Easy 'My Family' Lesson Plan for 2-Year-Olds | Photo, Song & Craft Activity

Engage your 2-year-old with this complete and easy-to-follow lesson plan all about family! Perfect for homeschool, toddler classrooms, or early childcare centers, this activity helps little ones learn to identify and name important family members. Through fun, hands-on activities like a photo identification game, a simple family song, and a creative collage craft, toddlers will build vocabulary, develop fine motor skills, and strengthen family bonds. This resource includes clear learning objectives, a simple materials list, and helpful differentiation tips for learners of all abilities.

Create Your Own Custom Lesson Plan
Previous Lesson
PDF

Lesson Plan: My Wonderful Family

Topic: Understanding and Identifying Family Members

Age Group: 2-Year-Olds

Ideal Context: Homeschool, Toddler Classroom, Early Childcare Center

Learning Objectives

By the end of this lesson, the learner will be able to:

  • Point to at least two different family members in a photo when they are named.
  • Attempt to say or sign the name of at least one family member.
  • Participate in a family-themed song through gestures or sounds.
  • Create a simple piece of art representing their family.

Materials Needed

  • 3-5 photographs of immediate family members (e.g., Mommy, Daddy, siblings, the child themselves, pets).
  • Large sheet of paper, poster board, or cardboard.
  • Non-toxic, chunky crayons or markers.
  • Child-safe glue stick.
  • Optional: Puppets or small dolls representing family members.
  • Optional: A speaker to play a family-themed song.
  • Optional: A simple board book about families (e.g., "The Family Book" by Todd Parr).

Lesson Plan

Part 1: Introduction (5 minutes)

1. Hook: The "Where Is?" Game

  • Talking Points: Sit with the child in a comfortable spot. Use an excited, playful tone.
  • "Let's play a game! Where is Mommy? Where is she?" (Look around in an exaggerated way). "PEEK-A-BOO! Here's Mommy!" (If Mommy is present, point to her and smile). Repeat for Daddy or another present family member.
  • "We are going to talk all about our family today! Yay, family!"

2. State Objectives (in 2-Year-Old Language)

  • Talking Points: "We are going to look at fun pictures of our family. We will learn everyone's name and sing a happy song. Then we will make a beautiful picture for everyone!"

Part 2: Body - Content & Practice (15-20 minutes)

1. I Do: Meet the Family Photos

  • Activity: Lay out the family photos. Pick one up and model the activity.
  • Talking Points: "Look! This is a picture of Mommy. I see Mommy's smile! Hello, Mommy!" (Wave at the picture). "And look here! This is Daddy! Daddy is waving! Hello, Daddy!"
  • Formative Assessment: Observe if the child is watching and engaged. Are they looking at the pictures with you?

2. We Do: Who Is This?

  • Activity: Encourage the child to participate. Hold up one photo at a time.
  • Talking Points: "Okay, your turn! Who is this?" (Hold up a picture of a very familiar person, like Mommy). Pause to let them respond. "Is it... Mommy? Yes! It's Mommy! Can you point to Mommy?"
  • Repeat with each photo. "Where is Daddy? Point to Daddy! Good job!" "Where is [Child's Name]? There you are!"
  • Success Criteria: The child points to the correct photo, even if they don't say the name. Any sound or gesture of recognition is a success.

3. We Do: Family Song & Actions

  • Activity: Sing a simple, repetitive song using names from the photos. Use the tune of "Where is Thumbkin?".
  • Talking Points & Lyrics:

    (Hold up Mommy's picture)
    "Where is Mommy? Where is Mommy?
    Here she is! Here she is!
    We love you, Mommy! We love you, Mommy!
    Yes, we do! Yes, we do!"

    Repeat the song for Daddy, siblings, and the child.

  • Engagement Strategy: Clap your hands while singing. Encourage the child to clap, pat their legs, or wave at the pictures.

4. You Do: Our Family Collage (with support)

  • Activity: Transition to the craft. Lay out the large paper, photos, glue, and crayons.
  • Instructions (Model First):
    1. Educator: "Let's make a beautiful picture of our family! First, we need glue. Sticky, sticky glue." (Rub the glue stick on the paper). "Now, I will put Mommy's picture down. Pat, pat, pat."
    2. Learner's Turn: "Your turn! Let's put Daddy on the paper. Can you help me with the glue?" (Guide their hand if needed). "Where should Daddy go?" Let them place the photo.
    3. Continue until all photos are glued on.
    4. Educator: "Now we can decorate! Let's use the crayons. Look! I am making a blue line. Whee!" (Draw a scribble). "You try! What color do you want?"
  • Formative Assessment: Observe the child's fine motor engagement. Are they able to pat the picture down? Are they trying to hold and scribble with the crayon? The goal is participation, not a perfect product.

Part 3: Conclusion (5 minutes)

1. Recap & Review

  • Activity: Hold up the finished collage. Point to each picture again.
  • Talking Points: "Wow! Look what you made! This is our beautiful family. Here is Mommy, here is Daddy, and here is YOU! We are all together."
  • "You learned all about our family today! You pointed to Mommy and Daddy and made a beautiful picture."

2. Reinforce & Celebrate

  • Activity: Give a big hug or high-five. Display the collage somewhere the child can see it easily, like on the refrigerator.
  • Talking Points: "Our family is so special. I love our family so much! Let's sing our family song one more time!" (Sing a verse of the song from earlier).

Assessment & Evaluation

  • Formative (During Lesson):
    • Observation: Does the child’s attention follow as you point to different pictures?
    • Participation Check: Does the child attempt to point, make a sound, or interact with the song/craft?
  • Summative (End of Lesson):
    • Can-Do Check: Hold up two different photos and ask, "Can you show me Mommy?" The ability to correctly point demonstrates achievement of the primary objective.
    • Artifact Review: The finished collage serves as a product of the lesson, showing engagement and participation.

Differentiation & Adaptability

  • For Younger Toddlers or Learners Needing More Support:
    • Focus entirely on receptive language. Ask them to point, but do not expect them to say names.
    • Use hand-over-hand guidance for gluing and coloring.
    • Use only two photos (e.g., Mommy and the child) to keep it simple.
    • Incorporate sign language for "Mommy," "Daddy," and "love."
  • For Older Toddlers or Learners Needing a Challenge:
    • Introduce more family members like "Grandma," "Grandpa," "Auntie," or pets.
    • Ask simple "what" or "where" questions about the photos ("What is Daddy wearing?").
    • Encourage them to say the names of family members clearly.
    • Let them apply the glue and place photos with more independence.

Ask a question about this lesson