10 Things to Do With Your Toddler
Fun Activities to Stimulate Learning
Adopt a Tree
Take a walk with your child and ask her to pick out her favorite tree along the way. Explain that while no one can really own a tree, she can have this tree to take special care of. Tell your child that she must get to know the tree by studying its bark. Do this by making a bark rubbing drawing using a piece of paper and some crayons. When the trees leaves start to fall off in autumn, do the same with some of the leaves (rubbing drawings). When you take more walks, encourage your child to bring a water bottle and water the tree when you pass it by. Don't forget to take photos of your child standing by the tree. You should have some pages now to make a scrapbook of your child and her tree!
Teach "Hello"
Your child is at an age where learning a new language is easy. It gets hard as they get older. Teach your child how to say "hello" in different languages and practice by saying it a new way each morning. Here are some ways to say it:
- Chinese: Ni Hao
- Dutch: Hallo
- French: Bonjour
- Italian: Saluto
- Spanish: Hola!
Library Fun
Materials:
- Books
- Index cards
- Card file
- Envelopes
- Rubber stamps
Directions: Have your child collect all of his favorite books and bring them in the living room (or any other room in your house designated as the library). Tape an envelope to the inside back cover of each book. Use an index card to write the name of each book and place it in the envelope. Stand all of the books up around the room for easy browsing. Tell your child he can now borrow books from the library. When he brings you a book(s), simply take out the catalog card (index card) in the back, stamp it with a rubber stamp, and write a due date on the catalog card. Place the catalog card in the card file (or any box will do). Now your child can take his book home. Reverse roles and let your child be the librarian next.
Celery Magic
Materials:
- Leafy stalk of celery
- Two styrofoam or plastic cups
- Blue and red food coloring
Directions: This experiment will amaze your child and you can use this opporunity to explain how plants need and use water. Pick a piece of celery that is thick and healthy. Cut the stalk down the center to create two stalks. Make the cut 4 inches from the bottom. Fill a styrofoam or plastic cup with water and have your child add several drops of red and blue food coloring in alternate glasses (one with red, one with blue). Place one of the stalk legs into each cup. Let it sit overnight. When your child wakes up the next morning he should see something truly amazing. The stalk that was placed in the red food coloring will have red leaves, while the stalk placed in the blue food coloring will have blue leaves! Again, use this opportunity to tell your child how the water traveled up the stalk to give itself a drink of water.
Animal Map
Materials:
- Large map of the world (relatively cheap at Wal-Mart or other discount store)
- Atlas
- Pictures of animals (old magazines work great)
- Tape
Directions: This is a great activity to show your child that animals live all over the world. Even if your child is too young to read a map, she will get a sense of how big the world really is. Have fun clipping pictures of animals from various magazines with your child. Once you have lots of animals, use an atlas to determine where each animal lives. Make sure you pick a good variety of animals, like ones from Africa, ones that live in the rainforests, and other places. Have your child tape the animal picture to the place it lives on the large map of the world.
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