Bubbles
Every child enjoys playing with bubbles. To take this activity to the next level (the learning level, that is), invest in a set of wands in a variety of shapes and sizes so your toddler can explore the concepts of big and small. Then take your gear outside so nature can play a role in the game, too. Explain how the wind carries the bubbles away, the same way it blows the leaves around in your yard.
Encourage your child to crawl or toddle after the blowing bubbles and reach for them on his/her own. Then show him/her how to let a bubble land gently on his/her arm (he/she probably won’t need any instruction when it comes to popping those magical orbs!). If you want to concoct your own bubble solution, make that part of the activity, too. Let your toddler watch you mix a cup of water, a tablespoon of glycerin (readily available online or at your health-food store), and two tablespoons of Washing Up Liquid. Then let him/her take a turn at dipping the wand into the solution. Don’t forget to show him/her how to blow!
Here’s why it’s good for toddlers: bubble games boost eye-hand coordination and gross motor skills, as well as language development (”Wow, that big one is really high up!”). Plus, your youngster will learn about cause and effect (blow through the wand gently and watch what happens!).
I Spy
It’s a guessing game usually played in families with young children, partly to assist in both observation and in alphabet familiarity. I spy is often played as a car game.
One person starts by choosing an object (perhaps a cow) and says “I spy with my little eye, something beginning with C”. The other players look around and suggest things it might be: “Crow” (no), “Car” (no), “Cloud” (no), “Cow” - yes. The person who guesses correctly gets to choose the next object.
When played in a car, a family needs to decide beforehand what to do about items within the car (usually excluded) and things that are no longer visible (the field with the cows is a mile back - usually permitted but the ‘I spy’er has to say “I can’t see it any more” and “I can see it now”).
A slightly more challenging version uses phrases - “I spy with my little eye something beginning with B A W C” for “Black and white cow”. Another variation of this game is to play using colors, such as ‘I spy with my little eye something that is green’.
A further variation to the game is titled, ‘I hear with my little ear’. It functions, as the title suggests, with sounds instead of sights.
Fort Building
There’s nothing a toddler wants more than to be independent and take charge of their world. The challenge is that the world’s a very big place and they’re a very small person. That’s why a petite play space opens doors to a whole new range of imaginings and explorations. Take a couple of large cardboard boxes and tape them together using strong packing tape to create a mini house, complete with rooms, tunnels, and doors. If you really want to get fancy, cut window flaps and decorate your structure with paint, construction paper, or markers. Here’s why it’s good for toddlers: this activity promotes independence, sensory exploration, and active curiosity. It also boosts social skills and gross motor skills. (Enlist your little one in the decoration process and you’ll exercise his/her artistic muscles as well!)