Learning activities for toddlers

[koala]

Share your favourite learning activities for toddlers!

What are some simple, fun, educational activities you've introduced to your little ones lately?

I'll go first! I've been working on colours and shapes with my toddler recently. We've been playing a lot with coloured blocks, sorting and stacking them, and naming the different shapes and colours. It's amazing how engaged she gets, and it's so cute to hear her try to say the names of the colours too!

What learning activities does your tot enjoy?

 

[greenfingers]

Share your favourite learning activities for toddlers!

What are some simple, fun, educational activities you've introduced to your little ones lately?

I'll go first! I've been working on colours and shapes with my toddler recently. We've been playing a lot with coloured blocks, sorting and stacking them, and naming the different shapes and colours. It's amazing how engaged she gets, and it's so cute to hear her try to say the names of the colours too!

What learning activities does your tot enjoy?

We've been having fun with our sensory bins recently! It's a mess-free activity that my toddler enjoys very much. I like to switch up the themes, sometimes using rice, noodles, or coffee grounds as the base, and then adding different themed toys and objects for him to discover. He's currently obsessed with his small dinosaurs, so a prehistoric-themed bin keeps him entertained, excavating the dino figs from the "sand."

I hide some colorful Pom-Poms too, which he calls "magic balls," so that adds to the excitement and keeps him engaged longer. It's fun watching him scoop and rake through the bin, improving his motor skills!

 

[stargazer]

Share your favourite learning activities for toddlers!

What are some simple, fun, educational activities you've introduced to your little ones lately?

I'll go first! I've been working on colours and shapes with my toddler recently. We've been playing a lot with coloured blocks, sorting and stacking them, and naming the different shapes and colours. It's amazing how engaged she gets, and it's so cute to hear her try to say the names of the colours too!

What learning activities does your tot enjoy?

We've been having fun with scavenger hunts lately! It's a simple activity but totes engaging for my little one. I started with hiding her favourite toys around the house and giving her clues to find them, which helps with her problem-solving skills and patience (well, mostly patience!). And now she's caught on fast, so she'll give me clues to hide things for her classmates when we have playdates! The kids love it and it keeps them occupied while teaching them turn-taking.

Another hit is this reusable sticker scene book we have. The tot can create different stories and scenarios with the stickers which come off easily and are fun to peel and place elsewhere. It fosters creativity and those fine motor skills too. I like that it's also easy to bring out when we're eating at restaurants or on the go - sticker books are our go-to for keeping a wiggly kiddo occupied!

 

[sportytina]

We've been having fun with our sensory bins recently! It's a mess-free activity that my toddler enjoys very much. I like to switch up the themes, sometimes using rice, noodles, or coffee grounds as the base, and then adding different themed toys and objects for him to discover. He's currently obsessed with his small dinosaurs, so a prehistoric-themed bin keeps him entertained, excavating the dino figs from the "sand."

I hide some colorful Pom-Poms too, which he calls "magic balls," so that adds to the excitement and keeps him engaged longer. It's fun watching him scoop and rake through the bin, improving his motor skills!

Sensory bins are a fantastic idea, a creative and messy way to keep tot engaged. I like how you switch up the themes, keeping it exciting and unexpected! My little one loves anything that involves digging and raking too haha. Messy play is the best!

 

[koala]

We've been having fun with scavenger hunts lately! It's a simple activity but totes engaging for my little one. I started with hiding her favourite toys around the house and giving her clues to find them, which helps with her problem-solving skills and patience (well, mostly patience!). And now she's caught on fast, so she'll give me clues to hide things for her classmates when we have playdates! The kids love it and it keeps them occupied while teaching them turn-taking.

Another hit is this reusable sticker scene book we have. The tot can create different stories and scenarios with the stickers which come off easily and are fun to peel and place elsewhere. It fosters creativity and those fine motor skills too. I like that it's also easy to bring out when we're eating at restaurants or on the go - sticker books are our go-to for keeping a wiggly kiddo occupied!

That scavenger hunt idea is such a clever way to keep kids entertained and engaged!

My little one enjoyed doing art lately. We've been working on some simple painting and drawing, using different materials like chalk pastels and watercolours. I let him explore and experiment with different tools and colours, and he seems to really enjoy the process - crinkled up brows as he concentrates, haha! We also sneaked in some learning here, discussing primary and secondary colours as we mixed paints together.

What other activities do you think your tot would enjoy, beyond the usual toys and games?

 

[sunnydays]

Some more mess-friendly art ideas that come to mind are finger painting and collage making!

