What activities do you do with your young toddler?
DS is almost 16 months, and I really struggle coming up with ideas for activities to do with him. He has just started getting into scribbling with crayons (but also eats them a fair bit). I've tried play-dough, but again, all he does is eat it. Painting is the same, loads up a brush with paint and sticks it in his mouth, lol.
I want to do new things with him, but I find it hard to find things that DS is ready for. Any suggestions for activities to do with younger toddlers?
It's a tough one at that age because they have such a short attention span! At that age, I was taking my DS's for lots of walks to the park, collecting leaves/sticks, etc along the way. I read them stories, gave them some pots, pans and spoons to play with (or just make noise with LOL). They were always content to play with me outdoors in the sandpit or playing with a ball. I can't remember what else now!
i remember that age being a pain too, i was excited to do all these thing...ike painting etc casue i thought she was ready more involved things, but her attention span just wasnt long enough...unless she was actually painting her own body!
I second what trish said, pots full of stuff to fill and empty, books, walks, more walks!! Now 22 months she loves drawing and painting....and hardly ever eats the crayons anymore
My DS is quite physical - anything he can climb on/over/under etc. He loves the sandpit/his sand and water table. He loves our prams/trolleys to push and pull and load up with stuff.
He's currently sitting up at the table playing with playdough - well actually mainly with the container and putting the playdough in and out. He like to draw on the chalkboard too. He isn't allowed to have penxils inside as he's a wall drawer.
The other day I gave the two of them some shaving cream on the table and some food dye and let them play in that - they loved it and then we took 'prints' of the result. They got it everywhere but it was easy to wash off ( it was outside). Then they spent the next half an hour standing in the shower recess with cups and straws and blowing bubbles.
DS loves to chase bubbles that DD loves to blow, so that is a good game.
Painting with plain water is good when it's warm - give them a brush and a bucket.
Arimeh started a thread a while ago - lots were for older kids, but there was lots for younger ones as well.
At that age, Emily was into collecting things from the garden to use with arts and crafts, books and books and more books, painting, drawing etc. I know it's a pain that they put everything in their mouth though.
DD is 14 months and right into her sandpit and her favourite thing at the moment is taking books and dvds off the shelf. As soon as they're off and I put them back, she's taking them off again, she loves it!
Blocks like the peek a blocks are good. They can try and stack them and push them over.
The park or an indoor play centre is great at this age, especially during the winter.
Yep..the sandpit.
My DS1 had a ball pit that he loved to sit in an throw the balls out and then put them back in.
Toys that talked and made noises.
I am finding it difficult to entertain DS as well, it must be the age. He loves being outside, so every day that it's fine I take him to the local park/playground - he is easily entertained there for ages on the equipment and also collecting sticks, running on the grass etc. I have no idea what I'm going to do with him when we're stuck inside on rainy days.
When the weather is good i get out in the garden and give ds a little bucket and spade and he helps me do the weeding
We have a rock garden so we fill up empty juice containers with rocks and make lots of noise shaking them around. He loves the park and the swings and generally just being outside. If we can, we go to the lake and chase seagulls for hours. I'm lucky that ds doesnt put things in his mouth.
If its raining, we read lots of books. Sometimes if i feel like cleaning up a big mess afterwards we will do some baking together. Like if we make banana bread i'll let him stir it around and help with the ingredients but it is very very very messy (and fun!). I'll put on a cd and we will dance together and make silly faces. He loves his ball pit so we get in there and throw the balls all over the place. I do try to contain the mess to just one room when its raining as i feel like i cant escape it if i dont.
You could get a pkt of balloons and blow them up for something different.
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What activities do you do with your young toddler?
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