30-36 Months: Toddler Discoveries -- Observation Record

How does the toddler explore in detailed ways and show understanding of some abstract ideas?

Manipulatives such as connecting blocks, puzzles, pegboards, pattern blocks, and pop beads are all useful for discovering and trying out new ideas. Older two-year-olds are able to sort and categorize by one attribute, and understand several positional words.

The toddler might do one or more of the following:

• Repeat the rules–explain to the child sitting next to her that in school the crayons belong to everyone, so everyone has to share the silver crayon.
• Play with size–show understanding of concepts of size as she experiments with the finger play.
• Talk about time–show a beginning understanding of time as she explains that everyone will go to the farm "in the very next day after we have rest time."
• Make something happen–pour water into the buckets on a water wheel to make it turn.
• Put things in order–stack many rings on the ring cone in order from large to small.

In what ways does this toddler explore and show understanding of new concepts? (Include dates.)

How does the toddler show she has a plan when she starts to do something?

Older toddlers look around, find materials, ask questions, and carry out particular plans of action or activity. Their play includes make-believe, as they act out their understanding of their everyday lives.

The toddler might do one or more of the following:

• Play house–put the play dough cookies on a plate and take them to the housekeeping area to put them in the oven.
• Go shopping–put on a hat in the dress-up area and then go find some blocks to put in her shopping cart.
• See how it feels–dramatize her thoughts about what it would feel like to be a lion and figure out how to make herself feel as big and strong as a lion.
• Let's play–collect blocks and pans to bang on and encourage a friend to march in a band with her.
• Act out a story–find several friends who can help act out the story of Ask Mr. Bear.

How does this toddler show she has a plan as she plays? (Include dates.)

How does the toddler show her increasing ability to figure things out?

Older toddlers can use what they've learned from experience to think through problems and take action to overcome them. This new problem-solving ability, along with trial and error, helps them figure out new or puzzling situations.

The toddler might do one or more of the following:

• Find the right one–look in the kitchen area for a pan that is big enough to hold a lot of sand at the sand table.
• Combine things–go to the art area for some play dough to make into pancakes with the frying pan in housekeeping.
• Use help–get a friend to help her lift a big block up to the top of the tower they're building.
• Discover new ways–show a caregiver how she put all the pegs in rows on the pegboard to make them look like stairs.
• Try something new–take a new puzzle from the puzzle rack and, after trying to put it together, announce, "This is too hard!"

In what ways does this toddler show how she figures things out? (Include dates.)