Fun with Toddlers!

[Arimeh]

Thanks guys

I'm proud to say that even though DS is standing in front of the tv at the moment , I don't think he has watched it as much today as every other day.

We had visitors this afternoon, so of course he showed off for them, and we have been out the back twice today to play with the dogs, out the front twice to play with the chalk, painting the pavers/deck with water and watering the flowers (and pavers!!)

Plus colouring in, kicking a ball around the backyard with the dogs and riding one of his many bikes!!!

So thanks guys - I'm really going to try hard to be a "good, attentive" mummy, instead of the usual slacker I have seemed to get myself into

[Madissun]

I was at work today too, so sadly the only thing we did together was bath time and jami time! Just wanted to thank you though Mel ...Awesome thread!!

I hope the mods DO turn it into a sticky!

[peanutter]

I think I'll have to send this to my DH

[Charlotte91]

This has given me some great ideas, unfortunately DD is bored but too young for 99% of these activities.

[~Kim~]

You might be surprised Charlotte. I remember with DD I didn't think to try lots of stuff because she was too little, but then DS came along and he already had an inbuilt babysitter lol who was doing stuff. He tried paint, crayons, chalk, playdough etc far earlier than DD did and loved them.
The painting with water type stuff - great age.
Playing with rice/flour in a tub with some spoons and cups. Yes they make a mess, but it's summer and it washes off.
Empty mixing bowl/spoon/plastic utensils when you're cooking

[jackrose]

Charlotte, I remember both my DDs loved 'posting' activities at your DDs age. I used a tissue box, a peanut butter jar with a hole cut in the lid and a cereal box with a slit cut in the lid and used pictures I had cut out of magazines, photos of family members, pics from catalogues and milk bottle lids for posting. Both DDs loved them and often found other things to post too like blocks, animals, toys... They also loved me naming the images for them and then graduated onto naming the pictures themselves. Great for fine motor skills, spacial awareness (big things don't fit in small holes) language development and the development of self confidence - it is something they can do themselves, just like a big person.

DDs both loved pouring at that age too. Water, rice, dried beans, whatever is around, in a big plastic tub with kitchen implements, muffin trays, egg trays, scoops, funnels, cups, toilet rolls, string, dolls and animals, milk bottle tops... anything you can think of can be added. Just try to keep it simple to begin with and rotate the pouring material and the implements to keep it interesting.

[JLeigh29]

I second what jackrose says - DS LOVES 'posting' and putting things into containers, taking lids on and off, pulling them out. And he just adores pouring too - mostly at bath time or tipping water/milk out of the cup at meal times, lol! He really likes the water table and will play independently here for waaaay longer than he will at anything else (except Duplo!).

DS is also enjoying gardening atm - weeding and digging in the dirt. At least it means there is actual dirt to wash off at bath times....

[Olive]

Bumping again