Your toddlers need to be kept busy but in a way that stimulate their minds. Toddlers love to move anyway and you can hardly keep them at one place for long. With some planned activities for them, you can help in their development and these structured activities will feel like play to them. A minimum of 30 minutes of such activity daily is very important for toddlers.
Circle Rhythms
Ask the toddlers to move in a circle on a rhythm. Direct the children to stand in a circle and bring a piece of elastic or string to go over the circle’s circumference. Now, play a children’s song and ask the children to raise their hands at a beat in the song or when a particular word is uttered. It would be better if you join the kids in the circle and show them what to do.
Fun Sorting
Toddlers enjoy sorting things out. Blocks are one of their favourite things. So, you can make a cool block sorter for your child with a shoebox and assorted shape blocks. Cut out the shape of the shape block on the shoe box lid with an exacto knife. Your toddler can have fun with putting stickers on the sorting box and turning them lose with the home made block sorting toy.
Follow the Leader
Play the game of follow the leader in which one child is in the spotlight and he will be followed by other kids. Once the toddlers are in the habit of following one among them, the leader can be made to perform other movements like running or hopping. This game might be possible only in a childcare centre as you need someone to keep a watch on children lest they bump into each other.
Bean Bags for Fun
Use bean bags and let the toddlers have fun. You can just let them toss these around in a basket or any sort of empty box. Make sure there are enough bean bags for the toddlers to play with. You can make bean bags too. The old socks that are often filled with dried beans or peas can be quickly turned into bean bags. Make sure that they are tightened well.
You can come up with several of such activities but the focus should be to let the children find it a fun way of doing things. They should never find it least bit burdensome. You also make your parenting fun with these activities.
