Match It Up, Place Setting Game

My son loves this and I love it because he is learning how to set a table at the same time and thinks it is a game.

I used a 12×12 peice of cardboard to make the match up placemat, but I’ve also seen it done on plastic place mats, or made out of cloth.

I showed him where each item went and he had fun taking them off and matching them up again.

Rainy Day Activities for Toddlers

Just wanted to share another article I have published. There are some fun ideas for toddlers when you are stuck indoors.

Rainy Day Activity for Toddlers

Curious George Educational Activities

Here is a link to an article I wrote of educational activities to go along with the movie Curious George.  My son enjoyed the movie and really enjoyed doing the activities, especially the bubbles and balloons activities.

Curious George Link

Magnifying Glass Fun

I got a package of cheap magnifying glasses at the dollar store. They aren’t the best in the world, but they work. Then we had magnifying glass day. Toddlers will love looking at things through the magnifying glass. If they are looking at small objects, be sure to have them sit at a table or in a high chair so that you can easily monitor them with the small items. Take the magnifying glass with you when you go on a walk and look at things outside with it. Following is a list of items that my son enjoyed looking at through a magnifying glass.

• Leaves
• Flowers
• Cracks in the sidewalk
• Coins
• Bugs
• Pictures in a book
• Really small print (you can print some out on your computer if you can’t find any)
• His finger
• Cereal, bread and other food items
• The bristles on a tootbrush
• A peice of cloth

Chicken Little Activities

This is one of my son’s favorite movies. Here is a link for an article I wrote on educational activities and games to go along with this movie. We’ve been having a blast doing these. I hope your kids enjoy these as much as we have.

Chicken Little

Finding Nemo Educational Activities

For another project I’ve been writing articles about educational activities related to favorite kids movies. My son has had a blast trying them out so I thought I would share them here too.

Here is the first one: Finding Nemo

There is a snack activity, craft idea, trip and book suggestions.

A Fun Jungle Themed Party

I wrote this for another project but thought it would be nice to share it here too. Following is the first paragraph and a link to where you can read the rest of the article. Enjoy!

Invitation Ideas

Make a card that looks like an elephant by attaching a trunk and big ears to a regular card. Add some squiggly eyes and all that’s left is adding the information on the inside.

Jungle Party

Shaving Cream Creations

Just before bathtime, put your child in their high chair (you’ll probably want to have them only in their diaper so it is easier to clean them off). Put some shaving cream on their tray and show them how they can manipulate it. Squeeze it, use a finger to draw a picture or write a name. Let them play and encourage them to be creative in what they do. Talk to them about what they are making or doing.

This activity is beneficial in many ways. It is tactile stimulation, which is very good if you have a child like mine who has a hard time dealing with weird textures or doesn’t like getting things on their hands. Eventually the fun of playing with the shaving cream overcame the initial discomfort. This also encourages conversation and creative play. During creative play a child learns to distinguish between reality and imagination. They learn that they can make something look like something else, for example they can draw a picture of a flower in the shaving cream but the shaving cream is still shaving cream.

As an added bonus shaving cream is a great cleaner, so when you wipe off their tray it has been sanitized and cleaned

Water Wonder

Get a small clean sponge, put a small amount of water in a plastic bowl and give them to your child. They will have fun watching the water move up the sponge. Show them how to squeeze out the sponge and soak up the water again. A little water will probably get on the counter and your child’s clothes, but the activity is sure to keep them entertained for a while. It is a perfect thing to have your child do in their high chair while you do something that you can only do when they aren’t around such as cleaning or cooking.

Playing with water like this has many benefits. To adults it may seem like your child is just making a mess, but playing with water stimulates the senses and helps develop motors skills.This particular activity helps them learn how to squeeze. It also helps a child understand spatial concepts. A bowl filled with water helps them understand volume. Water drips and splashes help a child make connections about natural laws like gravity

You can do a variation of this activity by offering small plastic items such as a tupperware lid or a spoon and showing your child how to clean them. Put them someplace where they can watch you wash dishes as well. This is imitative play; all children love imitative play especially at this age. They learn what is considered good and bad and how to act through imitation of those they see everyday (usually you, the parent). Give your child a dry towel and show them how to dry off the items they have “washed”.

Summer Outing Ideas

Every Toddler loves being outside, and any parent will enjoy watching them discover the world around them. So summer outings are a great idea. Here is a list to get your creativity going and get you thinking of fun outdoor activities to do with your toddler at the park.

The Park

The park is an all-time favorite for any outdoor toddler outing. There is lots of room to run around, you can play on the equipment and it’s free!

*Peek-a-boo: while playing around the equipment, hide behind things and pop out and say peek-a-boo. They’ll catch on quickly and want to take turns being the one who hides.

*Catch: Many toddlers won’t have the coordination to catch a ball quite yet, but they’ll love throwing it!

*Parachute: Take a large blanket with you to the park, put a couple of soft items in it. Show your toddler how to hold the corners, then you hold the other end and pop the items off the blanket.

*Search and find: Take a basket or a bag and help your toddler look for sticks, leaves, flowers and other interesting items to collect. When you are all done looking take them out one by one and look at them and talk about them.