Last Updated on August 2, 2024 by Sheryl Cooper
Inside: Wondering how to set up and manage toddler center time? Here are tips for putting together a plan for your classroom!
Our toddler learning centers time is an important part of our school day.
We create inviting, hands-on activities that allow for much exploration.
As with our 3 year olds centers time, our 2 year olds can spend as much or as little time desired at whatever centers they wish to go.
Because this is usually their first school experience, we want them to feel welcome, safe, and happy.
Table of Contents
Centers Time Video – See My Current Classroom!
👉 Scroll down to get your free centers time planner!
CLICK HERE to see all of our teacher back to school resources!
How to Set Up and Manage Toddler Center Time
Start simple.
I cannot stress this enough!
If you have too much available in your centers, you will overwhelm your toddlers and they will have a hard time becoming engaged.
It’s okay to have empty shelves. I admit, this is still hard for me. But because I have observed this age group during centers time for over 19 years, I know that it’s better to have less than to have too much. You can always add more if you feel it’s needed.
At the beginning of the year, I don’t have every center open. I am using this time to introduce them to each area of our classroom, showing them how to use the materials, helping them share with their classmates. Less is best those first few weeks.
Then, as I feel they are ready, I will open another center. And then a bit later, another.
Eventually, every center will be open.
Managing How to Set Up and Manage Toddler Center Time
Our toddlers can move around from center to center at their own pace. We do not regulate where they need to be, nor for how long. This is a child-led time. (We manage our preschool centers time the very same way.)
I use this time to carefully observe how they are using the materials. I am close by if I need to help with a sharing issue (because this is ongoing with toddlers!) or to redirect a child who is having a hard time.
I do not control how many children can be at each center. I do have a certain number of chairs at the centers with tables, but it’s not uncommon for the children to pull up an extra chair. Our 2 year olds for the most part like to be close to each other. I will often find them traveling around the room in small groups. Sometimes the entire class is in one corner of our room! They usually move on to another area quite quickly, but still together. This is a great way for them to build those social and emotional skills!
What’s In Our Toddler Learning Centers
Writing Center
We have a small table in our book area where children can draw, write, use stamps, stickers, stencils, and other materials. We don’t have it all out at once, but choose different materials each week.
Read more: Our Reading and Writing Center
Reading Center
Our reading area has a couple of bookshelves and a child-size couch. Children will often stop what they are doing and sit on the couch to look at a book before going back to what they were doing.
Read more: The Best Books for Busy Toddlers
Light Table
Our light table is tucked into a cubby in the corner of our room. It’s the perfect size for one or two children. We love to explore light in a variety of ways, with all kinds of materials.
Read more: Over 25 Light Table Activities
Playdough
Playdough is one of our most popular ways of working our fine motor skills. Each week we change the playdough and the materials.
Read more: Playdough Learning Activities
Table Activities
We use this table to develop cognitive skills such as counting, sorting, and matching.
Dramatic Play
Our dramatic play area is adjacent to our block area, the more active part of the classroom. We change our dramatic play themes every week or two.
Read more: Pretend Play Activities
Block Center
The block area is popular with our 2 year olds. They start the year more interested in trains and cars, and as the year progresses they become more involved in block play. Like the dramatic play area, we change some of our toys every week or two so that the children can explore a variety of materials.
Read more: Block Center Management
Science
For our toddlers, we have a simple set up that invites hands-on exploration.
Read More: 10 Simple Toddle Science Activities
Art
We do a lot of process art with both our 2 and 3 year olds so that they can enjoy exploring different tools, paint recipes, and textures.
Read more: Process Art for Toddlers
Easel
Our easel stands next to our art table and is very inviting to our 2 year olds. In fact, they often don’t even care if there is paper on the easel, or if a friend or two joins them. They simply love to brush the paint on the vertical surface.
Read more: Easel Activities We Love
Sensory Table
Our sensory table is well-loved by our 2 year olds. They love to scoop and pour and feel the different textures. We usually change what is in our sensory table each week. It is placed near our classroom door, and often is comforting to those who might be having difficulties saying goodbye to a parent or caregiver.
Read more: Big Collection of Sensory Table Activities for the Entire Year
Get your free centers time printable!
Toddler and Preschool Activity Plans
Looking for an entire year’s worth of learning activities? We’ve done the work for you!
I have helped create each of these packets, along with a team of talented educators and homeschoolers.
Easy to follow activity plans include activity modifications and adaptations to meet the needs of all learners.
Every theme comes with recommended reading lists, songs, material lists, and more.
Click on the graphics below for more details.
Toddlers (18 – 36 months):
Preschool (3 – 5 Years):
Hi, I live in Spain and for the last four years I have gone to one of the local nursery schools once a week to help the children with English. My normal class has the age group 1.1/2 – 3 years at the moment until September next year when at three the children leave for ‘big school’.
Over the years I have collected some very useful one to one activities, but this year the children seem to be so much younger,(1.1/2-2) my older children have all left.
I am looking for activities that I can print off. The children like to stick coloured dots to various pictures, we stick cotton wool to snowmen. Glue fish into paper fish bowls, shapes into baloons. Colours, shapes, etc. I am looking for other print off activities for this younger age group. Three years olds are fine.
I am voluntary and supply all my own products.
Hi Heather – All of my printables and printable activities can be found here: https://teaching2and3yearolds.com/free-printables-toddler-preschool/
Hi, my name is Ascen:
First at all thanks for sharing your knowledge and ideas, you are helping me a lot.:
In september I am going to work with kids (2 years old)in Italy, please, I would like to know how to set rules, expectations and procedures. How do you explain the rules to them?? Are you reading some tales, songs or with flaschards????. How do you modelling the rules or redirecting?????.
What abut if the children don’t follow the rules?????
Also, please, could you tell me some strategies for building possitive relationships in September????
Thanks for everything, with your advices and experience your are going to help me a lot.
Hi Ascen! I talk all about this in my back to school videos. Here is the playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLAcKXQXlMqKvc7iSYMKEGzZxun0ixwt9p Or you can to go Teaching 2 and 3 Year Olds on YouTube and use the search box. I highly recommend following my channel because I will be sharing more videos soon on the back to school process for this year, including how I will handle the first day and week.