This month, our toddlers have been deeply engaged in the exciting world of matching! It all started when an educator sat down with an alphabet puzzle. As curiosity sparked, Nihal, Theo, Leila and Penny eagerly joined in, searching for puzzle pieces scattered around the classroom. With bright eyes and eager hands, they brought the pieces over to the puzzle board.
As each child presented their discovery, the educators helped label the letters. Theo excitedly held up a “T” and exclaimed, “T is for Theo!” Nihal found the letter “M,” while Penny proudly showed off the letter “S.” Meanwhile, Leila took on a leadership role, carefully placing the pieces on the board and assisting peers in fitting them correctly.
The matching fun didn’t stop there! The very next day, as we read a storybook, Lloyd noticed a giraffe in the illustrations. With a burst of enthusiasm, he rushed to the animal shelf, grabbed a toy giraffe, and placed it on the book’s page. His excitement was contagious-his peers quickly followed suit, matching a lion, rhino, shark, and tiger to their storybook counterparts. This spontaneous moment of discovery inspired yet another matching activity.
A few days later, educators traced the outlines of various toys onto paper, setting up a shape-matching challenge. The toddlers gathered around, examining the toys on the table and the corresponding tracings. Leila dove in right away, expertly matching toys to their outlines. Tongtong took a moment to compare a hexagon toy and a circular tracing. At first glance, they seemed similar, but as he attempted to fit the hexagon onto the outline, he notices the differences-an early lesson in critical thinking and spatial awareness.
Through these playful experiences, the toddlers are strengthening essential skills such as hand-eye coordination, problem-solving, critical thinking, and spatial reasoning. It has been incredible to observe their enthusiasm for matching, and we can’t help but wonder-what will they discover to match next?
