Thursday, November 15, 2007

Thursday Thirteen: Thirteen Toddler Activities




  1. Record your child singing and play it back.
  2. Finding Colors - Ask your toddler to go around the house and get things of certain color: green, red, blue.
  3. Sink or float. Pull together some waterproof toys and a tub of water. Teach your child which things sink and which ones float.
  4. Make a Mask – Using paper plates and a piece of elastic
  5. Cereal Box Dominoes – save your cereal boxes, line up empty boxes like dominoes and have your child knock them down and line them up again.
  6. Paint chip color matching. Go to a local hardware store and pick out paint chips in recognizable colors (2 or 3 for each color). Have your child match colors.
  7. Gift bag Drop - Line up some open gift bags and have your child drop cotton balls or marshmallows into the bags.
  8. Water Bottle Noise Makers - Put some pennies into used water bottles. Screw the lid on tightly and shake away.
  9. Playing Card Fun - Use cards that you don’t mind getting bent. Drop the cards and let your child pick them up. Put them number side up on the floor and have them find the 5 or the 2, etc.
  10. Gone Fishin’ - Cut some fish out of craft foam. Get a fish net from your local pet store. Have your child “catch” the fish in the bathtub.
  11. Beans - Give you child a bowl full of dried beans. Give them measuring cups and spoons to transfer the beans into different containers.
  12. Grocery Store – save empty boxes of cereal, dried pudding mix, any type of boxes or cartons that can be emptied or rinsed out. Tape them closed with packing tape. Let your child go grocery shopping for the ingredients for dinner.
  13. Mirror, Mirror – Use erasable markers to write on a mirror. Try drawing a mustache on your child’s image in the mirror.

Click here to view other T-13 participants!

12 comments:

Jaime Matthews said...

These are great ideas! I can tell how beaten down I feel by my toddler right now because as I read them, I immediately think of how it would get messed up. But, I know if I just made myself try them, we'd both have a great time regardless of how it played out!

Regina Avalos said...

Thanks for stopping by my TT.

Dane Bramage said...

Great activities! Thanks for stopping by my TT!

Lori said...

Hmm, how I wish I'd made a tape of my son singing when he was a toddler. Never even thought about it back then. But it's not too late to capture some other moments. Thanks for the tip.

tommie said...

My 3 and 4 year old go to a Montessori preschool....these activities are very similiar to things they do there ....and that i try to repeat in our home.

One thing I would suggest it to take a pic of these, mount a small wallet size pic on a popsicle stick. When they are forever bored, or on a rainy day...pull out the sticks and have them pick! Mine love to "do the sticks".

Thanks for visiting my TT....BTW that test is based on a book called Personality Plus by Florence Littauer.

Paisley Scott said...

Great and innovative ideas! Love the T13!
Paisley

amanda rae said...

nice list! happy tt!

Raggedy said...

Fantastic ideas!
Some of them might be fun even if you are not a toddler. :)
I might go play with my cereal boxes now and try the domino thing...
Happy TT!

orneryswife said...

Thanks for dropping in at Miller Manor. Great TT list, although I am well beyond the toddler stage in life! Enjoyed your blog, and I'm bookmarking to come back again.
TM

Anonymous said...

Those are some fantastic ideas. I especially liked the 'grocery shopping one' my 4yo would love that.
Have a great weekend.

Cathy said...

These are great - they'll come in handy this winter.

And guess what. I was telling my mom about your blog. And she knows you. And you know her. Crazy small world, isn't it?
Her name is Edith (or maybe everyone calls her Edie at church?).

Marie said...

Aww, what a great list of activities! Thanks for visiting my T13!

http://www.creativedandelion.blogspot.com