preschool teacher
I am a preschool teacher and have been a toddler teacher as well and teacher made toys and activities are my favorite hobby. For math you can use any kind of sorting activities using laminated boards, egg cartons, muffin tins, etc. Find things like beans, pennies, cotton balls, packing peanuts, etc. to use as counters. I even know someone who used headbands with antlers on them and tossed hair bands on them that they had to count. In language, you can do sorting activities by sorting letter sounds that they start with. (I would use a small can or container and put the letters on them and cut out pictures of things with words that start with the letter and laminate them. have them place the square pictures in the proper can.) you can have them match rhyming pictures. For your science area, you can place paper and pens or pencils so that they can document in there own way their findings. You can add things like rocks, plants, even sticks and magnifying glasses. science is a little harder, but you can always use large pieces of paper to gather information as a group on to increase literacy. Let the kids make playdough and keep in that area. I hope that I have been able to help. good luck.
