Three Toddler Activities: All About Me

If you’re doing an “All About Me” theme, you’re probably looking for some activities that will help the kids talk about themselves. These three ideas are great ways to get kids interested in learning about others.

Send a note home to parents asking them to send in several pictures of the child and his family in a plastic bag. (Remind parents that the pictures may not be returned in pristine shape.) Conduct a “show and tell” session in which each child shows his pictures to the class and describes the people and events that the pictures show.

Each day, give toddlers another page of their “Me” book to decorate. You can create each page by photocopying a prompt such as “My favorite food is…” or “My favorite game is…” Encourage toddlers to draw a picture to complete the prompt. For example, a toddler who enjoys ice cream may draw a picture of an ice cream cone. Collect the pages of the “Me” book after they finish, making sure to label each one with the child’s name. Store the pages in the child’s file. After they have completed all of the pages of the “Me” book, staple their books together with a cover that reads “A Book About Me” and includes the child’s name. Let the children “read” their books to the class, or encourage them to read the books to their parents on Parent Night.

For this art project, divide children into pairs. Have one child from each pair lie down on a large piece of butcher paper. Demonstrate to the second child in the pair how to outline her friend with a pencil. When the children finish, label their outlines with the name of the child and have the children switch places and repeat. (For younger toddlers, you may need to do the outlining yourself.)

Tell the children to decorate their outlines to look like themselves. Provide them with crayons or markers, as well as other art supplies they can use (e.g., yarn for hair and shoelaces, beads for jewelry and eyes, and old scraps of material for clothing).

Use these “All About Me” activities as a springboard to get children talking about themselves and about each other. Remember: It’s important for toddlers to feel comfortable in their own skin. These activities are great ways to help build self esteem.