These circle toddler trays are so much fun, and they are a simple way to introduce shapes. Here are the circle activities we set up.
What are some shape themed Montessori inspired circle toddler school trays that will teach my toddler about shapes?
These circle toddler trays are so much fun! We are sure your toddler will love learning about shapes through these simple and easy activities.
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Shape Game for Circles: Shape Quiet Book
This Shape Quiet Book is a great way to keep your toddler entertained and learning. Be sure to check out the original post. When using this book for the Circle toddler trays, try to focus more on the circle page than the other pages since this is the Circle tray week.
Decorate a Circle
Print this do-a-dot circle page from 3 Dinosaurs. Be sure to check out the Teach Shapes by Decorating Shapes post to see other fun ways to decorate shapes besides using do-a-dot markers.
Puzzles
You can use the two part ball puzzles that were made for the ball-themed toddler trays for this tray. Cut out all of the puzzles (minus the football because it isn’t shaped like a circle), the trace them onto some construction paper. Put the pieces on the tray along with a glue stick. While doing this tray, present one puzzle at a time and tell your toddler where the pieces go. At first this may be pretty difficult, but once they get the first and second ones figured out, they will start to catch on. Plus, using the glue stick is great fine motor practice!
Sorting
You can find an appetizer tray from the dollar store (or on amazon) and it is perfect for sorting. This tray has several green glass gems and several orange square pattern blocks in the center. Have your toddler sort the green glass gems into one opening and the orange pattern blocks into another opening. You can also do a sorting activity with this tray during the Purple toddler trays week.
Cutting
This toddler tray is perfect for a toddler that is just beginning to use scissors. Print out this printable for the activity. You can print the first page on construction paper to make it more colorful, then cut out the circles and put them on the tray with some scissors. The idea is to cut the circles in half. At first, you may need to help your toddler hold the circles, but by the end of the week they will probably be able to hold the paper and the scissors by themselves. Though they might still need help to cut them in half.
Make learning shapes simple
If you’re looking for playful, hands-on shape activities, the our downloadable Shape Activity Pack is just the thing! Just print off an activity whenever you want something fun for your toddler that is also educational.
Coloring
Print out this coloring circles printable and put it on the tray with some crayons. My color printer is currently out of yellow ink and I am still waiting for the new ink to arrive, so I just used markers to color the color words. I also broke all of the crayons in half so they are smaller. If you have a young toddler and want to teach them good pencil grip, breaking crayons in half is a great way to do this. I don’t know what it is about having a smaller crayon, but it forces your child to grip it in a different way than if it was a full-length crayon. Anyway, have your toddler use the crayons to colored the circles the right color.
It seemed like the toddler trays this week had a lot of printables and not a lot of hands-on stuff. But they are such fun activities anyways.
Curious where this fits in? Our how to teach shapes guide walks through it step by step.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need special supplies for toddler trays?
Not at all. Most trays use things you already have at home or cheap finds from the dollar store, like pom poms, tongs, and ice cube trays.
What age are toddler trays best for?
They work well from about 18 months through age 3 or 4. You can make any tray easier or harder to match where your child is.
Where do I store all the tray materials?
A few clear bins or a small shelf work great. Keeping pieces sorted makes it quick to set up a tray when you have a spare minute.