Toddler activities help children use their senses to learn more about the world. This learning process is essential in order for children to prepare themselves for their future. Banging around pots and pans can teach children the differences in sound while reading a book or playing with other children can improve verbal skills. Wooden blocks are great for coordination and shape sorters can make eye muscles stronger. Planning regular activities with your toddler is a great way to develop the essentials they need to mature, and they can have fun and learn at the same time.
5 Fun Toddler Activities
From the day a child is born, she learns how to bond with her parents through feedings and talking. The child then learns how to bond through toddler activities or even bed time, as their skills develop and they are able to do more.
This bonding between parents starts at birth and continues throughout their entire childhood to ensure they are learning and feeling loved. Bonding with a child doesn't mean one has to spend every second with them or be right on top of them, yet sharing experiences together can be beneficial.
There are all types of fun activities that parents can do with their child, in order to learn more about them and bond at the same time. Reading a story together before bedtime is great, or even watching a favorite movie together and singing all of the songs. Painting pictures for upcoming holiday's can be fun, and actually teach a child coordination and creativity while having fun.
1. THE BEACH: Taking a trip to the beach is a very fun activity to do with a child, since they can play in the water, the sand, and even at a playground. The beach is packed full of new things many children have never seen, so a day trip can actually turn into an amazing learning experience. You can even bring books about fish and other sea creatures, so the child can learn about all of the amazing life that lives in the ocean.
2. BAKING: Baking is another great activity to do with a toddler, because it is fun and can teach about measuring and mixing. The toddler can help with getting the ingredients out, measuring them, and mixing them together, and the parents can take care of the baking part of the activity. Once the cookies are finished, let the toddler go crazy with decorations for a fun ending to an eventful day.
3. ART WITH FOOD: Food is fun for toddlers to play with, and you could organize an activity to make crafts out of food. You can supply glue, cheerios, dry pasta, and cardboard to make homemade picture frames, and even include paints or markers. This activity is fun for all ages, and can be special for an upcoming birthday present that is packed full of love.
4. BE A GROWN UP: Because most toddlers love to mimic their parents, planning a day for the toddlers to become grownups is a great way to teach life-long lessons. You can use pretend kitchen accessories and toys, and let the toddler prepare a pretend meal for the entire family. You can even let them write out pretend checks to pay bills, fold their doll clothes, and even clean up the mess! It's a fun activity for everyone, but can also teach children about responsibility at the same time.
5. ART DAY: Children and toddlers are usually amazed by even the smallest things, such as lady bugs or other small insects that seem mysterious. You can plan an art day with your toddler and have them make their own ladybugs to keep. You can find round rocks and paint them red, and let the children draw little legs and black spots with permanent markers. You can create any type of bug your child likes.
The possibilities really are endless when it comes to entertaining a toddler, because they love acting, trying new things, and exploring anything they have never seen before. By planning something different for each day, your toddler will be able to learn, mature, and have a wonderful time bonding with mom and dad.
This bonding between parents starts at birth and continues throughout their entire childhood to ensure they are learning and feeling loved. Bonding with a child doesn't mean one has to spend every second with them or be right on top of them, yet sharing experiences together can be beneficial.
There are all types of fun activities that parents can do with their child, in order to learn more about them and bond at the same time. Reading a story together before bedtime is great, or even watching a favorite movie together and singing all of the songs. Painting pictures for upcoming holiday's can be fun, and actually teach a child coordination and creativity while having fun.
1. THE BEACH: Taking a trip to the beach is a very fun activity to do with a child, since they can play in the water, the sand, and even at a playground. The beach is packed full of new things many children have never seen, so a day trip can actually turn into an amazing learning experience. You can even bring books about fish and other sea creatures, so the child can learn about all of the amazing life that lives in the ocean.
2. BAKING: Baking is another great activity to do with a toddler, because it is fun and can teach about measuring and mixing. The toddler can help with getting the ingredients out, measuring them, and mixing them together, and the parents can take care of the baking part of the activity. Once the cookies are finished, let the toddler go crazy with decorations for a fun ending to an eventful day.
3. ART WITH FOOD: Food is fun for toddlers to play with, and you could organize an activity to make crafts out of food. You can supply glue, cheerios, dry pasta, and cardboard to make homemade picture frames, and even include paints or markers. This activity is fun for all ages, and can be special for an upcoming birthday present that is packed full of love.
4. BE A GROWN UP: Because most toddlers love to mimic their parents, planning a day for the toddlers to become grownups is a great way to teach life-long lessons. You can use pretend kitchen accessories and toys, and let the toddler prepare a pretend meal for the entire family. You can even let them write out pretend checks to pay bills, fold their doll clothes, and even clean up the mess! It's a fun activity for everyone, but can also teach children about responsibility at the same time.
5. ART DAY: Children and toddlers are usually amazed by even the smallest things, such as lady bugs or other small insects that seem mysterious. You can plan an art day with your toddler and have them make their own ladybugs to keep. You can find round rocks and paint them red, and let the children draw little legs and black spots with permanent markers. You can create any type of bug your child likes.
The possibilities really are endless when it comes to entertaining a toddler, because they love acting, trying new things, and exploring anything they have never seen before. By planning something different for each day, your toddler will be able to learn, mature, and have a wonderful time bonding with mom and dad.
