Ready, set, play! Nothing says lovin’ like an afternoon of fun with your curious toddler. Forget about spending a ton of money on fancy electronic toys. Instead, employ the following ideas to engage your tot in a day of discovery:
CATCH WITH A CATCH
Toddlers love to be chased, but there’s even more to love with this simple game when you spice it up. For example, instead of merely tagging your tot, the next time you catch her, plant a big kiss on her cheek or scoop her up into a big bear hug. My toddler loved getting tickled whenever I managed to catch her. Another way to add spice to a game of catch is to pretend to be different types of animals, such as a roaring lion chasing after a little mouse.
CEREAL SAND
Get a box of Froot Loops and teach your toddler how to sort them by color. Then, put the different colored cereal into individual Ziploc bags, and let your tot crush it with a wooden spoon until the cereal is powdery. Next, layer the crushed cereal in baby food jars to make colored sand models. If you are afraid of using glass containers with your toddler, simply switch them for plastic bottles. Water bottles are cheap and safe to fill with your edible cereal sand.
HOMEMADE TAMBOURINE
Materials:
Two paper plates
Rice or beans
Markers, crayons, stickers, glitter glue, etc.
Streamers or ribbon
Stapler
Directions:
Have your toddler decorate the outside of the plates with the crayons, markers, chalk, glitter glue, etc. Next, fill one plate with the rice or beans, and then staple the plates together. Once the plates are connected, staple streamer or ribbons around the edges of the plates. Your toddler will love waving around his new homemade instrument.
Tip: Make more than one tambourine and have each member of your family use them to dance around to their favorite tunes.
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