Cognitive Development Materials 

Cognitive Development 

KDI:

22. Exploring objects: Children explore objects with their hands, feet, mouth, eyes, ears, and nose.

23. Object permanence: Children discover object permanence.

24. Exploring same and different: Children explore and notice how things are the same or different.

25. Exploring more: Children experience “more.”

26. One-to-one correspondence: Children experience one-to-one correspondence.

27. Number: Children experience the number of things.

28. Locating objects: Children explore and notice the location of objects.

29. Filling and emptying: Children fill and empty, put in and take out.

30. Taking apart and putting together: Children take things apart and fit them together.

31. Seeing from different viewpoints: Children observe people and things from various perspectives.

32. Anticipating events: Children anticipate familiar events.

33. Time intervals: Children notice the beginning and ending of time intervals.

34. Speed: Children experience “fast” and “slow.”

35. Cause and effect: Children repeat an action to make something happen again, experience cause and effect.

ALL MATERIALS:

  • Sensory trays or shallow bins
  • Soft fabric pieces
  • Large textured balls
  • Wooden rings
  • Silicone teethers
  • Pinecones (for toddlers, with close supervision)
  • Large feathers
  • Scented cotton balls (vanilla or cinnamon, sealed in small breathable containers for smelling only)
  • Baby-safe mirrors
  • Crinkle paper
  • Soft brushes
  • Small baskets or containers
  • Soft balls
  • Large blocks
  • Plastic stacking cups
  • Muffin tin (optional)
  • Toy animals
  • Lightweight scarves or ribbons
  • Music player
  • Upbeat and slow-paced children's songs
  • Open floor space
  • Soft mats or carpet

ALL LESSON PLANS CAN BE COMPLETED IN THE CLASSROOM: NO ROOM CHANGES

Name of Activity: Sensory Exploration Trays

Originating Idea: The children enjoy touching, looking at, and investigating different objects, making sensory exploration a meaningful learning experience.

Curriculum Area: 22. Exploring Objects: Children explore objects with their hands, feet, mouth, eyes, ears, and nose.

Cognitive Development

Materials:

  • Sensory trays or shallow bins
  • Soft fabric pieces
  • Large textured balls
  • Wooden rings
  • Silicone teethers
  • Pinecones (for toddlers, with close supervision)
  • Large feathers
  • Scented cotton balls (vanilla or cinnamon, sealed in small breathable containers for smelling only)
  • Baby-safe mirrors
  • Crinkle paper
  • Soft brushes

Appropriate Age Group: Infants and Toddlers

Beginning of Activity:

Place several sensory trays on the floor, each containing a variety of safe objects with different textures, colors, sounds, and scents. Invite the children to explore by saying, "Let's see what we can discover today!" Allow them to freely investigate the materials at their own pace.

Middle of Activity: Your ideas for scaffolding children at different developmental levels

Early:
Offer a few large, safe sensory items within easy reach. Encourage young infants to grasp, touch, look at, listen to, and safely mouth appropriate objects while describing what they are experiencing.

Middle:
Encourage older infants to crawl between trays, compare different textures, shake objects that make sounds, and explore items using both hands. Talk with them about what they are seeing, hearing, and feeling.

Later:
Invite toddlers to sort objects by texture or size, compare how different materials feel or sound, and describe their observations using simple words such as "soft," "rough," "bumpy," or "smooth." Encourage them to explore using multiple senses while asking open-ended questions like, "How does this feel?" or "What do you notice?"

End of Activity:

Let the children know the activity is coming to an end and encourage toddlers to help return the materials to the trays while assisting infants as needed. Wash hands together before transitioning to the next classroom routine.

Follow-up Ideas (2)

  1. Rotate new sensory materials throughout the year, such as natural items, fabric samples, musical objects, or seasonal materials, to encourage continued exploration.

  2. Create themed sensory baskets, such as "Things That Make Sounds," "Interesting Textures," or "Nature Treasures," for children to explore during free-choice time.

Name of Activity: Fill the Basket

Originating Idea: The children have shown an interest in filling and emptying containers during free play and we have been working on our numbers.

Curriculum Area: 27. Number: Children experience the number of things.

Cognitive Development 

Materials:

  • Small baskets or containers
  • Soft balls
  • Large blocks
  • Plastic stacking cups
  • Wooden rings
  • Muffin tin (optional)
  • Toy animals

Appropriate Age Group: Infants and Toddlers

Beginning of Activity:

Place empty baskets and a variety of objects on the floor. Invite the children to explore by filling and emptying the containers while using words such as "one," "more," "all gone," "full," and "empty" throughout the activity.

Middle of Activity: Your ideas for scaffolding children at different developmental levels

Early:
Encourage young infants to place one object into a basket or remove one object at a time with assistance. Describe their actions by saying, "You put one ball in!" or "Now it's all gone!"

Middle:
Invite older infants to fill and empty containers using several objects. Introduce simple quantity words such as "more," "another," "full," and "empty" while they play.

Later:
Encourage toddlers to compare baskets with more or fewer objects, help place one object into each cup or section of a muffin tin, and talk about their collections using words like "many," "one more," or "two blocks." Follow the child's lead without expecting correct counting.

End of Activity:

Invite the children to help return all of the materials to the storage basket while talking about how many objects were collected. Transition to the next activity with a clean-up song.

Follow-up Ideas (2)

  1. Add containers and loose parts to the math or discovery area so children can continue filling, emptying, and comparing quantities during free play.

  2. Incorporate number language into everyday routines by talking about "one more cracker," "two shoes," "all gone," or "lots of bubbles" during meals, dressing, and outdoor play.

Name of Activity: Fast and Slow Scarves

Originating Idea: The children have shown an interest in moving their bodies to music and enjoy activities that involve dancing and movement.

Curriculum Area: 34. Speed: Children experience "fast" and "slow."

Cognitive Development 

Materials:

  • Lightweight scarves or ribbons

  • Music player

  • Upbeat and slow-paced children's songs

  • Open floor space

  • Soft mats or carpet

Appropriate Age Group: Infants and Toddlers

Beginning of Activity:

Gather the children in an open area and give each child a scarf. Explain that the scarves will move differently depending on the music. Begin with a slow song, modeling gentle, slow movements with the scarf.

Middle of Activity: Your ideas for scaffolding children at different developmental levels

Early:
Place young infants on a soft mat or support them in a seated position. Gently move a scarf above or beside them, encouraging them to watch it move slowly and then quickly. Encourage reaching, kicking, or grasping as they respond to the changing speeds.

Middle:
Invite older infants to hold or wave their own scarves while the music changes from slow to fast. Encourage crawling or cruising as they follow the movement of the scarf and describe what they are experiencing by using words such as "slow" and "fast."

Later:
Encourage toddlers to wave, dance, march, spin, or run safely while matching their movements to the speed of the music. Pause occasionally and ask, "Are we moving fast or slow?" allowing children to respond and adjust their movements.

End of Activity:

Slow the music and encourage the children to gently wave their scarves one last time before placing them into a basket. End with a quiet transition song and move to the next classroom routine.

Follow-up Ideas (2)

  1. Add scarves and music to the movement center so children can continue exploring fast and slow movements during free play.

  2. Read books or sing songs that include the movement words such as fast, slow, stop, and go, then encourage children to act out the different speeds.

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