Books on Toddler Activities
The Toddlers Busy Book
Amazon Price: $9.95 (as of 10/12/2008)
Wonderplay
Amazon Price: $10.36 (as of 10/12/2008)
Preschooler's Busy Book: 365 Creative Games & Activities To Occupy 3-6 Year Olds
Amazon Price: $9.95 (as of 10/12/2008)
7 Fun Toddler Activities for Rainy, Cold Days
When it's rainy outside, keeping a toddler happy and entertained can take a little extra planning. When the weather is good, we can always go to the park, for a walk or explore bugs in the backyard. Bring on those rainy days, though, and we find ourselves working a little harder to come up with good toddler activities.
What follows are some of the tried and true activities I've found are sure to produce giggles, a good time, and even a learning experience or two.
1. Art Day: We've set up art supplies in our basement -- crayons, paint, pain brushes, stickers, chalk, chalkboard, stamps, stamp pads, pom poms, string, googly eyes, popsicle sticks, and so on. Stores often carry children's craft supplies, or you can pick them up individually.
We create whatever we want. I helped to make a sled out of red and green popsicle sticks and a dragonfly out of foam sheets. My toddler loved placing googly eyes on the dragonfly wings. Another time we made rattles out of egg cartons, dried corn and glitter paint.
2. Drum Day: Start collecting yogurt containers and other items that are safe and that make noise when hit with a wooden spoon. Everyone can sit in a circle and play. If you have baby rattles or other "instruments," you can add those to the mix. If you prefer, you can use pots and pans. Toddler love making different sounds. I sometimes take out our large stock pot and let it be used as a drum. It makes a lot of noise!
3. Do Music Together: Put on the kids They Might Be Giants or a Music Together CD and sing and dance. We love the songs "Mary Had a Red Dress," "Hello Everybody," and "Let's Play Sticks Today." The Music Together site has information on classes: http://www.musictogether.com/.
5. Fun on the Bed: We wrap ourselves up in a quilt or towel like a burrito and giggle. Then, we
jump on the bed. I hold O's hands and swing her off the bed. This is at least 45-60 minutes of enjoyment. Once we get tired of that, we'll go into the "cave" and whisper. The "cave" is "made" by the two of us climbing under the covers and giggling in the dark.
6. Cardboard Home: We took Crate and Barrel boxes and made a house. The toddler loved decorating the "walls" with crayons. I made a swinging door
with masking tape hinges and even cut out magazine photos to hang on the walls. She loves it, and this inexpensive toy has been a hit for the past 10 months.
7. Cooking: Make a range by drawing four black circles on a piece of cardboard. Place the cardboard piece on a chair, and you have a kitchen. Let the kids use play (or real) pots and pans to make you pretend soup. You can give them wooden spatulas and spoons and let them flip pretend pancakes.
You might even find that you come up with your own ideas on the fly, and that's perfectly fine. Some of my best ideas are made up based on what's available and the whims of the moment.
What follows are some of the tried and true activities I've found are sure to produce giggles, a good time, and even a learning experience or two.
1. Art Day: We've set up art supplies in our basement -- crayons, paint, pain brushes, stickers, chalk, chalkboard, stamps, stamp pads, pom poms, string, googly eyes, popsicle sticks, and so on. Stores often carry children's craft supplies, or you can pick them up individually.
We create whatever we want. I helped to make a sled out of red and green popsicle sticks and a dragonfly out of foam sheets. My toddler loved placing googly eyes on the dragonfly wings. Another time we made rattles out of egg cartons, dried corn and glitter paint.
2. Drum Day: Start collecting yogurt containers and other items that are safe and that make noise when hit with a wooden spoon. Everyone can sit in a circle and play. If you have baby rattles or other "instruments," you can add those to the mix. If you prefer, you can use pots and pans. Toddler love making different sounds. I sometimes take out our large stock pot and let it be used as a drum. It makes a lot of noise!
3. Do Music Together: Put on the kids They Might Be Giants or a Music Together CD and sing and dance. We love the songs "Mary Had a Red Dress," "Hello Everybody," and "Let's Play Sticks Today." The Music Together site has information on classes: http://www.musictogether.com/.
5. Fun on the Bed: We wrap ourselves up in a quilt or towel like a burrito and giggle. Then, we
jump on the bed. I hold O's hands and swing her off the bed. This is at least 45-60 minutes of enjoyment. Once we get tired of that, we'll go into the "cave" and whisper. The "cave" is "made" by the two of us climbing under the covers and giggling in the dark.
6. Cardboard Home: We took Crate and Barrel boxes and made a house. The toddler loved decorating the "walls" with crayons. I made a swinging door
with masking tape hinges and even cut out magazine photos to hang on the walls. She loves it, and this inexpensive toy has been a hit for the past 10 months.
7. Cooking: Make a range by drawing four black circles on a piece of cardboard. Place the cardboard piece on a chair, and you have a kitchen. Let the kids use play (or real) pots and pans to make you pretend soup. You can give them wooden spatulas and spoons and let them flip pretend pancakes.
You might even find that you come up with your own ideas on the fly, and that's perfectly fine. Some of my best ideas are made up based on what's available and the whims of the moment.
Toddler Activities - Links
- Totville: Toddler Activities
- This site offers music that toddlers and parents will like, books related to babies and toddlers, and parenting and toddler care articles.
- PBS Kids
- PBS Kids offers a bunch of educational games that let your toddler learn to use a computer while practicing the alphabet.
- Music Together
- Music Together offers musical classes for small children. The classes last about an hour. Visit their website to see a video demo of a class! PS: Some kids' music is annoying, yet the Music Together music is lots of fun to sing.