My little one loved playing with kinetic sand a few months ago - it's a nice sensory experience and great for developing those fine motor skills too, especially when you hide toys or objects inside for them to dig out. You could also try making some simple homemade play dough.

On the days I want a quieter activity, I pull out a big roll of butchers paper and set up a sticker art station. Toddler's seem to love peeling and sticking stickers onto the paper. Or you can get reusable sticker books that have themes like animals or underwater creatures and encourage them to talk about each picture as they place it on the paper.

Another activity which is more physical is setting up an obstacle course with household items - great for their motor skills and a fun way to use up some energy!

 

[greenfingers]

Those are some fun, mess-friendly art activities!

My go-to mess-friendly set up is a large plastic tarp on the floor (or outside if it's warm enough), with a big bucket of bubbles! Toddler 'help' with the setup is always half the fun and they get a kick out of the transformation of space.

I like the sticker station idea for some quiet time, especially with reusable sticker books - great for narrative development too.

Obstacle courses are a fantastic idea for energetic toddlers. My little one loves jumping over things and crawling through spaces, so I'll definitely set that up soon!

 

[chickadee]

Messy play is the best! Bubble bath time is a great idea and an easy mess-free setup too - contained, sensory fun.

We love reusable sticker books too - great for car trips as well as quiet time at home. Have you seen those sticker scene books? They're excellent for narrative development and encouraging imagination.

Obstacle courses are high energy and so much fun! I find my toddler enjoys the process of setting them up almost as much as doing them - moving cushions, climbing over things, etc. It's an active way to while away an afternoon.

 

[sportytina]

Messy play is so much fun and a great way to learn too! I love the idea of bubble bath time, it's such an easy and mess-free activity - might have to give that one a go!

We've got some reusable sticker books but I haven't thought about them in scenes like that. That's a brilliant idea and a good way to keep them engaged and entertained for longer.

Obstacle courses are a fab idea for burning off energy, especially if the weather is keeping you indoors. I like the thought of the process being just as fun as the actual activity - it's so true! An afternoon of moving furniture around and climbing over things sounds like great fun

 

[travelmum]

Messy play is so much fun and a great way to learn too! I love the idea of bubble bath time, it's such an easy and mess-free activity - might have to give that one a go!

We've got some reusable sticker books but I haven't thought about them in scenes like that. That's a brilliant idea and a good way to keep them engaged and entertained for longer.

Obstacle courses are a fab idea for burning off energy, especially if the weather is keeping you indoors. I like the thought of the process being just as fun as the actual activity - it's so true! An afternoon of moving furniture around and climbing over things sounds like great fun

It is lots of fun rearranging household items into an obstacle course and seeing the kids enjoy themselves! The sticker scene books sound intriguing, especially if they're designed with various themes. They'd probably keep the toddlers engaged longer than regular sticker books too. Have a good week!

 

[techsavvy]

Obstacle courses are a fun idea and a creative way to keep things novel for kids - love it! Agreed, the themed sticker scene books should add some extra excitement too! Hope you have a fab week also

 

[musical]

We love obstacle courses too! It's a great way to keep them physically engaged and it's fun for all ages too - definitely a good, inclusive activity. Themed sticker books are so simple but effective as well - a fab, portable quiet time activity! Have a great week
Hope you're having a lovely week too!

 

[doctormama]

Obstacle courses and themed sticker books are amazing! Sticker books are a fantastic quiet time activity - and a great way to develop fine motor skills too. Have a wonderful week!

 

[bookworm]

Those are some fun ideas! Obstacle courses are such a cool way to keep active and sticker books are an excellent suggestion for some focused quiet time fun - plus, you're right, they're great for developing those fine motor skills too.

What other kinds of activities have worked well for your little ones? Would love to hear more suggestions!

 

[eternity]

Some of my toddler's favorites are sensory bins and simple science experiments! For example, I'll fill a bin with rice or pasta and hide small toys for her to discover. Or I might set up a simple "experiment" where she transfers colored water back and forth between containers using pipettes or eye droppers. These activities are engaging and also allow for some good sensory play and fine motor skill practice.

 

[sunnybunny]

That's so cool! My toddler loves water play. I set up a simple activity using an old muffin tin, some cups, and a jug of water. He loved transferring the water from one cup to another and watching it splish and splash into the different compartments. Eye droppers are also a huge hit in our house! And yes to sensory bins! I've been wanting to try one with rice but haven't got around to it yet - does she play with it as you would sand, or is it more of a sensory/feeling activity? Always looking for new ideas too so will definitely be stealing yours!