The Everything Toddler Activities Book (27 page)

This is a simple way to create attractive ornaments.
You may also use plastic lids, although it is harder to punch a hole in them.

1. Punch a hole ½ in from the edge of each lid. String and loop a piece of yarn so that your child can hang her ornament.
   
2. Have your child decorate both sides of the lids with the glitter and craft materials.
   

This is a personalized holiday decoration. You may wish to do one with each member of your family.

1. Cut the flat center out of the paper plate so that only the rim remains.
   
2. Have your child spread her fingers and lay her hand flat on the green construction paper. Trace around your child’s hand with the pencil to create a hand template.
   
3. Cut out a dozen hands from the template.
   
4. Cut out three red circles, about the size of a grape.
   
5. Help your child arrange the hands around the plate. You want the hands to overlap and the fingers to reach outward.
   
6. Help your child glue the hands to the plate. Let her glue on the red “berries” for a finishing touch.
   

You will be surprised at the elegant and delicate appearance of these ornaments.
Remember that balloon pieces can be a choking hazard for young children;
only an adult should pop the balloon and discard the pieces.

1. In the bowl, mix the white craft glue with the liquid laundry starch.
   
2. Show your toddler how to dip yarn into this mixture and drape around the blown-up balloon.
   
3. Have her repeat with additional yarn strands until a desired pattern or design is created. She should leave some gaps and not cover the balloon completely.
   
4. Once the yarn is dry, pop and remove the balloon.
   

Kwanzaa is a relatively new holiday. Take this opportunity to share with your young child the heritage and history of African Americans.

This is a personalized holiday decoration. You may wish to do one with each member of your family.

1. Fold a piece of black construction paper in half crosswise.
   
2. Cut slits from the folded center to about 1" away from the edge. Space the slits 1 apart. Unfold the paper.
   
3. Cut out red and green strips just a little thinner than 1and as long as the black paper.
   
4. Help your child weave the strips through the black paper. Alternate the red and green strips and be sure to push each one snug against the previous one. Don’t worry if the pattern is not perfect.
   
5. Secure any loose ends with the tape.
   

Here is a simple way to introduce your child to the traditional colors of Kwanzaa.

1. Mix the glue with a small amount of water in a paper cup. The glue should be thin enough to paint on the paper with a brush.
   
2. Let your toddler tear the tissue paper into shreds.
   
3. Have him lay out the tissue paper on the black construction paper.
   
4. Help him paint over the tissue paper with the glue solution. Be careful he does not saturate the paper so much that it is soaked through.
   

CHAPTER 18

Party Time

A birthday party can be a special and memorable occasion for your child. However, it can also become a time of stress, overexcitement, and chaos. The best way to plan for a successful children’s party is to lower your expectations. Toddlers are easily impressed, so you don’t need to hire the most popular performer around and a cast of thousands to entertain your guests. Your best bet is to keep things very simple. Invite only a few of your child’s playmates, and keep the party short and uncomplicated. Refreshments, gift opening, and two or three simple activities is plenty.

You don’t need to have a fancy theme to have a successful birthday party for your child. But there are advantages to a theme party. It may be easier for you to decorate and plan for a party that revolves around a theme. You can adapt just about any menu or activity to fit your theme. For example, the game Pin the Tail on the Donkey can fit into any of the themes below if you simply change it to Pin the Ears on the Teddy Bear, Pin the Nose on the Clown, or Pin the Tiara on the Princess!

This is a great theme idea for an outdoor party.

1. Encourage children to bring their own teddy bears to join in the festivities. Be sure to have a few extra on hand for those who attend the party solo.
   
2. Weather permitting, serve refreshments outside on a picnic blanket. One themed menu idea is Teddy Grahams.
   
3. Put on some music and have guests dance with their teddy bears. They can also form a circle by holding hands with each other and the bears to play Ring Around the Rosy.
   
4. You can also create simple party hats for your guests. Create a headband from folded brown construction paper. Cut out brown bear ears for the children to glue on.
   

