The Everything Toddler Activities Book (7 page)

1. Attach the magnets to the bottom of the toy cars.
   
2. Let your child drive the magnetized cars all around the tray.
   
3. If desired, help your child use masking tape to outline roadways on the tray.
   

This is a lively game to play the next time your family takes a drive through the countryside.

1. Players look out for animals along the road.
   
2. When someone spots an animal, she identifies it by the sound it makes. For example, “I see a moo!”
   

If your child is hospitalized or even bedridden at home, his activities will be limited. When he starts to feel better, staying in bed can be difficult. Here are some quiet activities that you can bring to him while he recuperates.

This quiet activity can be played while your child is resting in bed.

1. Hide a familiar object, such as a teddy bear or alarm clock, under the blanket.
   
2. Ask your toddler to guess what is hiding under the blanket.
   
3. If he does not guess, slowly pull back the blanket to reveal more and more of the object until he guesses correctly.
   

Your toddler will be amazed at how the yarn will stick!
To create a new design, he can just remove the yarn and start over.

1. Glue the sandpaper onto the poster board to form a solid work surface.
   
2. Have your toddler arrange the yarn on the sandpaper. The yarn will stick on its own.
   

Being stuck in bed does not mean that your child cannot enjoy a simple craft activity. Be mindful that small items may pose a choking hazard if your child still puts things in his mouth.

1. Spread the contact paper flat on a table, sticky side up. Remove half of the protective paper.
   
2. Smooth the poster board over the sticky part of the contact paper. Fold the protected half over with the protective paper still on.
   
3. Let your child arrange the items on the poster board.
   
4. When he is satisfied, he can remove the paper from the top half of the contact paper and fix it on top of the design to keep the design pieces in place.
   
5. For variation, you can skip the poster board and create a sticky sandwich with the contact paper used as both the base and top of the project.
   

You can sometimes find paper chain kits in the store, but it is cheaper and more fun to make your own.

1. Cut out strips of paper 1 wide and 4 long. If your child is adept with safety scissors, he can help you.
   
2. Show your child how to apply a dab of paste with the paste stick and close each strip to make a link.
   
3. Help your child attach the links together.
   
4. When your child has completed a long chain, you hang it up to help brighten the room.
   

You can never have too many “anytime” activity ideas. There are many times when you need to find a way to occupy your child’s attention. These activities are great fun whether you are waiting for a bus, sitting in a doctor’s office, or you just want to take a few minutes to interact with your child. These are also great activities to share with other people who care for your child.

Help pass the time by engaging your child in this simple game. As a bonus, this activity will help your child with categorization skills and will enhance her vocabulary development.

1. Take turns being the leader with your child. The leader names a category, like television shows, ice cream, or flowers.
   
2. Players take turns naming their favorite things within the category.
   

This is the classic guessing game.
Your child will be using observational and problem-solving skills when she plays.

1. One person picks an object in the environment that is in plain view to all players. Then she recites the following chant, “I spy with my little eye something that is…” (red, tiny, fuzzy, and so on).
   
2. Other players try to guess what that person has spied. The first person to guess correctly then takes a turn “spying” something.
   

This is a great game to play when you are waiting to meet someone,
like Daddy, in a public place. Depending on whom you plan to meet, this game might be called
“Here Comes Grandma!” or “Here Comes Mommy!”

1. While waiting for Daddy, watch the other people who are walking past. Start the game by pointing out someone who is clearly not Daddy—the less like Daddy, the better. Enthusiastically, say “Here comes Daddy!”
   
2. The other person responds by pointing out someone who looks even less like Daddy and exclaiming, “No, here comes Daddy!”
   
3. Continue until Daddy arrives.
   

Here is a new version of a simple game.

1. Show the child both of your hands. Place a small object such as a coin or a piece of candy in one of your hands. Remember, don’t let your child have the object if she is still putting things in her mouth.
   
2. Put your hands behind your back, and tell your child that you are moving the object from hand to hand.
   
3. Close your hands into fists and bring them back to the front of your body. Hold one hand higher than the other.
   
4. Recite the following poem and ask your child to guess which hand is holding the object:
   

   Handy dandy midley moe
   Which do you pick, the high or the low?
   

5. When your child picks the correct hand you can either give her the object to keep or let her take a turn at hiding it.
   

Here are some quick and easy activities that you can do anytime and anywhere. Whenever you see that your child is starting to get fussy or you feel a tantrum could be around the corner, try one of these soothing ideas.

Hold your child on your lap, or let him lie on his back so that you can play with his feet.

Chant the following words and use the corresponding actions:

Cobbler, cobbler, mend my shoes
(wiggle his feet to and fro)
Have it done by half past two
Stitch it up and stitch it down
(tap lightly around the edges of his feet)
Now nail the heel all around
(hammer his heel gently with your fist)

This activity is built upon the classic toddler pastime of banging on pots;
your toddler may have already discovered this activity on his own.
Close supervision is needed, and you should be sure to talk about why this is only an outdoor activity.

1. Give your child a drumstick to use as a tapper. You can make one by super-gluing a wooden bead onto a dowel rod. Or in a pinch, you can use a wooden spoon or even a popsicle stick.
   
2. Take your child outdoors and encourage him to tap on different things. Talk about what he hears. Possible items to tap include bricks, a tree trunk, and a rain gutter.
   

Add some pizzazz by taping some yarn or felt on for hair and clothing.

1. Simply draw a face on each finger that you wish to use as a character. You may also wish to involve your child and use their fingers as well.
   
2. Create a simple play or act out a rhyme like “Little Miss Muffet.”
   

Be sure to avoid industrial tape that will stick to the skin.

Give your child a strip of transparent or masking tape. Let him loop and stick and unstick the tape.

It may not take much to entertain you when you spend a day at the beach. You may be content to lie in the sand, feeling the warm sun on your skin and listening to the sounds of the crashing waves. Your toddler, on the other hand, is not easily amused. Once she tires of digging in the sand, she may be ready to call it a day. Try some of these activities to make a day in the sun fun for everyone.

All you need is a shovel and a stick to create a fun beach activity for your child.

1. With the stick, draw a winding line in the sand to create a path for your child to follow.
   
2. Use the shovel to create ditches or gullies along the path for your child to jump over. You can also build up mounds for her to climb over or walk around.
   

Here is a chance to let your child show her creativity and create something that she will enjoy using.

1. Empty each color of fabric paint into a separate pie tin.
   
2. Cut the sponges in beach-themed shapes (shells, starfish, fish, or suns).
   
3. Show your child how to dip the sponges into the paint and then press onto the towel to create a design.
   
4. Let the towel dry completely and follow the fabric paint manufacturer’s instructions before using.
   

This is a wonderful way for your child to preserve memories. Beach casts also make great gifts.

1. Have your child shovel wet sand into the container to fill it about one third of the way.
   
2. Let her select items to add to the cast. Limit the items so that there is some space in between them.
   
3. Show your child how to press the items so they are securely stuck into the sand without being buried.
   
4. Mix water and plaster of Paris according to package directions.
   
5. Spoon the mixture over the sand and shells so that it reaches the rim of the container.
   
6. Let the cast dry for a few days then gently remove from the container and rinse off.
   

There is so much to explore at the zoo. Take your time; your child will enjoy his trip much more if you allow him to linger where he wishes. Many zoos now have interactive features for young children. Seek out the exhibits that offer hands-on learning opportunities.

Enhance your child’s interest and observational skills with this fun game.