Creative songs or rhymes with wording that suggests the upcoming transition helps children change their focus. Try a song like this one sung to the tune of "Row, Row, Row Your Boat" before circle time: "Hush, ssh, quiet please, Let's all gather near, Find a friend and sit right down, Circle time is here." Release pent-up energy with active songs or rhymes, such as "Open, shut them, Open, shut them, Give a little clap! Open, shut them, open shut them, lay them in your lap." Have the children sing "Head and shoulders, knees and toes, knees and toes" four times as they put their hands where the song suggests. If they're really fidgety, sing the song multiple times, increasing the pace each time.
Consistently use the same warning cue for a particular transition. To signal that free time is about to end, turn off the lights 10 minutes before the transition, and repeat at five minutes. Other transitions might begin with the ringing of a bell or the playing of a particular song. Adults don't like interruptions, and neither do 2-year-olds. Remember that play is a child's work and give advance warning.
Moving 2-year-olds from the classroom to another location is a challenge. Try spraying "Invisible Mist," scented water in a spray bottle, to make the children "invisible" as they leave the room. "Invisible" children don't want to give away their location by making noise, so they should remain quiet and walk lightly. Repeating a "quiet rhyme" while lining up also helps with location transitions. Children should put a finger on their lips and the other hand on their hips as they say, "Hips and lips is what we do, when we walk in the hall. Hips and lips is what we do, we don't talk at all."
Keep children who finish an activity before their classmates busy. Put a large piece of paper on the wall and attach two or three crayons in different colors with strings. The children will be able to draw without having to clean up. Provide picture books children can look at when they finish an activity. Two-year-olds can also put together simple puzzles while waiting for everyone else to complete their activities. Allow early finishers to pick one of several regular classroom duties, such as choosing the storybook to be read or helping with snack time.