with food coloring and rubbing alcohol. 

7) Match the picture to the Word name.

Closeup: How adorable? It even has one for Jesus and one for Daddy. 

8) Pattern Work, this is the preK version in the PDF are some harder patterns for older children.

9) Build a Word with Gatorade caps

CloseUp:

That's all for Jojo... I'll change these up as I see fit, if they're easy I may let him do them again one more day and change them up to something else on the second night before he gets up the third day. 

Luna's boxes, she's two & very independent. To a fault at times...lol 

Boxes:

1) Find and Build the puzzle. These are very simple puzzles. The pictures are 1) of a girl 2) of glue 3) of an apple. She will dig for the pieces through the dry beans and then build her puzzles once she finds the corresponding piece. Only two pieces per puzzle.

2) Color Match with pompoms and chopstick. I painted the muffinpan that I bought from the DollarTree. The chopsticks helps with dexterity. 

3) Lacing Pasta that I dyed with food coloring & rubbing alcohol.

4) Match the Sound: I made two of each egg some have sand, some rice, some corn kernels, etc... The child shakes them & matches them to the correct sounding egg. Each egg has a pair. 

5) Teaching life skills: Hammering. Everything but the golf tees were bought at the DollarTree. The golf tees were 100 for $5 from Amazon prime. 

6) More Life Skills: Screw board. Essentially the child screws in the screws. I bought everything but the wood from the DollarTree. The wood was a remnant from someone else's project. I love the mini screw driver, great for little hands. I did sand the wood so kids wouldn't get splinters in their hands and fingers. 

CloseUp:

7) PopsicleStick Match Up, it can be played two ways. 

CloseUp: The child can match the color of the stick with the color of the icecream or for an older child read the popsicle stick & match the word name with the color of the icecream. 

8) Match the pot with the popsicle stick. I dyed these with food coloring and rubbing alcohol. 

9) Lacing shapes: I only put in three. A circle, a butterfly & a heart. 

She'll likely play with these the whole week. 

The idea is that they play semi quietly & with minimal help from me while I school the older two kids. I hope these ideas help. If anyone has their own suggestions & ideas about what to do with toddlers while homeschooling older siblings please feel free to share.