Toddler Learning Activities

Sponge painting

Julie — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 21:22:15 +0000

Our blog has mentioned before that slender writing instruments aren’t always accessible or easily manageable for the small-sized hands of a toddler. That’s why we’ve suggested items like bingo daubers, jumbo markers, stamps and finger paints that are much easier for little fingers to hold and create. Same goes for our latest suggestion: dishwasher sponges. Simply cut a dish sponge into squares, and demonstrate to your toddler how to dip one side of the sponge into washable paint, then use the sponge to paint a paper surface. If you are doing this project with young children, make sure you choose washable paints.

Marshmallow People

Julie — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 23:58:20 +0000

This is a fun and tasty project to make with your tot! You will need, jumbo marshmallows, cake sprinkles, uncooked spaghetti noodles, and jelly beans.

The jumbo marshmallows will make the body. Stick two marshmallows on an uncooked spaghetti noodle. Dip them quickly in water then douse with sprinkles.

Break the jelly beans into small pieces. Use these pieces and stick them on the marshmallows as eyes, nose, mouth or antennae’s. The finished Marshmallow Person will look something like this, but you can get as creative as you want with the type of creatures you make. The treats are fully edible after they dry.

Window Crayons

Julie — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 23:46:19 +0000

Your child’s eyes will widen when you announce that they can color on the windows! Window crayons by Crayola can be wiped away with a damp paper towel in seconds. Sold in packages of five colors, you can encourage your child’s imagination to run away with them. They can draw their family, nature, the sky, aliens, flowers, cars, their favorite cartoons. You can use the window as your chalkboard and pretend to play school, or just let your child practice writing their name on the clear glass pane.

Cotton Ball Art

Julie — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 00:17:24 +0000

Cotton balls are a common household item; one that really comes in handy for toddlar arts and craft activities with your little one. All you need is glue, cotton balls and some paper (even paper plates will do!) to make cotton ball art. For example, you can use the cotton balls to make a rain cloud, and maybe tape or glue ribbon to the cloud to make a rainbow or a rain shower. You can paste cotton balls on three round circles to create a snow man, or use the cotton has a character’s hair or beard like a Santa head during the holiday season.

Winter Fun

Julie — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 19:36:20 +0000

‘Tis the season for winter fun across most of the country. If you’re lucky enough to get a decent amount of snowfall during the winter months, get your kids and toddlers out there to play! Parents can partner with their kids to build snowmen that kids usually only read about in books or folklore. Sledding is an exciting activity however if your child is very young and very small, it would be wise to choose bunny hills, or sled with your child in your lap. Try to avoid sledding too close to trees, fences or walls. We’ve all seen multiple sledding accidents on America’s Funniest Videos to know the hazards involved. Nonetheless, playing in the snow is a special time of year. Start new traditions by treating your child to a cup of hot chocolate with marshmallows after an hour or two of playtime in the snow!

A Trip to the Zoo

Julie — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 18:51:35 +0000

Young children naturally identify with animals. As we read stories to them, and show programs to them with animal characters, they learn how to empathize for animals. Households with family pets often support teaching children how to be compassionate toward animals. PETA encourages parents to teach their children how to be compassionate toward animals. There is nothing more exciting or more educational than a trip to your local zoo where young children can learn about animals. Seeing a variety up close ignites children’s imaginations and expands the possibilities to the world they are learning about around them. The Association of Zoos & Aquariums has a national directory on its website so that you can locate a zoo in your city.

Toddler Tooth Care

Julie — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 00:29:25 +0000

Around age 2, you can introduce tooth care to your toddler. You need a small children’s tooth brush with soft bristles and a children’s toothpaste. Childrens’ toothpastes are sold in many flavors and colorful packages. When you start, you might want to demonstrate how you brush your teeth first.

Then, show your toddler now to show their teeth. Use a pea-size speck of toothpaste on your toddler’s brush and begin to brush your toddler’s front teeth yourself.

It is best to keep your toddler’s tooth brush and toothpaste out of reach unless in supervised situations. At first, your toddler will assume toothpaste is food and immediately try to eat it. Swallowing a trace amount of fluoride is fine, however too much at once or over time is not a good thing. If your toddler swallows a large amount at one time, you will need to contact Poison Control immediately. If your toddler is nibbling away at toothpaste over time it can lead to a minor condition called fluorosis.

Stamp Pads

Julie — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 21:25:53 +0000

Around age 2 or 3 toddlers’ coordination is still evolving. Easy-grip stamps and non-toxic ink pads make an excellent, creative and, more importantly, an accessible tool for toddlers. While many tots will struggle to control a crayon or pencil, toddlers can easily manage their grip on a stamp.

Your toddler simply presses the stamp on the ink pad, then presses the stamp on paper.

The activity requires less coordination than coloring between the lines or even writing alphabet letters with a pencil. Ink is sold in numerous, non-toxic, washable colors. Ink pads are also sold in jumbo-size cases making them even more accessible for toddlers to find with a stamp.

The jumbo-sized ink pads and easy-grip stamps support your toddler’s capability to complete the activity independently.

Toddler outdoor activities

Julie — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 22:08:10 +0000

Ride on toys
Great for gross motor development! When our children were smaller we used to have little black plastic “motorbikes” that they could ride on. They would ride every where outside in the yard and also during non-peak traffic times around the block when we took our nightly walk. You can teach your toddler safety rules on riding, child is small but it’s never too young to start learning.

Walks
Never under estimate the enjoyment gained from a daily walk. Even if all you can manage is around the neighbourhood once a day this is also great. Try to get to a natural place once a week, like a forest or green belt for you toddler to enjoy nature. Be sure to walk with someone else if you are concerned with safety. Walks are natural toddler educational activities as you can build so much of your toddler’s vocabulary and you talk about what you see. This method works beyond believe.

Nature Study
Here is a selection of nature orientated crafts and toddler educational activities which correlate with the seasons.

Sand and water play
On those lovely warm days make sure you let your toddler enjoy some sand and water play. This is a great educational activity which does not involve much from mom’s side. You can sit outside too and enjoy a book while you watch your toddler play. Mixing the two components is wonderful for all sorts of imaginary play. Choose sand that is lime free, do not just buy builder’s sand! Water tables are also great helps if you would like to confine the mess.

Jungle gym/climbing frame
If you have space in your yard then invest in a climbing frame. We started with a metal one that we could move around easily and when our children were older we had a wooden one made. Adding swings and slides at a later stage is also a possiblity as your toddler gets older. Climbing is and important toddler educationalactivity as it build upper body strength which is necessary later for schooling.

Beach activities
Where we live, the beach is a short 15 minute drive away. We try to make as much use of it during the warmer months. With little ones it is important to time you visit correctly so that you are not caught there over nap or meal times or the hottest part of the day. Ensure that you protect your toddler from the sun
with hats, sunscreen and lots of drinks.

Enhancing your toddler

Julie — Mon, 26 Dec 2011 04:10:33 +0000

Enhancing your toddlers learning ability can be as simple as asking them a question like, how was your day? What is your favorite color? Why do you like ice cream? What did you learn at school today? Do you like this song? Asking and answering questions grows creativity. Creativity training can have a profound affect on their development. It forces and teaches them to formulate their responses and explain what they think and feel. It also gives us an idea into what they are thinking, what they like, dislike, their perception about the world. It also allows us to interact with their responses and teach them knew things or explain why things happen or occur in their lives. Social interaction helps them grow as individuals.