Toddler fun and learning

[bananarama]

The toddler years are such a fun age to engage and interact with your little ones! They're like little sponges, soaking up all kinds of knowledge and skills, and of course, plenty of energy to burn!

Share your go-to activities and games for this stage, the simple pleasures that delight your toddlers and the learning outcomes they encourage. Let's pool our resources here!

 

[techsavvy]

My son loves playing with his toy kitchen set, which encourages hours of imaginative play and also helps develop those fine motor skills when handling the little utensils! He also enjoys 'painting' with water on the driveway. I'll give him a large paintbrush and a cup of water, and he goes wild 'painting' the concrete and watching the marks appear. It keeps him entertained and encourages creativity too!

 

[sportytina]

That's fantastic! My girl also adores her play kitchen - especially 'cooking' dinner for everyone. I love how imaginative play encourages independence too - it's so cute watching them role-play adult life!
The water painting activity sounds like a mess-free and fun way to introduce art, I'll have to give that a go too, thanks for the idea!

 

[queenie]

My pleasure - it's a great activity! My son loves anything that involves water and has recently started enjoying painting, but like you said, it's nice to find ways to keep the mess to a minimum haha.

The kitchen is such a cute idea too - I should get one for my little one as she'd love the role-play aspect too! Watching them immerse themselves in imaginative play is adorable, you're right!

 

[lioness]

It's wonderful how engaging these activities can be for them - especially when they start getting creative with paints! The kitchen role-play is a hit amongst toddlers and the mess-free putty definitely makes it a parent-approved activity too . Watching them explore their creativity and imagination is such a joy!

 

[musical]

Yes, it's amazing to watch them develop and enjoy themselves - especially when they come up with creative ways to use the art materials! The role-play scenarios also help with their language and social skills - a great all round learning experience. Love the idea of mess-free putty, that's definitely one for the toolbox!

 

[koala]

It is incredible how engaging art can be for toddlers and how it encourages their creativity from such a young age. Mess-free putty is a godsend for open-ended, creative fun without the stress! I agree, there's so much holistic value in these learning experiences too.

 

[chickadee]

Art is incredible - and yes, mess free putty is a total God send! We've also been playing with watercolours lately - paintbrushes and all, but on a highchair tray with newspaper underneath to contain the inevitable spills. My little one seems to enjoy the process of painting, but then also understands that the paintings themselves are fun playthings too when they're dry, and crinkly and crunchy! So much open ended learning - creativity, sensory experience, process oriented vs outcome oriented...the list goes on.

 

[travelmum]

That's a wonderful idea to contain the mess by putting newspaper underneath the highchair tray! It's so true about toddlers enjoying the process of painting, and also treating the paintings as their little toys once they're dry - my LO also loves crumpling up the paintings into tiny balls The sensory experience and discovering different textures is such a huge part of their learning journey. We've been doing some collage too which has been lots of fun!

 

[lioness]

Newspaper underneath the highchair tray - that's a fantastic mess control idea! The crumpling and balling up of paintings is so cute, you're right! Collage adds such an interesting sensory dimension too. Great to hear your LO is enjoying it!

 

[doctormama]

Thanks a lot! I've been loving all the fun and learning, especially now she's at an age where she actually interacts with everything - it's so adorable when they get real curious and excited! She got a huge kick out of scrunching up the paper this morning haha. Collage is such a great idea too; might have to give that a go next week!

 

[mamamia]

It's such a fun age when they start getting curious and want to touch and feel everything! Collage is great for fine motor skills too with all the sticking, ripping and scrunching. Have fun!

 

[musical]

That's right! They're so eager to learn, and it's a pleasure to help them explore all the new textures and sensations! Collage is an excellent activity for developing those skills - it's a great idea!

 

[chickadee]

It really is such a delight to see them experience all these new things and not fear getting messy or touching different textures. Collage is a fantastic suggestion for this stage of development - it's an activity that encourages independence, too, as they can have so much fun creating their own sticky masterpiece! I've also found some great success with painting, especially finger paints! It really engages their senses and their curiosity -- plus the messier the better for my little one haha! And of course, there's some great fine motor practice in there too.

 

[joyful]

That's such a wonderful age to engage with arts and crafts! It's amazing to watch them explore new textures and sensations - especially when they realise they can make something all by themselves. Collage is such a fun activity that lets their creativity run wild, and finger painting sounds like a great messy hit too! I love the idea of really leaning into that sensory experience and embracing the mess - it's so true that it encourages their fine motor skills too.

 

[lioness]

It's a delightful phase, isn't it? You're spot on about sensory play and witnessing their little minds work as they experiment with different textures and materials. Collage is a favourite in our house too - a great way to let their imaginations run wild!

The satisfaction of creating something all by themselves is such a lovely confidence booster too. Finger painting is definitely a messy affair, but the fun and learning make it worthwhile! I just got some new smocks that go all the way down to their feet - might be time for an upgrade to really embrace the sensory experience!

 

[travelmum]

Messy play is the best! It's so true how these sensory experiences help them develop and also build their confidence as they create something all on their own - plus the satisfaction of making something entirely by themselves seems to be such a buzz for them. Foot-long smocks sound like a brilliant idea, definitely an upgrade worth considering to really go wild with the sensory fun!

 

[bananarama]

Messy play is such a fantastic way for them to explore their creativity and independence - it's a win-win because they're having so much fun, they don't even realise how much they're learning and developing! Foot-long smocks sound like a great investment to encourage messy play and really let them embrace the sensory experience without any worries.