At TOPTOTS we believe that each child needs to be exposed to activities that are age appropriate and because of that we offer seven age groups.

Infants from 8  to 12 weeks
Small Babies 3 to7 months
Big Babies 8- 12 months
Little toddlers 12-18 months
Toddlers 18-24 month
Big Toddlers 2-3 years
Top Toddlers 3-4 years

On joining a TOPTOTS class, you will receive a gift pack that includes a Tom-e ragdoll and back pack. 

During your time with us your little one will make many little mementoes for you to keep as a reminder of his progress and growth which can be shared with family and friends.

On his birthday he will receive a birthday card form the instructor and Tom-e and when a TOPTOT has completed his time with us he will receive a certificate to remind him of the wonderful time he spent with TOPTOTS and Tom-e.

A typical class includes all of the following activities during the 90 minutes.

• FREE PLAY- Social interaction
• CLEAN UP- This encourages children to become responsible for cleaning up their own toys.
• GREETING SONG – This greeting signals the start of the actual group.
• STIMULATION ACTIVITIES: Individual boxes are packed for each age group.  Activities are explained in detail so that parents know what to do and also very importantly, what the activity stimulates.
• PARACHUTE – This is specifically a sensory exercise and will benefit all the TOPTOTS.
• INTERACTIVE MUSIC STORY- Three levels of participation: intellectually, emotionally (allowing children to feel) by listening to a short story or poem with guided imagery, and physically (playing the instrument).
• CREATIVE - We do  believe that children should explore the different mediums and not be inhibited by the adult’s creativity. In other words art is child centred and can be messy.
• TEXTURES – We offer a variety of tactile experiences for all age groups.
• GROSS MOTOR –  A varied programme that stimulates large muscle development and motor planning.
• TEA  -Social interaction for mom.
• MUSIC TIME –  Chaotic expression. Action and instrumental songs with quality instrument.
• PILATES FOR BABY - Ball activities are excellent for working on balance, joint compression, weight bearing, gravitational security and stimulation of the vestibular system, awareness of body in space and body position, and development of the large muscles. They should be encouraged, especially with babies who don't like them.
• ACTION SONGS – TOPTOTS are encouraged to do actions to music. Repetition is key.
• TOPTOTS I Love you- cuddle song for mom, to say thank you for the time spent playing and learning.
• GOODBYE TIME - Our own special Toptots goodbye.  This signals the end of the group.
• Each TOPTOT receives a sticker at the end of group.

Why we have…

Activity Boxes

TOPTOTS activities are specially designed to enhance intellectual and fine motor potential, and other important life skills, like emotional and social development.

Activities must be fun for the child, so don’t pressure them if they don’t feel like joining in today. Rather try the activity at home. In this way they will link learning with pleasure, and positive attention from the one they love!

Music important?

Music in its basic form – rhythm and melody – it stimulatesbrainactivity (the release of neurons) in a child’s left and right side. For example, when childrenthinks or talks about the sounds they hear, they only use the left side of their brain. However, when a children engages in music making, irrespective of musical ability, they will use the right side of their brain.

Dr Jean Houston of the Foundation for Mind Research said children who do not have access to a music programme basically do not develop both sides of their brain equally – which impacts on their learning and thinking skills. Another researcher in the field, Roehmann, said that music helps children develop skills such as reading, writing, maths and science.

According to psychologist Frances Rauscher, music activities build new spatial reasoning, while improving a child’s perceptual and cognitive skills, as well as self-discipline, dexterity, co-ordination, self-esteem, thinking skills, creative ability and personal expression.

Music is a wonderful medium as it stimulates more than fundamental learning, it is a pleasurable way for children to express themselves. Music is basically creative energy captured in sound that allows children to cope with the environment. There are so many physical, emotional and external changes taking place in a toddler’s life. Music helps children to understand this environment and to express their feelings about their environment – especially when words are not available to do so.

Benefits of PARACHUTE and READING!

These are just two of the activities the children are involved with at TOPTOTS and there are lots of benefits to all of them.

Parachute

Balance is one of the many skills gained when we do our parachute activities. Muscle control and strength, confidence in their body. Awareness of the space around them - which in turn means they will be more successful in manoeuvring themselves around their environment.

Parachutes were initially used for children who battled to open up to sensory stimulation, and it helps our little ones open up for new experiences, just before they go to textures and explorative play. Of course the most important thing gained is FUN!!

Reading

Generally when we are teaching our children their spoken vocabulary, they gain it from our modelling to them; by talking to them and showing them different objects. The pictures and words that children receive at TOPTOTS teach them to increase their spoken vocabulary, and to begin to understand that those spoken words can also be represented in symbols  (called words). This is very basic to us, but children don’t automatically understand this.

So when we are looking at a picture of a cat, and we have the word beside it, we point out that this is a cat and this is the word for cat.

Sensory Integration Area

Our texture pit is a pre-reading activity. The child discovers something unusual through the senses. The brain has to unscramble this information, in the same way that the brain will later need to unscramble words that it receives from another sense organ (the eyes) when reading, so here we are practising unscrambling!

Recipes

Play dough

2 cups plain flour
4 tablespoons cream of tartar
2 tablespoons cooking oil
1 cup salt
Food colouring, Essence
2 ½ cups boiling water

Mix all dry ingredients in large bowl. Put oil, food colouring and essence into a jug, add 1 cup boiling water. Add to dry ingredients and mix well. Add the other cup of boiling water and stir well to make a soft, pliable dough. The dough needs to be kneaded well before use, while it is still warm.

Finger Paint

Mix 2 tablespoons of corn flour in water to make a paste. Add 1 cup of water to the mixture. Heat slowly until the mixture resembles custard. Separate into different pots and add food colouring or powder paint.

Glue :

Add 1/2 cup of flour to 3/4 cup of cold water to make a thin paste. Boil for several minutes over a slow heat until thick. Stir constantly. To preserve, add a few drops of oil of cloves or peppermint. Thin with cold water and store in an airtight container.