More intellectual growth occurs in a child's first three years of life than at any other time. This is also the period when babies turn into constant movers, needing lots of stimulation!
That's why we hear from parents looking for toddler activities at home and teachers seeking new toddler classroom activities that will build on the core skills in young children's brains and bodies.
Many classroom activities easily translate to toddler activities at home, and both depend on the loving adult to provide experiences that stimulate learning through exploration and discovery.
One of Gryphon House's all-time best sellers is The Encyclopedia of Infant and Toddler Activities. In it, you'll find hundreds of activities that are easy to incorporate into your daily routine, such as classroom arrival, naptime and departure. We picked a few samples to try on your active toddlers!
Lost and Found Song
For Younger Toddlers
Materials: None
What to do:
1. At the end of the day, when helping children find lost items, sing this song to the tune of "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star."
Looking, looking for my hat.
How I wonder where it's at!
Where, oh, where can it be?
We'll just have to look and see.
Looking, looking for my hat.
How I wonder where it's at!
2. Replace the word "hat" with "glove, scarf, coat," and so on, as you look for lost items. This makes it fun to get ready to leave!
Yo-Ho: A-Spying We Go
For Older Toddlers
Materials:
- cardboard tubes
- stickers
- markers
- tape
- hole punch (adult only)
- yarn
What to do:
- Help the children make binoculars. Let each child decorate two cardboard tubes with stickers and markers.
- Tape the tubes together.
- Punch a hole on the outer edge of each tube (adult only).
- String the yarn through the holes and tie a knot.
- Take the children for an "I Spy Adventure."
- Encourage the children to look through their binoculars and describe something they see.
Jump to Lunch
For Older Toddlers
Materials:
- sticky tape
- 2 large shapes
What to do:
- This is a fun transition into lunch for children. Using sticky tape, attach two large shapes on the floor, several inches apart, ending at the lunch area.
- One by one, call out the children's names. Ask them to "jump to lunch."
