10 Great ways to amuse toddlers
February 1st, 2020
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Toddlers are always full of energy and curiosity and will ask you the question ‘why?’ 100 times a day! They are fascinated by everything around them and are like sponges when it comes to absorbing knowledge! They also have short attention spans and tire easily, so the best thing to do, is to have plenty of different activities lined up – some will be fun ways to get rid of some of that energy and others will be quiet moments when you can both relax. Does this sound as though having a toddler is hard work? Well it is demanding, but well worth the effort because you are laying down great foundations for the future and giving them plenty of confidence – you will also be making so many lovely memories to treasure forever….
Enjoy a walk together.
This can be a walk to post a letter or to the local park or one with the theme of looking at nature. It does you both good to get out and enjoy the fresh air and it is the perfect opportunity to talk to each other. Visiting a pond with ducks to feed can be great fun too.
In the summer, you can make it a longer activity by making some snacks and a drink for a picnic and finding a park bench to sit on and enjoy a story book together.
In the summer, you can make it a longer activity by making some snacks and a drink for a picnic and finding a park bench to sit on and enjoy a story book together.
Enjoy playing outside.
Toddlers love to be outdoors, and playing outside with a ball can be great fun and is good for their development too. If your child likes the idea of flying a kite, you can buy some kites that are really easy to get airborne and these are perfect! Another popular outdoor activity is playing with sand, but if you don’t have a sandpit, you can buy some sterilised sand and keep it in a covered baby bath. Keep it covered when it is not in use, otherwise it will be popular with local cats for other reasons!
Make a tent!
All toddlers love having little hideaways and will love you to erect a small tent in the garden for them to enjoy. If you don’t have a tent, you can put up a makeshift one using several large sheets and a washing line or you might be able to get a large packing box. The only furnishings you need to add are a blanket and cushion. To add to the fun, you can make a picnic tea for your toddler to have in the tent and enjoy some book reading together there. We spotted a 75 piece build your own Den kit for £12 at The Works Click Here to Buy
Enjoy blowing bubbles.
Keeping a tube of bubbles hidden in the cupboard is an excellent idea as they can be used to brighten any day. Young children love blowing and catching bubbles and love the various different sized bubble blowers available in the shops. If you are making your own bubble solution; mix 1 tablespoon of washing-up liquid with 1 ½ teacups of water and one tablespoon of glycerine (available from pharmacies).
Enjoy a special bath time.
Children love water play and if you have some spare time during the day, why not give your toddler an extra fun bath time? Adding colouring and bubbles to the bath water adds to the fun and so will a selection of different sized plastic cups as young children love pouring water from one container to another!
Make some play-dough.
If you are house- bound for any reason, (usually the weather) your toddler will enjoy playing with home-made play-dough. Quick and easy to make, it is softer and more easily used than the commercial dough which is more suitable for older children. The play-dough can be coloured with food colouring and if it is made with self-raising flour, it will be much stretchier to use! A mini cooking set with a rolling pin and some different shaped cutters are ideal and will provide hours of fun. Here's a cool bag of cutters you could use over and over Click Here to Buy
Collect items for dressing up!
Toddlers love to wear different hats and sunglasses and will spend lots of time playing with fancy dress items. They love handbags and trying to open and close them and will enjoy wearing small waistcoats and scarves. Keep an eye on them though as sometimes they can get in a tangle with the clothing.
Team up for housework!
It sounds strange, but what is a drudge for you, can be great fun for your toddler! They will love helping you dust the furniture or will enjoy trying to use the dustpan and brush! Toddlers love going to fetch things too, which is helpful, especially when you are tidying books and magazines away! Bet they would love their very own Henry Hoover Click Here to Buy
Make a nature picture together.
If the weather is good and you are enjoying being outside, it can be fun to create a picture from stones, leaves, flowers and twigs. You can either go for a walk to collect these items or your toddler will be happy to find them in the garden. The resulting picture could be their first masterpiece!
Snuggle up for story time.
Your toddler will be very energetic one minute, and worn out the next, so it is always a good idea to have a nice selection of books to read. Your collection can easily be enlarged with books bought at car boot sales and charity shops. You can enjoy a book together either at home or in the park and it is perfect quality time together. Choose books which you can use to teach your toddler numbers, colours and animals, as they will be too young to follow a storyline.
A popular variation on a theme is to buy a colouring book where there are different objects in different colours on each page as this will help your toddler’s vocabulary tremendously.
A popular variation on a theme is to buy a colouring book where there are different objects in different colours on each page as this will help your toddler’s vocabulary tremendously.
Chrissie x
