Toddler Fun and Learning

[travelmum]

Hi everyone - hope you're all doing well!

There's so much fun to be had with toddlers and so many opportunities for learning too - it's such an enjoyable stage!

What are some of your go-to activities and games? I'd love to hear about ones that keep the little ones entertained AND help with their development.

Some of my favorites:

- Homemade sensory bins (the toddler can explore textures, colors and even numbers or letters if you throw in some toys!)
- 'Paint' with different colored shampoo or lotion squirted onto a shower wall - it's mess free!
- Indoor camping - great for role play and sensory play too if you add some nature elements like pinecones and fake leaves, and tell stories about being outdoors.

I'm keen to hear more ideas, especially ones that are easily doable at home and don't require lots of prep work!

 

[joyful]

Some great ideas already there! Love the shampoo paint - haven't thought of that one but will definitely give it a go.

A couple of our favourites:

- Stick some contact paper (the kind with the sticky side outside the roll) on the wall, and let them stick all kinds of safe, small objects onto it. Our little one loves peeling and sticking and it's so simple! You can talk about what sticks and doesn't, and even make a game out of it.

- 'Treasure' hunt - hide some small toys or objects (we use Lego) around the room and give clues for the tot to find them - encourages listening and following directions, and lots of fun! Could adapt this as they grow older too by making the clues more intricate.

- Cotton ball blow games! Put some cotton balls on one plate and have them blow them over to another plate - great for practicing breathing, and hand-eye coordination too. We also like to make little obstacles courses with cups and things for added fun.

- 'Restaurant' role play - set up a 'restaurant' with a mini table and chairs, and have them serve you food and drink. You can talk about colours, shapes and numbers while they 'cook' and serve you. We also like to take turns pretending different foods are 'magical' and make animal noises - e.g. eating some 'magic elephant pasta' makes you trump like an elephant!

Looking forward to hearing more ideas too - especially as the weather gets colder and we're indoors more!

 

[sunflower]

What fantastic ideas! Love the contact paper idea - what a great, easy way to keep them entertained and learn about textures and sticking/peeling too.

The treasure hunt is a great one for keeping older toddlers busy too - will remember that one for sure as an adaptable activity as they grow.

The restaurant role play is such a good one for imagination and also just keeping them engaged and entertained whilst you're preparing meals etc nearby - win win!

It's so nice to keep the learning fun and there are some great, simple ideas here which anyone can do with everyday objects - thank you!

 

[eternity]

I'm glad you found some toddler activity inspiration here The treasure hunt is one of my personal favorites because it's so versatile and adaptable depending on a child's age and interests. And you're right - the restaurant role play is a great way to keep little ones entertained (and hopefully engaged long enough for us to prepare a meal! Haha).

I love hearing about others' fun ideas too, so please do share any toddler activities that have gone down well in your house!

 

[bananarama]

Some great activities that my tot enjoys are sticker books (we like the reusable ones), 'painting' with water on the driveway, and matching games - e.g., finding the same colored items/objects and putting them into a bowl.

The treasure hunt is awesome! We've also started hiding things around the house for a 'home scavenger hunt.' I'll give him clues if he wants them or set up a trail of clues leading to a small prize - anything from a new packet of stickers to a favorite toy hidden at the park on the way to grandma's house.

I'm keen to try the restaurant role play now that you've reminded me! Time to dust off the old toy cash register!

 

[bubblyfish]

Love all of these ideas! My little one also loves sticker books - especially the reusable ones. I find that it really helps her with her fine motor skills and spatial awareness when solving puzzles too.

The home scavenger hunt sounds like fun! A great way to keep them active and engaged, especially if they're stuck indoors. And role play is so much fun for this age group - my kiddo loves 'shopping' too! Role play really helps with their language development, I've found, as they learn new vocabulary and express themselves more.

Thanks for sharing!

 

[chickadee]

You're right, role play really is a great way to boost language development - it's so much fun watching them absorb and mimic everyday activities! I agree that sticker books are excellent for fine motor skills; it's amazing how sticker play helps with concentration too.

Home scavenger hunts are a godsend for keeping little ones entertained indoors - and they tire them out so well too!

 

[bananarama]

You're right, role play really is a great way to boost language development - it's so much fun watching them absorb and mimic everyday activities! I agree that sticker books are excellent for fine motor skills; it's amazing how sticker play helps with concentration too.

Home scavenger hunts are a godsend for keeping little ones entertained indoors - and they tire them out so well too!

It's amazing how much toddlers can learn through play. Their curious minds absorb everything, don't they? All the activities we've mentioned here are simple yet effective ways to keep that fire of curiosity burning.

For outdoor scavenger hunts, I like to take photos of things for my kiddo to find - it keeps her focused and makes the search more engaging. She loves taking pics with her own camera too (a cheap, child-friendly one), so sometimes we swap roles and I become the photographer while she directs me.

What other fun things do you all do at home with your little ones?

 

[lioness]

You're right, role play really is a great way to boost language development - it's so much fun watching them absorb and mimic everyday activities! I agree that sticker books are excellent for fine motor skills; it's amazing how sticker play helps with concentration too.

Home scavenger hunts are a godsend for keeping little ones entertained indoors - and they tire them out so well too!

That's true! Toddlers certainly have so much energy, and activities like home scavenger hunts are fun ways to channel their energy productively.

 

[greenfingers]

It's amazing how much toddlers can learn through play. Their curious minds absorb everything, don't they? All the activities we've mentioned here are simple yet effective ways to keep that fire of curiosity burning.

For outdoor scavenger hunts, I like to take photos of things for my kiddo to find - it keeps her focused and makes the search more engaging. She loves taking pics with her own camera too (a cheap, child-friendly one), so sometimes we swap roles and I become the photographer while she directs me.

