Tiny Steps Educator Guide
All-In-One Playbook
Tiny Steps Toddler Play
A Developmentally Tailored 6-Week Curriculum for Ages 17–18 Months • 5 Toddler Cohort
6 Weeks
Daily Master Rhythm
9:00 AM
Arrival & Circle Greeting, songs & active toys
9:30 AM
Playground Outdoor gross motor play
10:00 AM
Morning Snack Finger foods, independent cups
10:15 AM
Sensory & Art Mon Wk 2 & 6: Water Play Dry play / art other days
11:00 AM
Lunch Time Wash hands, guided self-feeding
12:00 PM Quiet Book Play & Prep
1:00 PM
Naptime Soothing audio, safe sleep checks
3:00 PM
Pickup & Departure Quiet wake up, pack bags & go
6-Week Theme Overview
Week 1 Lego Builders
Stacking, sorting, structural cause/effect.
Week 2 Deep Ocean Mon Water
Tactile waves, sea fauna, blue scales.
Week 3 Little Patriots
Red, white & blue patterns, marching beats.
Week 4 Dino Stompers
Prehistoric footprints, heavy motor steps.
Week 5 Cozy Campers
Nature textures, simulated fires, tents.
Week 6 Happy Pond Mon Water
Lily pads, hopping frogs, duck bills.
Crucial Hydrological Guideline: Water-based activities are strictly prohibited throughout this 6-week curriculum with exactly two exceptions: Monday of Week 2 (Ocean) and Monday of Week 6 (Pond Life), scheduled exactly at 10:15 AM - 11:00 AM (directly following morning snack). Dry sensory alternatives are detailed for all other days.
17–18 Month Developmental Focus
At 17–18 months, toddlers are solidifying spatial awareness, discovering structural cause-and-effect, and building vocabulary through simple rhythm mimicry. This playbook uses themed immersion to foster fine motor coordination (stacking, scooping, peeling), gross motor control (climbing, stomping, marching), and sensory processing. This system is designed for active management of a cohort of exactly 5 toddlers with minimal prep time.
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WEEK 1
Theme: Lego Builders (Stacking & Color)
Construct & Sort
Art & Creative Exploration
Lego Block Printing
Toddlers grip plastic Mega Bloks and dip the studded side into paper plates of primary-colored washable paint, stamping onto heavy-duty construction paper.
Focus: Grasp, pattern repetition, textured print
Songs, Rhymes & Language
"Ten Little Colored Bricks"
"One little, two little, three little bricks,
Four little, five little, six little bricks,
Seven little, eight little, nine little bricks,
Ten little bricks in a stack!" (Tune: Ten Little Indians)
Target Words: Stack, tall, fall, red, blue, green
Sensory & Mess-Free Play
Dry Lego Scoop & Sort
A large shallow tub filled with large colored blocks and heavy plastic scoopers. No water. Toddlers practice scooping blocks into color-matching containers.
Warning: Ensure all blocks are jumbo sizing (no choke risk)
Gross & Fine Motor
Tower Knockdown & Tape Peel
Gross: Educator builds a tall Mega Blok tower; kids march to it and knock it down. Fine: Tape blocks to the tabletop using painters tape; children peel the tape to "rescue" blocks.
Focus: Peel force, structural cause-and-effect
WEEK 2
Theme: Deep Ocean (Fishes & Textures)
Ocean Currents
Art & Creative Exploration
Mess-Free Foil Fingerpaint
Squeeze blue and white tempera paint on aluminum foil, tape it down, and let children smear paint with bare fingers. Foil offers high contrast and distinct texture.
Focus: Cool metallic feedback, fine finger trails
Songs, Rhymes & Language
"Slippery Fish" Circle Song
"Slippery fish, slippery fish, sliding in the water,
Slippery fish, slippery fish, gulp, gulp, gulp!
Octopus, octopus, squiggling in the water,
Octopus, octopus, gulp, gulp, gulp!"
