5 Toddler Activities

5 Toddler Activities

Toddlers aren’t old enough to entertain themselves or get involved in pretend play (without a little help), which means it’s up to you to keep them entertained and happy. And with a short attention span you can sometimes wonder how you are ever going to find enough toddler activities to keep them entertained!

Remember that toddlers are constantly learning and that you don't have to provide anything too elaborate to help them learn. What is humdrum to us may be wonderful and new and exciting to them. Toddlers are easily pleased and will find wonder and amazement in even the smallest of things.

Here are 5 fun ideas:

Go for a nature walk
Walks can be educational and a lot of fun. Your toddler will love exploring and collecting different treasures to bring home. Point out big leaves to him or different colored plants or flowers. Collect opposites such as a small leaf and a big leaf or a small stick and a big stick.

Take your time and have fun. Don’t worry if you don’t live near a nature reserve or park. A simple walk around your neighborhood will be sufficient. Your toddler won’t mind and there will still be lots for him to see.

Say hello to the trees (give them a hug if you like!) Notice the colors of the flowers and the clouds in the sky. Look for bugs under rocks and study them with a safe magnifying glass if you have time. Count steps. Sing songs. Have fun!

Bake cookies
Only attempt cooking when you are feeling strong and prepared to deal with a mess. If you are, cooking is both fun and educational and even children as young as 2 can get involved. Depending on your toddler’s age let her help and don’t worry too much about how the final product will look or even taste, concentrate on the actual putting it together part. As you’re mixing the ingredients tell your toddler what you’re doing. Name out each ingredient and measure out loud. Choose something that won't take too long to cook, and make sure you enjoy the cookies together and save some for later!

Have fun with water
This is a brilliant activity, and it never fails to amuse while at the same time building hand eye coordination and dexterity. Fill a small tub with water and give your toddler several containers of different sizes. Let her pour water from one container to the other and you can even add some bubbles for extra fun.

In the summer, take your tub outside. In the winter, put down a towel or two and fill your tub with warm water. Vary the objects - you can even buy some very cheaply at yard sales or car boot sales just for water play. Try ordering a series of cups from biggest to smallest, or working out which objects float and which sink.

Start a Photo Album
Make a photo album and fill it with pictures of your toddler, your family and your friends. This is especially good if your toddler has relatives that live far away. Talk about who each person is and where they come from or where they live. My son had a photo album just of his uncles (he has 7) which he called his "Uncly Book". For a month or two it was one of his favorite possessions!

Paper Tearing or Cutting
Find a couple of old magazines or catalogues and let your toddler tear pages out. Let him tear randomly, or ask him to tear out particular shapes. Ask for a circle, perhaps, or show her a plastic plate and see if she can tear out a shape with matches it. Look for colors, if you like. If your toddler is a little older you can teach her how to use toddler scissors to cut out shapes.

If you are still in the mood, use your shapes to make a nice big picture. Toddlers are great with a glue stick! Don't forget to make it clear that not all magazines can be torn up.

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