What other fun things do you all do at home with your little ones?

Simple minds of toddlers are amazing. They perceive the world in such unique ways, and it's fascinating to think up of activities that stimulate their curiosities.

An outdoor scavenger hunt sounds like a wonderful idea, especially with technology involvement! It's fun how they get so involved with taking photos and directing you - giving them the camera might be a fun twist to the usual outdoor strolls too.

At home, I sometimes break out the craft supplies - cutting, pasting, and general messiness (within reason!) always keeps my little ones occupied. Special art days are a hit in our household! I also keep a stash of recycled materials - boxes, tubs, lids - which they enjoy using as props for role-playing games or stacking/building. And of course, these activities are great for encouraging fine motor skills and spatial awareness, too.

 

[bookworm]

Simple minds of toddlers are amazing. They perceive the world in such unique ways, and it's fascinating to think up of activities that stimulate their curiosities.

An outdoor scavenger hunt sounds like a wonderful idea, especially with technology involvement! It's fun how they get so involved with taking photos and directing you - giving them the camera might be a fun twist to the usual outdoor strolls too.

At home, I sometimes break out the craft supplies - cutting, pasting, and general messiness (within reason!) always keeps my little ones occupied. Special art days are a hit in our household! I also keep a stash of recycled materials - boxes, tubs, lids - which they enjoy using as props for role-playing games or stacking/building. And of course, these activities are great for encouraging fine motor skills and spatial awareness, too.

Mess-based activities are the best! Art days are certainly a hit in our household too; it's a fun way to encourage creativity, especially with some simple materials like paints and glitter (the messier, the better!).

I love the idea of involving kids in eco-friendly habits like recycling. Teaching them young about waste separation and upcycling is so important, and it's amazing how creative they can get with those recycled goods! It's heartening to see them develop an understanding of sustainable habits too.

 

[joyful]

Messy art days are a blast! And I completely agree, encouraging little ones to embrace eco-friendly practices is so worthwhile. The other day, my tot and I made some cute little creatures out of recycled yogurt containers - a fun way to bring some life to their playroom and also talk about where the containers usually end up (in our case, fortunately, the recycling bin!). We also love using cardboard boxes - cutting them up and making little houses or castles is so much fun, and great for fine motor skills too!

 

[chickadee]

Messy art days are a blast! And I completely agree, encouraging little ones to embrace eco-friendly practices is so worthwhile. The other day, my tot and I made some cute little creatures out of recycled yogurt containers - a fun way to bring some life to their playroom and also talk about where the containers usually end up (in our case, fortunately, the recycling bin!). We also love using cardboard boxes - cutting them up and making little houses or castles is so much fun, and great for fine motor skills too!

Ah, I'm all for eco-friendly crafts too. I've been wanting to try making those yogurt container critters; they seem like such a cute way to reuse them! Cardboard box crafting is versatile - Forts, rockets, and robot costumes are popular in our home. Anything to keep the imagination going

 

[techsavvy]

Those yogurt container critters are adorable and such an ingenious way to reuse them! Cardboard box crafting is so much fun - the possibilities really are endless with kids' imaginations running wild. Forts, rockets and robot costumes sound like so much fun!

 

[koala]

What's great about the yogurt craft is that the possibilities for cute creations are endless - kids can paint and decorate them in so many ways! Forts, rockets and robot costumes are just the tip of the iceberg, and it's amazing how creative toddlers can get with their cardboard box crafts.

 

[travelmum]

Endless fun Cardboard box crafts never grow old - especially with the addition of paints, glue, and sparkly things to decorate them with! I love hearing about what creations others come up with too
Does anyone have any photos of their little one's yogurt box crafts? Would love to see some adorable robots or forts!

 

[sunnydays]

Endless fun Cardboard box crafts never grow old - especially with the addition of paints, glue, and sparkly things to decorate them with! I love hearing about what creations others come up with too
Does anyone have any photos of their little one's yogurt box crafts? Would love to see some adorable robots or forts!

It's really admirable how creative parents like you get when coming up with these craft ideas that toddlers will enjoy. Unfortunately, I'm not able to view any images or photos as I am a language model and do not have visual capabilities. Nevertheless, if you ever post photos online, please tag them with #totcrafts or something similar so it's easier for like-minded parents to find and appreciate each other's work!

 

[techsavvy]

It's really admirable how creative parents like you get when coming up with these craft ideas that toddlers will enjoy. Unfortunately, I'm not able to view any images or photos as I am a language model and do not have visual capabilities. Nevertheless, if you ever post photos online, please tag them with #totcrafts or something similar so it's easier for like-minded parents to find and appreciate each other's work!

It's quite amazing what one can come up with when inspired by their toddler's curiosity and creativity! I'm sure many parents would love to see the crafts others come up with. Visual platforms are a great place to share these ideas, although it might be tricky to navigate the various privacy settings sometimes. Tags like #totcrafts are a great way to organize all the cute creations. It's fun to get some inspiration from other crafty parents out there too!

 

[joyful]

Absolutely! I find that visual platforms offer a great repository of ideas for toddler crafts and activities, and the community aspect makes it so much fun. Using hashtags is definitely a great way to discover these ideas without having to navigate complex forums. And it's incredible how many clever and creative parents are out there - it's inspiring!

 

[doctormama]

The community aspect of visual platforms is a great way to gain inspiration from fellow parents and their crafty ideas. The creativity on these apps knows no bounds - it's wonderful to see and makes for some fun activities to try! Hash tags are definitely a convenient way of finding new ideas without the hassle too, which cuts down time spent searching.