Cleaning off my desk the other day, I found a paper titled, "Play Activities for Toddlers". I have no idea where it came from or who to give credit to, but it's a great list for those, "What can we do now?" moments. What better time to share these ideas than here at the New Year when many of us may feel like we should make it more of a priority to spend quality time with our children. Figuring out good ways to play with toddlers isn't as easy as with a talkative preschooler, so here's the list with age-appropriate interests and play ideas for toddlers. Leave a comment and tell us how your baby likes to play!
At This Age: Toddlers Like to:
12-15 months crumple and toss paper
fill containers and dump the contents
roll objects down hills and inclines
turn light switches on and off
play with flashlights
poke objects into play dough
play and sing action songs and rhymes
12-18 months paint with edible finger paints
(i.e. pudding, Cool Whip)
play in sand and water
push and pull toys (such as trains and cars)
scribble with crayons
look at and talk about books,
family photos, catalogs
put objects into holes
roll a ball
nest objects (stack them one inside the other)
put large hand-held objects (like blocks) into holes
15-18 months play hide-and-seek
play with finger puppets
find and identify source of sounds
(like an alarm clock)
match plastic bottles and lids
dance
play musical instruments
blow bubbles, candles, feathers, paper, harmonica
18-20 months play with a toy hammer
stack objects on a spindle
stack large blocks or boxes
put small objects (such as pegs) into holes
18-24 months put together three to six piece puzzles
play on riding toys and rocking horses
play with small wooden blocks
throw and kick a ball
participate in kitchen by peeling eggs,
mashing potatoes, smelling spices,
and adding premeasured ingredients
turn pages of a book
hold pictures right-side up
match pictures to real objects
want to do things for themselves
kick a ball
unwrap an object
22 months come when called
put things away
screw and unscrew lids
show an interest in insects
match animals and sounds
model adult behavior
23 months use three-word sentences
talk to themselves
enjoy rhymes
sing easy repetitive songs
brush their teeth with help (mostly imitation)
say "please" and "thank you"
wash and dry their hands
remove and put on clothes
help with household chores
recognized places and landmarks
show imagination
throw a ball
enjoy working with their fingers
24 months show an interest in smells
enjoy carrying satchels (such as a purse)
walk up stairs without help
turn a door knob
stir
stack 6 or more blocks
jump down from a low object
jump in place
listen to short stories
open and close zippers
follow simple directions
(Get the ball. Touch your nose.)
Ask questions that require one-word answers
(Who's that?)
As always, you can ask your child's teachers or in the office for creative play and learning ideas. We're here to help you and your child however we can!
