Drop-In Friendly Toddler Time with Amethyst at the Farmers Market! - Little Animal Explorers

Toddler Time with Amethyst is a play‑based early childhood program at Kidzeum, designed specifically for toddlers ages 1–3 and their caregivers. This week, we're heading outside! Join us at the Old Capitol Farmers Market on Adams Street, right in front of Whimsy Tea, for a morning of hands-on fun in the Kids Corner. Each session supports the whole child through hands-on sensory exploration, fine motor development, early cognitive growth, and emotionally responsive adult-child interactions. This program is grounded in an understanding of toddler development, honoring children’s need for movement, repetition, autonomy, and sensory input as they learn. Toddler Time is free with museum admission. Sensory Station — Frozen Ocean Rescue Ocean animals are frozen in ice. Children use warm water, droppers, and tools to melt and free them. Fine Motor Station — Shells and Scoops Scooping and pouring with shells, cups, and containers. Art Station — Ocean Sensory Bottles Children create calming bottles with water, glitter, beads, and ocean elements. Playdough Station — Ocean Mats Fish, octopus, whale, and sea turtle mats for creating bubbles, waves, and textures. Open-Ended Exploration — Magnetic Tiles and Builders Children build ocean caves and underwater environments. Educator Reflection: Melting ice encourages persistence and wonder as the material slowly changes during play. Toddler Time is led by Amethyst Hamm, Kidzeum's STEAM Educator and an early childhood specialist who joined the team in September 2025. Amethyst brings six years of hands-on classroom experience — three years as a lead toddler teacher and three years as a float teacher — and a deep understanding of toddlers' rhythms, curiosity, and capacity to learn through play. They hold an Associate of Applied Science in Early Childhood Education from Lincoln Land Community College and a Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood Education from Illinois State University, along with an Illinois Professional Educator License (K–2) and a Special Education Letter of Approval (birth–2nd grade) . Amethyst also holds their Gateways Level 5 Infant–Toddler Credential and Gateways Level 5 Early Childhood Credential, the highest credential levels recognized for early childhood educators in Illinois — reflecting their advanced expertise in supporting young children's learning and development. Currently, Amethyst is pursuing a Master of Science in Early Childhood Education with an emphasis in Early Intervention, as well as an Infant Early Childhood Mental Health Certificate and a Developmental Therapist Credential. Their ongoing training reflects their commitment to supporting not only children's learning, but their emotional wellbeing and family relationships. In Toddler Time, you'll experience Amethyst's gift for creating spaces where children feel safe, seen, and eager to explore. Every song, sensory bin, and art material is chosen with intention and aligned with the Illinois Early Learning Guidelines — ensuring that play is not only fun, but meaningful.