Gather some typical household objects such as a spoon or a key; anything with a recognizable shape. Place each object on a separate piece of paper and trace around it, and cover each sheet with clear contact paper. Place all the objects used inside a bag or box, and spread the pages with the outlines on a table. Ask the children to remove an object, one at a time, and match it to its outline.
After inviting the children to gather around, the teacher can place a puppet on her hand, talking to the children through the puppet, such as asking them questions about themselves. For an interesting physical twist on this activity, have the children pretend to be puppets, while the teacher pretends to be the puppeteer who commands their movements. The teacher can give the "puppets" commands, such as, "Jump up and down" or "Touch your toes."
Children love to play dress-up, so a fun easy activity that teachers is to let them rummage through a box of old clothing, including hats, gloves and other items, and have them try on different clothes. Address the child as an adult, as in, "Pleased to meet you, Mr. So-and-so." Ask the children to describe the texture and feel of the clothing they're wearing in order to encourage sensory and language development.
An excellent source of information for teachers is "The Encyclopedia of Infant and Toddler Activities: Written by Teachers for Teachers." The result of a countrywide competition, this book contains more than 300 activities specifically for toddlers, designed by preschool teachers and caregivers. The activities are organized according to time of day, covering such areas as arrival and departure, clean-up time and transitions between activities, and there are many unique activities that may even spark some new ideas.