Target Words: Fish, splash, swim, deep, blue
Sensory & Water Rule
MON 10:15-11 AM
Sea Foam Splashing Bin
Monday (10:15–11:00 AM): 1 inch of lukewarm water in shallow bins with large plastic sea animals. Tue-Fri (Dry alternative): Play in dry blue chiffon fabrics and large textured shells.
Safety: Direct supervision. Towels pre-laid on floor.
Gross & Fine Motor
Crab Crawl & Sea Shell Sort
Gross: Toddlers practice crawling sideways or sliding over soft blue vinyl play pads. Fine: Picking up large, smooth scallops/clamshells and placing them in egg cartons.
Focus: Pincer grip strength, side core stability
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WEEK 3
Theme: Little Patriots (Red, White & Blue)
Patriotic Play
Art & Creative Exploration
Cardboard Star Stamping
Cut paper towel tubes into a star shape. Toddlers stamp red and blue paint onto heavy white paper, noticing the shape outline. Minimal mess with long tubes as handles.
Focus: Cylindrical hand grasp, shape isolation
Songs, Rhymes & Language
"Yankee Doodle" Rhythm Walk
"Yankee Doodle went to town,
Riding on a pony,
Stuck a feather in his cap,
And called it macaroni!"
Target Words: Red, white, blue, star, march, sound
Sensory & Mess-Free Play
Patriotic Dry Sensory Tray
A sensory bin filled with dry red and blue pom-poms, oversized silver stars (plastic), and large white packing peanuts. Strictly dry play. Hand out large cups for container play.
Safety: Choke testing on all metallic star sizes. No water.
Gross & Fine Motor
Flag Wave March & Ribbon Pull
Gross: Toddlers wave large, soft felt banners while stepping high over foam floor beams. Fine: Pulling thick red, white, and blue ribbons threaded through holes in cardboard boxes.
Focus: High knee lift balance, directional ribbon pulling
WEEK 4
Theme: Dino Stompers (Movement & Heavy Steps)
Prehistoric Play
Art & Creative Exploration
Dinosaur Mud Footprints
Toddlers hold chunky plastic dinosaur figurines and walk the dino feet through washable brown "mud" paint onto yellow construction paper, creating patterns.
Focus: Hand-eye integration, tool manipulation
Songs, Rhymes & Language
"Five Big Dinosaurs" Fingerplay
"Five big dinosaurs stomping on the floor,
One walked away and then there were four!
Four big dinosaurs stomping on the floor,
One walked away and then there were three!"
Target Words: Big, stomp, roar, tail, green, walk
Sensory & Mess-Free Play
Oat Fossil Dig (Dry Bin)
Dry rolled oats act as the safe "fossil soil" medium. Hide large toy bones and plastic dinosaurs. Toddlers sift, scoop, and brush dry oats to uncover hidden toys.
Safety: Dry oats are non-toxic if mouthed. Absolutely dry.
Gross & Fine Motor
Dino Stomp & Heavy Footsteps
Gross: March heavy-footed around the space on textured bubble wrap sheets to mimic heavy dino stomping. Fine: Pressing giant foam dinosaur footprints down onto carpet.
Focus: Auditory sensory feedback, heel-to-toe force
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WEEK 5
Theme: Cozy Campers (Nature & Forest)
Forest Floor
Art & Creative Exploration
Pinecone Painting Box
Place a clean pinecone and cardstock into an empty shoebox. Squeeze drops of green paint inside. Toddlers tilt, roll, and shake the box to trace unpredictable textured prints.
Focus: Hand wrist rotation, enclosed active painting
Songs, Rhymes & Language
"Camping We Will Go" Chant
"A-camping we will go,
A-camping we will go!