Make your birthday girl feel special and make her princess for a day.

1. Let your guests get into character by making some props, such as crowns and magic wands. Be creative!
   
2. Be sure to have some old dresses and fancy accessories for the party guests to play dress up.
   
3. Before your guests sit down at the table for refreshments, have them decorate folding chairs to create their own thrones. Provide each child with an old pillow case. Cut off half of the length. Let the children decorate the pillow case with fabric paints. When they are dry, simply slip the covers on the backs of the chairs to create thrones.
   

There are many fun ways to celebrate a circus theme. If you are considering inviting an entertainer for the party, keep in mind that many toddlers are fearful of clowns.

1. Let the children put on their own circus. Set out three hula hoops for the rings. Invite each child to take a turn stepping inside the ring to dance or perform.
   
2. Stretch a thick rope on the ground and challenge the guests to walk along it as if they were in a high-wire act.
   
3. No circus is complete without face painting. You will find a recipe in Appendix A.
   

Your child’s second birthday will not hold much meaning for him. Recognize that children this age often have difficulty playing together. Have different options on hand that will let your young guests play on their own if they are not ready to join the group.

You will need a fairly large space for this activity. Be sure that children are supervised so that they do not pick up the rope and tangle it around a playmate or themselves.

1. Use a thick rope or cord to create a path for the children to follow. The more twists and turns you can make, the better. You can tape or weigh down sections of the rope to make them stay put.
   
2. Set up a surprise at the end of the path, such as a basket of party favors or the birthday cake.
   

This is an easy music and movement activity to teach young children.
Use it when you sense your guests are getting restless.

Teach the children the following song and movements:

Clap, clap, clap your hands,
Clap your hands together.
Clap, clap, clap your hands,
Clap your hands together.

Refrain: (hold one arm over your head and spin in a circle)

La la la la la la la
La la la la la
La la la la la la la
La la la la la

Other verses:
Stomp, stomp, stomp your feet; Shake, shake, shake your leg; Bend, bend, bend your knee; Nod, nod, nod your head.

Not all birthday games need to be group activities.
Two-year-olds often do best when simply playing side by side. Here is a fun play activity to have available.

Use scissors and tape to wrap each building block like a miniature gift. Cover it in contact paper to keep the wrapping paper intact. Give the blocks to the children to build with.

For your child’s third birthday, you can plan more involved activities. Children of this age have a longer attention span and are better able to follow directions.

This is strictly an outdoor activity and makes a fun alternative to water balloons. You may wish to set up a target or just let the children bomb the trees, pavement, and walls.

For each flour bomb, fill ½ of a paper napkin with flour. Bring up the ends of the napkin and twist. Secure the bomb with a little bit of masking tape.

Skip the store-bought party hats this year. Your guests will enjoy making their own.

1. Let each child choose a sheet of colored construction paper. Have them decorate one side with stickers, ribbons, bows, and confetti.
   
2. When the paper is dry, you can fit the hat for each child. Roll each piece of paper into a cone so that the opening fits on the child’s head. Staple the cone closed along the seam.
   

A group craft project can be a fun way to involve all of the party guests, young and old alike. These activities focus more on the process than on the finished project.

You can let the children take some of the paper home.
Alternatively, do this project at the beginning of the party and while the children are
preoccupied with something else, have someone use this paper to wrap the party favors.

1. Before the party cut the sponges into different shapes such as a party hat or birthday cake. If you are having a theme party, cut shapes that match the theme.
   
2. Seat your guests around a table covered with butcher paper.
   
3. Pour different colors of paint into the pie tins and show the children how to use the sponges as stamps. Attach the clothespins to the sponges if children are having difficulty grasping the sponges.
   
4. Encourage the children to create a design on all areas of the paper. Let dry before dividing or using.
   

This is a great project if you have a cyclone fence in your yard. You will be surprised at how nice the finished result looks. Be sure to take pictures of the completed results to send home. Supervise this project carefully, and be mindful of any long materials that could pose a choking hazard.