Home Activities to do with your Toddler
Practical Life
Food Prep/Cook/Bake with child
Folding laundry and putting clothes away
Sweeping/Dusting
Water Work
Half fill a small pan or pot with water (or use the kitchen sink) and supply child with kitchen utensils (small ladles, plastic measuring cups, soup spoons, turkey baster)
Cleaning Surfaces
Give the child a small bucket with a little bit of water and soap and scrub brush and show them how to make bubbles with the brush.
Good surfaces are floors, chairs and large plastic toys.
Organize play items
Plant Watering
Washing hands
20 seconds with the birthday song.
Practice dressing self
zipping, buttoning, putting clothes on (including shoes and socks)
Sensorial
Nature walk
Collect interesting items and discuss them
Who does that feel?
What does this look like?
What color is this?
Sort the items
By size
By type
Play-dough
Sorting - anything you have multiples of sort them by..
color
Shape
Size
quantity
Organizing items by height/length/weight
Fitting smaller items into a bigger item
Language
Sing simple songs
Head shoulder knees and toes
Wheels on the bus
Have your child lead the song.
What/who is on the bus?...what does it do/say?...
Itsy bitsy spider
Read stories and books
Conversations with child
Talk about what you did or will do today
Talk about school
Friends, teachers, activities
Math
Look for opportunities to count
Other learning experiences
Large motor activities
Running
Balancing
Have child walk on line on the floor (you can use a piece of masking tape)
Climbing
Heavy work
Carrying a large bottle of water
Help carry in groceries
Jumping
Indoors on a rug (the jumping rug)
Gardening
Till dirt
Plant seeds (can do indoors)
Water indoor plants
Prune plants (take dead leaves/etc off plants)
Observe the wildlife in garden
Music
Play instruments
Singing
Listen to music
Art
Coloring
Painting
Try water on a chalkboard
Gluing
Stickers
Hole punching