Most children love the idea of cooking, even if they're using plastic pots and modeling clay for food. Try to set up a kitchen experience for children using modeling clay and cookie cutters for a baking lesson. Let the children learn about measuring ingredients and mixing them. Whether it is fake or real food, this can prepare a child for cooking later in life.
Children are attracted to bright colors and using their hands. Give children the chance to be imaginative and create their own works of art by setting up miniature easels and giving each child some watercolors and a paintbrush. Watch them focus on their artwork and see what colors or shapes they use. Ask each child to label his artwork with what the image is, even if a few splashes of yellow paint are the Sun.
Set up a pretend grocery or specialty store using fake money or leftover coins with a toy cash register. Assign some children to work in the store and others to do the shopping. Assist them in writing their own shopping lists and consider providing them with shelves of items to buy and even a grocery cart. This activity not only opens the door for a child to use his imagination, but also can teach older toddlers about the value of money.
Toddlers have excellent imaginations, but playing with others helps them get in touch with their imagination even further. Since most toddlers are new to playing with a group of children of the same age, consider using an activity that requires the entire class to get involved. Using the game of musical chairs as inspiration, take three or four different colors of paper and tape them to some chairs. Play some music and tell the children to stop on a particular color when the music stops. Ask the class which children are standing on a particular color. This will not only teach children to recognize classmates, but to recognize colors and understand the rules of a game.