Today a teacher asked me for help teaching English to toddlers. Specifically, he had spent hours looking for cartoons, activities, and songs relating to castles. So here’s my reply to the teacher:
Rather than spending hours searching for a ready-made castle online, use these instant ideas. Yes, toddlers are hands-on, but they have imagination, and any old cardboard box can become a castle in no time!
Ways to make an instant castle
It’s easy to make your own castle using the children’s imaginations and minimum props. For example, an old sheet on the floor can become a castle in no time! Have the kids watch while you draw lines and crenelations on the cloth while chatting in English. For example, say, wow, a castle! A big castle! This is a castle. Look at my castle. Keep it simple for toddlers, so your castle might have only three rooms. Each room could have a different coloured piece of cloth or an upside-down plastic cup. Under one of these cups, you could place some treasure. However, be sure this treasure is safe for two-year-old children and not something they could swallow. As the toddlers crawl to different rooms, you name them; Sally is in the living room. Is the treasure in the living room?
The above treasure hunt and rooms vocabulary castle activity could intrigue your two-year-old pupils to join in. However, as you know, you can’t organise toddlers in the same way as older children. So it’s more a case of getting them involved while you repeat the room vocabulary over and over. And then, continue with short sentences over and over while toddlers are engaged in the castle.
Cardboard castles
Cardboard castles are easy to make too. Take a cardboard box, cut off the lid, and cut crenellations into the sides. Bingo, it’s built, and children can go inside! “Who lives in the castle? Sally lives in the castle.” Lots of toddlers will want to get in there! The bigger the box, the more toddlers you can get in! Ideally, have more than one to avoid frustration and have more toddlers involved at once. If you cut off the bottom too, you could put the box around your waist and have a walking talking castle!
Then, toddlers can decorate the castles.
Drawing Castles
Toddlers each draw a castle. It’s best to use a basic model, such as a rectangle with crenellations along the top. These can be coloured and spread about the room, on the floor, or on walls. Start by playing some music. Then, stop the music and ask, “Where is the red castle?” “Who can see a red castle?” You won’t be able to force them to show you a red castle, but some might. They will all be soaking up the word “castle” and the sounds of English just by being there with you.
Teaching English to toddlers
Learn how to teach toddlers English with my “English for Toddlers” small book. It’s packed with great ideas on how to play with toddlers and teach them English simultaneously.
