Doing anything with an active toddler around can be a challenging endeavor. Trying to homeschool a 5-year-old, entertain a seven-year-old and nine-year-old, and also deal with the same energetic toddler is downright impossible. Luckily this is where Little Goose comes in handy. In case you don’t know, Little Goose is a toddler based supplement to be used in conjunction with the Mother Goose time. Check out my previous post A Day with Little Goose for a broad overview of how the program works. One of my favorite things about the Little Goose supplement, and my focus today is their tray play section.
Each day the Little Goose supplement provides a different tray play idea, which encourages the child to independently explore different stimuli and situations. This idea of independent learning through exploration is very important to toddlers allowing them to learn at their own pace in their own way. Tray play is also a great diversionary tactic that I like to use when I need my little one to sit still for a few moments, while I tend to his older siblings. Mother Goose Time has a different tray play idea for each day including a picture, so you know how to set everything up.
My son’s favorite tray play activities usually feature water or scissors, the latter being the best activity to keep him quietly busy for a decent amount of time. We had one such activity the other day, entitled “Cutting Sunshine”. 
For this activity, my son was presented with a tray containing a black piece of paper, scissors, and yellow strips of paper. I also spread some glue on the black paper and showed him how to stick the strips into the glue (I don’t dare give him a whole bottle of glue because he loves to squeeze the entire contents out). He was then left to his own devices., and proceeded to joyfully cut the yellow strips into different pieces. He carefully and meticulously placed the strips around the paper. I wish he had the words to explain to me his process. I am sure the inner-workings of a two-year-old brain would be fascinating to delve into.
When his work was finished, his sisters decided his masterpiece needed some glitter, so they grabbed some out of the art cabinet and sprinkled away. He was quite proud of his final work and carried it around with him the rest of the morning.
Being able to have my two-year-old participate in daily activities alongside his siblings has been amazing. It is such a great experience for younger siblings to be able to work alongside their older siblings and learn by watching and imitating them. It is such a joy to watch this learning process take place, and of course to watch the sibling relationships being formed.
Next week join my crazy crew as they embark on a treasure hunt on Alphabet Island. There is sure to be lots of fun antics and of course more Chaos On The Creek.
Disclaimer: I am so grateful to have found this curriculum and am excited to share our experiences on the blog. In exchange for my unbiased and honest reviews, Mother Goose time has provided us with the curriculum free of charge.
Chaos on the creek 
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