We'll pack our bags and sleep in tents,
A-camping we will go!" (Tune: Farmer in the Dell)
Target Words: Tent, tree, camp, warm, star, rock
Sensory & Mess-Free Play
Dry Forest Floor Bin
A large wooden tray filled with dried leaves, thick pinecones, large smooth river rocks, and clean dry mulch. Strictly dry touch exploration. Toddlers feel contrasting rough/smooth surfaces.
Safety: Ensure river rocks are too large to pass choke tests.
Gross & Fine Motor
Tent Crawl & Size Sorting
Gross: Set up a low popup play tent with soft cushions; toddlers crawl inside and peak out. Fine: Sort collected forest items (giant pinecones vs tiny twigs) into separate bowls.
Focus: Crawling spatial map, binary item categorizing
WEEK 6
Theme: Happy Pond (Frogs & Lily Pads)
Pond Ecology
Art & Creative Exploration
Spotted Lily Pad Plates
Paint standard paper plates solid green. Let toddlers use yellow/brown finger paints to stamp decorative "lily pad spots" using single index fingers, teaching isolated finger control.
Focus: Isolated finger targeting, spatial control
Songs, Rhymes & Language
"Five Speckled Frogs" Fingerplay
"Five green and speckled frogs,
Sat on a speckled log,
Eating some most delicious bugs (yum!)
One jumped into the pool..."
Target Words: Frog, jump, hop, green, log, water
Sensory & Water Rule
MON 10:15-11 AM
Lily Pad Floating Basin
Monday (10:15–11:00 AM): Warm shallow water bin with floating green craft foam shapes (lily pads) and plastic frogs. Tue-Fri (Dry alternative): Dry green split-pea bin with scoop spoons.
Safety: Direct visual tracking, immediate wipe up of wet spills.
Gross & Fine Motor
Frog Leap Pads & Sponge Squeeze
Gross: Green non-slip mats arranged as lily pads; encourage low hopping from mat to mat. Fine: Squeezing dry spongy green washcloths to pop out rubber ducks.
Focus: Leg force, bilateral hand gripping
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Educator Implementation Cheat Sheet
Reference parameters for managing 5 toddlers aged 17–18 months simultaneously.
Circle Time Tips (9:00 AM)
- Keep it Short: Limit focused circle to 5–10 minutes max. Transition immediately if focus wanders.
- Tactile Props: Hand toddlers a physical object (Lego brick, plastic fish, star) to hold during songs.
- Hand-Over-Hand: Physically model song actions (clapping, swimming, stomping) to help them copy.
- Sound Mimicry: Pause at the end of verses to encourage vocal sound filling (e.g. "Gulp!", "Roar!").
Safety & Snack Rules
- Choke Risk check: Materials must be at least 1.25 inches. Run daily choke tube tests.
- Snack Safety (10:00 AM): Cut all snacks (grapes, berries) into quarters. Ensure toddlers are seated upright.
- Water Protocol: Max depth on Mondays is 1 inch. Direct visual oversight required.
- Sanitation: Clean high-chair trays post-snack before starting the 10:15 AM sensory play.
Toddler Transition Strategies (5-Child Cohort)
Circle to Playground (9:30 AM): Use a "choo-choo train" line chant or have them stomp like dinosaurs to line up at the door. Prevents scattering behavior.
Sensory to Lunch (10:50 AM): Sing a 2-minute "Wash Hands" song while transitioning kids to sink steps. Lay out plates and bibs before starting wash routine.
Quiet Play to Nap (12:45 PM): Dim lights gradually. Put on white noise before diaper changes so toddlers associate the sound cue with wind-down sleep prep.
Theme-Specific Supply checklists
Weeks 1 & 2 Prep
Jumbo Mega Bloks (50+) Primary washable paint Aluminum foil roll Plastic ocean animals (5+)
Weeks 3 & 4 Prep
Paper towel tubes (6+) Large red & blue pom-poms Plastic dino toys (5+) 2 large bags of rolled oats
Weeks 5 & 6 Prep
Clean pinecones (5+) Popup crawling tent Paper plates (green focus) Green craft foam sheets
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