Since we are all often looking for activities to do with our toddlers, we compiled this list. This is an ongoing project. If you have an activity that your toddler enjoys, respond to this post and we will include it in the appropriate section. We have categorized the activities into the following sections:
Rain,Rain Go Away
|
Activity |
Recommended
Age |
| Tent time. Take the
cushions off the couch, grab some blankets and make your living room
into tent city. Grab their blankets stuffed animals and flashlights. |
2 |
| Water play. Put little
watering cans, cups, straws, turkey baster etc., and have them play.
We would also blow bubbles in there. |
18 months |
| 30 minutes of Sesame,
Thomas , Dora or their favorite cartoon |
18 months |
link title| Hide and seek |
2 |
| Take the winter gloves
and remove "half" of them, so you have one of each style.
Then they have to match them up. Pink with Pink etc. |
2 |
| Build with Legos |
18 months |
Little Chefs
|
Activity |
Recommended
Age |
| Clear out one cupboard
and fill it with tupperware, wooden and scraper spoons, pots, lids etc.
Let them play! |
1 year |
| Fridge magnets. Get
a variety of different ones .Letters and numbers are good too.
|
1 year |
| Spread out a sheet
on the floor and put a big bag of rice in a bin (large bowl, bucket,
etc.). Give them shovels, cups, etc. to play in the rice, just like
they would play in the sand. If you plan on doing this activity over
and over, get a large rubber maid tub with a lid on it so that you can
just dump the spilled rice right back into it, put a lid on it, and
store it for next time |
18 months |
Make Soup:
Gather all kinds of snack type foods--crackers, cereals, (non refridg.
items) and let them make soup and stir it with whatever they want to
add. Then have it for a snack! |
18 months |
The Great Outdoors
|
Activity |
Recommended
Age |
| Sand and Water Table |
18 months |
| Swing Set |
18 months |
| Ball in the driveway
or riding cars/tricycles |
18 months |
| Visiting neighborhood
dogs on a walk |
2 years |
| Park |
1 year |
| We have been doing
a lot of water painting on the cement. Get a bucket of water and a ton
of different paintbrushes. |
18 months |
| I-Spy |
2 |
On the Go
|
Activity |
Recommended
Age |
| Storytime at the
local library |
1 year |
| Kindermusik class |
9 months up |
| Children's museum |
1 year |
| Playgroup with friends |
1 year |
| Magnets: Keep busy
in the car with a cookie sheet and refrigerator magnets, letter and
number magnets |
1 year |
The Three R's
|
Activity |
Recommended
Age |
| Play with Leap Frog
Letters |
1 year |
| Alphabet Puzzle:
Print capital and lower case letters on index cards and have your child
match them up |
2 |
| Learn Matching and
colors by matching pairs of socks |
2 |
All the World's a Stage
|
Activity |
Recommended
Age |
| Musical instruments.
Play music and dance, drum, play maracas etc. |
1 up |
| Dancing to music
- they love their Kindermusik CDs and we play instruments to the music |
1 up |
| Freeze dance- when
I turn the music off they stop dancing. Lots of fun and great way to
burn energy! |
2 |
| Take the basket of
winter hats, scarves, gloves, and ear muffs for them to play dress up.
Simple and mess free! |
2 |
Crafter's Corner
|
Activity |
Recommended
Age |
| Finger painting (just
give them a few dabs on a paper plate and be sure to cover them up with
an old shirt!) |
2 |
| Coloring with crayons
on colored paper/white paper. Tip: use washable crayons. |
18 months |
| Gluing pieces of
paper onto construction paper |
2 |
| Paint with water
(they look like coloring books, but you use paintbrushes and water).
We got them at a local toy store. |
2 |
| Play doh. You can
use cookie cutters to make different shapes. |
2 |
| Make shapes out of
salt dough. It's good for at least 2 days of fun. The first day, we
roll and cut out the dough with cookie cutters and bake it. The 2nd
day we paint. If I'm feeling extra brave, the 3rd day we add glitter
and other embellishments. Grandparents love to get these little gifts
in the mail.
Dough:
½ cup salt
1 cup flour
½ cup water
Bake at 250 degrees for 2 hours or till dry |
2 |
| Stickers- Try to
get ones that say re-stickable, they are easier to peel off. |
2 |
| Thread dry noodles
onto string to make a necklace. You can paint them beforehand |
2 |
| Paint each other
with washable paints and then splash in the tub |
18 months |
| Making Greeting Cards
-Using whatever you have available and depending on whatever is coming
up (relatives' and friends' birthdays, holidays, etc.) make "cards"
using their artwork. Much more personal than a storebought card. |
2 |
Celebrations
|
Activity |
Recommended
Age |
| Birthday Time Capsule:
Have your twins draw a picture or write their name and put it into an
envelope to open up on their next birthday
|
2 |
| Cut out heart shapes
in different sizes and make Valentine Heart people or butterflies from
the shapes
|
2 |
Cool Websites
Child Fun - gazillions of ideas and coloring pages
Nick Jr- Print coloring pages from your child's favorite cartoon
Sprout- Has craft ideas and other cool stuff from PBS Sprout
Preschool Rainbow
ToddlerToddler
10 Toddler Activities
Fun in the Kitchen
More ideas
Serious Moms Toddler Time
Safe exploring for toddlers - includes indoor and outdoor activities!
Things to do in a Car
1. travel trays. (color)
2. spill proof bubbles
3. mirrors
4. water and oil bottles with glitter etc inside
5. shape sorter
6. puzzles
7. lacing cards
8. play peek a boo with a scarf
9. puppets
10. noise makers- can make with film canisters, ask me how.
11. I spy
12. board books
13. baby doll and accessories – brush, bottle, toothbrush
14. window clings
15. feathers
16. mom/dad record yourself reading a book, then give the book and play the tape
17. books on tape from library
18. stamps/ink pad
19. picture album – put pictures in Ziploc bags
20. sensory bags – take Ziploc bag and put jello or shaving cream or whatever inside
21. make a collage – paper, glue stick
22. using small stuffed animals and a shoe box, make doors in the shoe box for the animals to go in/out
23. music, music, music
24. make trip bags. Give child a new lunch bag every so many hours or miles, inside is a small toy and a snack
25. Variation on trip bag. Give a bag with colored papers inside. Every so many miles, child gives you a slip of paper when all the papers are gone then you have arrived at the destination. That way they have a concrete way of knowing “how much longer???”
26. white board w/ markers
27. chalk board or black paper with chalk
28. mini race track in a shoe box
29. pipe cleaners
30. felt board
31. play guessing game with animal sounds
32. stickers
33. name the clouds – what does that cloud look like?
34. rainbow game – call out a color and they have to find something that color
35. classical music
36. balls
37. bells
--FirstTimeMom814 11:26, 14 January 2008 (EST)
Toddler Activities
