Best Resource Books for 2-3 Year Old Activities?

[xandersmama09]

I am going to start homeschooling my son in September, he'll be 2 and a half. I'm starting with extremely activity-based learning, not workbooks or anything of the sort. I've just ordered the Giant Encyclopedia of Theme Activities for 2-5 Year Olds, but I'm looking for more similar books that will help me to come up with and plan activities for each day of the week. Any suggestions would be appreciated!

[Lillian J]

This isn't a book, but a section of my (non-commercial) website has lots of annotated links to websites that provide great ideas, many of which are not as likely to be found in a book  - and above the annotated links is a box that has links to articles, some of which also include ideas about learning activities.

preschool and kindergarten learning activities

Lillian

[SweetSilver]

Creative Play for Your Toddler by Christopher Clowder and Janni Nichol, a Waldorf-themed project book.

Art Fun! (author forgotten)..... I regularly check this book out from our library.  I like how it focuses on technique and materials, less on "copy this project" stuff.

[tankgirl73]

Montessori!!!!  Totally 'activity-based'.  :)

A couple suggestions -- "Teaching Montessori in the Home: The Preschool Years", I think it's by Wainstock.  "Teach me to do it Myself" -- I don't remember the author.  

If those get your curiosity piqued about Montessori, I also recommend "The Secret of Childhood" by Maria Montessori herself.  It contained a whole bunch of "ah!  eureka!!" moments for me.  :)

We did Montessori-style 'preschool' for my daughter from 18mo or so through 3ish.  She still has some Montessori 'toys' she pulls out from time to time and my whole style is still flavoured with what I learned from it.  But the greatest thing we got out of it was the "practical skills" activities for preschool.  She is now (and was at a very young age) very independent and capable and confident, since she was given the opportunity to "do it myself" without me always diving in and saying "let me do that for you, sweetie".  She helps in the kitchen, helps with housework, dresses herself, insists on trying new and harder things by herself all the time, etc etc.