The start of the toddler years…
Every year, kids get smarter and start to pick up on things on a daily basis. By developing their motor skills and exerting tons of energy, kids this age can benefit from so many activities. It is noticeable that kids at this age love to pretend. By keeping this in mind, here are some suggested activities for your child.
Free Play
Although this may seem like a disaster waiting to happen, letting kids do their own thing can be very liberating and fun at the same time. Just be sure that there are plenty of toys around that they can choose from. By having the right amount of balls, blocks, dolls, and toy cars around, a little boy or girl will play and play until he or she can’t anymore.
Of course, any playtime at this age needs to be supervised. The idea of free play means that you don't intervene, unless things become unsafe for your child. Watch your child to make sure they don't get into anything they shouldn't! They don't know any better at this age.
Grocery Shopping
Look through your pantry and pull out items that come in boxes, such as cereal. Pretend that you and your child are in a market. You can set up a table like a checkout counter and also use old shopping bags as well.
Dress-up
This may seem like more of a little girl’s activity, but boys can play dress up as well. Dressing up can open up a child’s imagination. Girls can put on fancy slippers and dresses and pretend that they are princesses. Boys can put on a cowboy hat and boots and pretend that they are cowboys from the West. Or, let your child dress up as whatever else they want to. Allowing them to express their imagination through dress-up is a great way to encourage them to think about themselves and what they want to be.
Animal Train
For kids who own lots of stuffed animals, this can be really fun. Have your child collect all of his or her stuffed animals. Get a box that has handles and attach a small rope pull handle. Next put all of the animals in the box. Your child can parade around the living room with the animal train. Occasionally, your child can make stops to let one of the stuffed animals out.
Sock Toss
Think of this game as toddler basketball. Have your child roll up his or her socks into balls. Set out a basket in the middle of the living room and have your toddler “shoot” with socks. This is a very safe game to play; there's little risk of something getting broken! Still, it's a good idea to move any fragile items well out of range before starting this game.
Wrapping and Unwrapping
Think of this as a way to reuse old tissue paper. Cut out tissue paper into various sizes. Take one of your child’s toys and place it in the middle of one of the tissue paper pieces. Next, have your child bring up the sides of the paper and twist it at the top. You can do this with different types of toys. Your child can also unwrap the toys as if he or she was opening a new gift.
Bowling with Soda Bottles
Set up three to ten empty plastic soda bottles. Get one of your child’s play balls and have him or her go bowling. See how many “pins” will get knocked down! You may need to show your child how to throw their play ball towards the pins. Or, let them figure out the best way themselves! They don't need to be a champion bowler at this age.
Fun with Hats
Collect all of the hats in the house. These can be baseball caps, cowboy hats or anything in between. Have your child identify which is the largest, smallest, or most colorful. Let them play dress-up with the hats. Have them build an outfit around each hat; you'll be amused at the combinations they come up with!