Toddlers are constantly on the go. They’re learning about their environment, checking out everything it has to offer, and barreling their way through. This is exactly what they should be doing. Finding the right things to do with toddlers to help them learn and have fun can be a challenge. If you are looking for something new to try with your little one, here are some great activities:
1. Explore Nature
Taking your child out into nature is an excellent activity. There you can find world-changing discoveries, pose questions about endless topics, and learn how to take risks. Head to a local park and go for a walk. Commit to taking things at your toddler’s pace.
No matter the time of year, there’s always something new to explore such as spring flowers, changing fall leaves, bugs, and animals. Name and talk about the things that you see. You might be surprised by how much fun you have–and by how much both of you learn.
2. Find Your Rhythm and Dance
Whether you choose to invest in dance lessons or just turn up the music and jam out together, you’ll find that dancing with your toddler is a great way to burn some of that endless energy. It’s great for bonding too. A great dance session can bring about so much joy and turn a bad mood around.
It also lets them practice some of those big, gross motor skill movements. Introducing music and rhythm to your toddler can even help improve their cognitive ability. Studies have shown that music helps improve reading readiness.
The key to getting your toddler’s brain going is to pick songs that encourage word repetition. Pick songs like “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star” and then change some words with fun or silly ones that are personalized or sure to grab your child’s interest.
3. Get Creative
Explore more artistic and creative forms of entertainment. Really anything that encourages creativity is fantastic for your child’s development. There are more common creative choices like finger painting, playing with play dough, or drawing.
But you can always find more out-of-the-box activities. When it comes to finger painting, instead of using regular paint, create edible paint with your toddler. You can also make different types of collages.
Maybe you take a nature walk and pick up some leaves for your child to use in their collage.
If you are unsure what artistic activity fits your toddler, look online. There are huge lists filled with great ideas for creative activities.
4. Make Time to Read
Parent-child reading time can be one of the most important activities for infants and toddlers. It is no secret that introducing your child to literacy early can greatly improve their cognitive ability later in life. Kids who start reading, or are read to at an early age, find reading later in life to be much easier and more enjoyable.
Your toddler can even develop skills due the book topics you choose. If you want them to learn a new language, start with a book that has multiple languages. If you want to get their creativity flowing, go pick up a fantasy book about dragons and space. You really can’t go wrong when it comes to reading.
Just remember to make it fun. Layout four or five books and let your toddler choose their favorite. Encourage them to read along and let them flip the pages as you go so that they are engaged.
5. Become a Safer Swimmer
Going swimming with a toddler isn’t just an incredibly fun experience, it’s also a great hands-on learning activity. Swimming enhances fine motor skills, balance, and attention span. Investing in swim lessons now also means that your little one will be comfortable and confident in an aquatic environment.
Get your child comfortable in the water by starting swimming classes early. He or she should learn how to be a safer swimmer through breath control, balance, and movement in the water.
Don’t underestimate the importance of swim lessons. Not only will your children develop important skills, but they will also gain valuable and important safety skills.
6. The Imitation Game
Do you remember being young and dreaming of traveling through space, exploring wild jungles, or being the best soccer player in the world? Whether you’ve achieved your toddlerhood fantasies or not, dreaming such big dreams wasn’t just exciting, it was part of your cognitive development.
Even Einstein once said, “Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited, whereas imagination embraces the entire world, stimulating progress, giving birth to evolution.”
So, when your child tells you he’s currently traveling across the ocean, embrace it. This will make them happy and encourage their development.
Encourage your young ones to go out in the garden with binoculars they made and explore. Let them build a box fort and play castle. Buy them a costume and let them pretend to slay dragons. As our imagination is endless, so is your child’s. And so are the possibilities for their future success.
You can dream up an endless list of activities to keep your toddler entertained and learning. However, sometimes, the simplest ones are the best. Contact us today to learn more about the benefits of swimming for your child.
