Share concept books about opposites, a very effective way to teach toddlers about them. As you read, talk about the different pairs of opposite words and point out the illustrations. Reread the books and let the toddlers supply the opposite word after you read a word.
"Opposites," by Sandra Boynton, will have your toddlers laughing at the silly pictures used to demonstrate opposites. They will probably read along with you after the first reading--especially when they get to "whisper" and "SHOUT." It's a great first book about opposites.
Leslie Patricelli has a series of board books about specific opposites. Teach your toddlers using "Quiet Loud," "Big Little" or "Baby Happy Baby Sad." Each book focuses on just one set of opposites and tells things that they describe, such as "Whispering is quiet. Screaming is loud." The colorful illustrations are especially appealing to toddlers.
"Black? White! Day? Night! - A Book of Opposites " by Laura Vaccaro Seeger is an opposites book that's full of surprises sure to delight toddlers. They will love lifting the flaps as one opposite turns into another. The tiny bug becomes the eye of a huge elephant, and the black bat turns into the mouth of a white ghost.
Try some of the following activities. For toddlers, start with activities for just one set pf opposites before doing ones that involve many pairs of opposites.
Sorting is a great way to teach opposites. Bring in pictures or objects to sort into groups of big and small or heavy and light. Repeat this activity with different pictures and different opposites to help strengthen your toddler's understanding.
Make a black and white collage. Supply the toddler with black and white materials to glue onto a gray or red piece of paper. You can use shapes cut out of construction paper, buttons, ribbon or fabric scraps, beads and glitter.
Play a game in which the students act out opposites. Call out a direction, such as "stand up." Then call out the opposites for them to do. To make it harder, call out a direction and have the kids do the opposite. Reach up when you say reach down or walk slow when you say walk fast.
Make cards with pictures of opposites on them and give one to each child. Have them walk around until they find their opposite or let them come to the front one at a time and show their card. The person with the opposite joins them.