Energize your child with these fun activities.
- Finger painting; Gather up some non-toxic finger paint and let your child get creative.
- Bubbles: Grab a bubble wand and set up an outdoor bubble station on a breezy day or use an electric fan to make bubbles indoors!
- Water play: Fill buckets, bins, and other containers with water and let your child explore the science of water with their hands, measuring cups, spoons, and more.
- Balloons: Balloons are always a hit with young kids! Just make sure to keep them away from children who are still putting everything in their mouths.
- Pretend kitchen: Create a pretend kitchen using cardboard boxes, old pots and pans, plastic food items, utensils such as wooden spoons, etc.
- Play with water
Have you seen those videos of babies and toddlers giggling wildly as they splash in a kiddie pool? That’s because playing with water is so much fun! You can set up a plastic pool, fill it with water and some toys, and let your child splash away. Or you can put water in a large bin or inflatable kiddie pool. You can add bubbles or toys to the water or even put the bin on top of a vibrating machine (like a running dryer) to make the water “dance”.
- Do a movement activity
Movement activities can help your child develop their motor skills and body awareness. You can do anything from dancing to yoga to jumping rope! You don’t have to be an expert, your child will just be happy to move around.
- Practice clapping, stomping, and patting
- Your child will love making music by clapping, stomping, patting, or tapping on different surfaces! Have them clap to the beat of their favorite song, tap on different objects (like pots and pans), and stomp around like an elephant.
- Build a fort: forts can be made out of just about anything! Cushions from the couch? Sure! Chairs from the dining room? Why not? There’s no wrong way to make
- Practice your yoga poses.
- Dress up Games
- When your child is in his or her make-believe world, you can encourage them to have conversations and play make believe games. You can also place objects like costumes around the house for your child to discover and wear as they please.
- Make a Mailbox
You can help your child make a mailbox out of paper rolls, tape and markers. They can put their name on it and draw pictures to decorate it. They can then put notes inside their homemade mailbox, or you can send them notes and letters everyday. Alternatively, your child could use the mailbox to send secret messages to a toy or family member.
- Crafts Activity
Give your child pipe cleaners, yarn, glue, tape, construction paper, and other items with which they can make crafts. Some examples of crafts they could create include animals, crowns, puppets and bracelets. Encourage them to use their imagination and creativity as they craft with you nearby helping them if needed. You’ll want to avoid giving them anything that might be dangerous or poisonous so it’s best to stick with art supplies specifically made for children.
- Make Music Together: Looking for something a little quieter? Singing is always a hit with toddlers. Make up some silly songs or sing along to the radio, your kid will love it either way.
- Play with Play-Doh: Toddlers love Play-Doh and it’s a great way for them to develop their fine motor skills. Hide shapes in the dough and have your child find them, or give him/her a color and ask them to create something using only that color.
- Read a book: Reading is a valuable activity for toddlers, but it can be tough to get them interested. Make reading more fun by picking books with lots of flaps to lift, animals that make noises when you press down on them, or books about things your child is interested in and already knows about (like dinosaurs). You can also read books together in fun places like on top of a fort made out of blankets or pillows.
- Preschool is a great time to start teaching kids to sort, match, and categorize. But that doesn’t mean you need a classroom full of toys and lesson plans to get started. Here are some activities you can use at home with your 2-year-old.
- Color Matching
Kids love bright colors, so why not use that obsession to teach them about matching?
Gather several colored pencils or crayons. Ask your child to find one that matches the color of a sample pencil. If they get it right, give them a high five and move on to the next color.
- Puzzle Pieces
Puzzles are great for building fine motor skills and learning about spatial relationships. When your child is just beginning to put together puzzles, you can help them learn about shapes by giving them pieces one at a time and having them place each piece in the right spot.
- Action Words: Actions words are a great way to expand your child’s vocabulary while they’re learning how to communicate through language. For example, if they’re pretending to feed their stuffed animals, have them point out the action words they’re using: “I’m feeding my teddy bear.”
- Sorting Shapes by Color and Size
- Go on a Nature Walk
- Play on the Kitchen Floor
- Play Outside.