My Favorite Tot School Resources! And a GIVEAWAY!

 It's hard to believe, but Zeke is my sixth toddler! I've tried many different resources for this age group over the years, and I've done my best to shrink down my "favorites" list into my top ten! I'm also going to be giving away a few toddler resources, so be sure to read all the way to bottom to see how to enter. 

1.) Dot Markers

Dot markers seem like such an obvious pick, but they are seriously so useful! We use them almost every day for something from dotting letters to counting to finishing pictures. I would say this is probably the most common tot school resource, and for good reason! I will also say that Do-A-Dot is the hands-down best brand for dot markers.

2.) Dot Stickers

I know, I know...it's almost the same thing as dot markers - but it's not! You can use them for the same things, but dot stickers give an extra boost of fine motor practice. Peeling stickers is great for strengthening those hand and finger muscles! I love the ones that come in all the colors. This is the pack that I always order. 

3.) Linking Cubes

Again, these are so great for so many different activities! Counting, color sorting, building, measuring...we've used these for lots of different things! They are useful for math lessons when your toddler gets a bit older, so it's definitely a resource that will grow with your child.

4.) Counting Bears

This has got to be a classic resource found in every home and preschool schoolroom across the country. We use them for color sorting when they're young, counting as they get bigger, graphing when they're learning early math concepts, and so much more. I like this set that comes in six colors. 

5.) Simple Puzzles

Zeke loves puzzles, and these are the next step-up from peg puzzles. The fact that there are only two pieces prevents frustration for Zeke, but he also feels like he is doing a "big boy puzzle" like his older brothers. We have several different sets of these, and I'd love to get a few more sets. I normally set the puzzles out for Zeke with the two pieces for each set, and he finishes each set!

6.) An assortment of plastic animals

We use plastic animals for so many things - sorting, counting, pretend play. I like to have fish, farm animals, wild animals, dinosaurs, and insects. You will be surprised how often you pull these out for different activities! We like Terra by Battat, but you get what you pay for when it comes to plastic animals. Learning Resources is also a great brand.

7.) Crayola Markers

This seems so simple, but I really like to use markers for beginning tracing. They're easy to hold because they're chunky, they write really smooth which makes it easy to trace, and they're bright colored which makes them fun! I stock up when our WalMart has back to school sales, but I really like this Big 40 pack!

8.) Colored Buttons in Different Shapes

We use buttons for tons of activities, too! They small, which makes it a great fine motor activity to pick them up and move them around. They're great for sorting colors or shapes or sizes. We've used buttons to make patterns before, too! Lots of my busy bags come with buttons as part of the activity. I have tons of fun ideas on my Instagram account for using buttons. 

9.) Pom Poms

How did this get all the way at the bottom of my list? It's for sure one of our top resources! We use them for sorting, counting, patterns, pushing, and so much more. I have some pom pom shape cards in my Toddler Resources tab for free if you'd like to download those and use them! I like to order this pack of pom poms because it includes all of the colors including black and brown, the size is perfect, and I love the texture of them. Hey, they're even half off right now!

10.) Stacking Pegs

These stacking pegs are so much fun! Zeke loves to stack them as high as he can, and he loves to push the pegs into the peg board. It's a great fine motor skill and it's a lot of fun! Lauri Toys are really great toys for toddlers and preschoolers.

I could add so many more resources, and maybe I'll a follow up to this called "My Next Favorite Tot School Resources"! Now for the giveaway....follow the directions below and the winner will get to choose which of the above resources they'd like to have! I'll ship them to you! Be sure to tell all of your friends.

a Rafflecopter giveaway