Parenting is a true adventure. While watching your little one grow is a wonderful and exciting time, you may also be feeling the pressure to do everything correctly. Your kiddos go through so many different stages throughout their lives. You have to prepare for infant care, how to handle crazy toddlers, getting them through puberty, and helping them with their first heartbreak. Each unique season brings a new set of challenges and exciting discoveries.
Today, we’re going to take the time to talk about ways you can best care for your toddlers. This is an incredibly influential time in their lives where they’re learning and growing so much. Play is a huge part of their daily lives. You want to find activities you can do with your toddlers that are fun, safe, and educational.
Having those go-to fun activities will help you teach them effectively while enjoying that special time with your little ones. Here are a few suggestions for fun and safe activities your toddlers will love.
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Rely on the experts for parenting tips and tricks
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Overall, there are so many different tips and tricks for parenting. It can feel intimidating and confusing for new moms and dads to take on the huge responsibility of raising a child. Luckily, there are plenty of experts out there that can help you gain confidence in your parenting skills. Check out Truly Mama to find great options for games and activities for your kids and articles that support you in all you’re doing. From pregnancy guides to baby tips to must-have products, this resource can help you get all the answers you need to parent in the best way possible.
Engage all their senses with DIY projects
Toddlers are in the developmental stage where they are learning about their senses and they want to engage with the world in new ways. Engage these senses with fun DIY projects and activities they can enjoy. Create a sensory table with different materials and bold colors. Allow them to try new foods and explore different textures. This will be a fun way to help their brain develop.
Encourage imagination with games of make-believe
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Imagination is beautiful, especially in children. You want to encourage your toddlers to see the world in creative and special ways. Play games like “the floor is lava” or make-believe kitchen. These types of activities will help your child dream bigger and reach for the stars.
Get artistic with different mediums
Creativity is something so many people encourage in toddlers and young children. It may be time to set up some artistic activities for your kids to try out. Test different mediums by letting them draw with sidewalk chalk, practice finger painting, or work with fabric to weave things together. By encouraging creativity, you’re setting your child up to be more empathetic and compassionate.
Enjoy time outside to run around and play
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So many toddlers have a ton of energy. It can be hard for you to totally keep up with them. A great activity to help them burn off some of that energy is to just get outside. Go for a day out at the park or take them to the neighborhood swimming pool. Offering them time to get out and play is a great way to release all that energy.
Start to help them learn different skills
Plenty of activities for toddlers can actually help them learn certain developmental skills. You can make a busy board with zippers, buttons, clasps, and bells to get them used to interact with those kinds of objects. Or consider playing games all about matching colors or shapes. These are ways to allow your kids to have fun while being educational.
Pouring Practice
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Pouring is a great rainy day toddler activity and it is great for teaching independent living skills.
Give your toddler a small pitcher or jar and a small cup- the fancier the better!
Fill the pitcher about halfway with water and let them pour and drink! (Tip: Set them up over a plastic tray and give them a sponge for spills!)
If you don’t want to use water, you can also give them dry goods like rice or beans for them to pour back and forth between 2 pitchers.
Hammer Golf Tees
Hammering was one of my kids’ most favorite indoor activities when they were little. Manning a real hammer can be challenging for toddlers, but if you set them up with a toy hammer (I love the wood ones!) and some golf tees they can go to town and work on the small motor skills they need to master.
What are they hammering into? If you have young toddlers you can let them hammer into very soft things like clay, play dough, floral foam, or a box with holes already punched.
If your toddler has good small motor control already you can give them the hammer, a pile of tees, and a large cardboard box to practice on.
Alternatively- get out a box of cereal and let them hammer it to dust, like this Smashing Fruit Loops Activity!
