Fun Games to Play with your Toddler

You’ve definitely heard the cliché that kids are like sponges—this is especially true for toddlers. Young children between the ages of one and three are constantly acquiring new information. Play is their primary method of learning. Parallel play, which starts them off, progresses into more engaging activities where they interact with and learn from their playmates. Start your toddler off with one of these games to help them develop their cognitive, physical, and emotional skills:

1. Simon Says

Simon Says is a beloved game that you can play with a child individually or in a group to help them learn how to follow directions. The rules are simple: Since you are Simon, whatever you say is valid. “Simon says touch your toes,” for example. —and your child must abide to them. If you yell out a command like “Jump up! “, it’s crucial that kids pay attention for the words “Simon says.” Players may be removed without using Simon Says as a preface. Include some humorous orders as well, such as “perform a stupid dance,” “wiggle your ears,” and “jump like a frog.” Children can learn the names of their bodily parts by playing this game.

2. Hot and Cold

Found his favorite stuffed animal? Hide it, then ask him to look about. He is cold when he is straying away from it, but as he draws nearer, he becomes warmer, warmer, and hotter! You can hold his hand if he becomes agitated and looks around. This game will develop your kid’s emotional skills—he’ll learn patience, perseverance and the idea that just because you can’t see something, it doesn’t mean it isn’t there.

3. “One for you, one for me”

This game encourages sharing and is ideal for younger children. Make sure you each have a container to hold your expanding collections. Lay out a pile of things, like crayons or buttons, and ask him to divide them between you while saying, “One for you, one for me.”

4. Scavenger Hunt

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What could be more enjoyable than a scavenger hunt? You can give your toddler orders like “find me something round” or “find me something red” and have her search for items around the house, or you can let her choose out a variety of items and ask her questions like “Which one is blue? Or “Which is longer?”.

5. Obstacle Course

A fun, secure obstacle course can help students improve balance, coordination, and gross motor skills. To get your child rolling, jumping, and racing around, over, or under items or markers, you can put up a short course in your living room or outside in the yard, depending on the available area.

6. Puzzles

Puzzle-Playing-puzzles

Building a puzzle can improve your child’s memory, teach him about different shapes, and help him set and achieve simple goals. Puzzles are excellent games for toddlers because they cover all bases: physical (from making the pieces fit), cognitive (actually solving the puzzle), and emotional skills (learning how to be patient).

7. Odd One Out

In front of your child, arrange a row of identical-colored blocks, being sure to include at least one block of a different color. You could also use tiny vegetables or fruits for this. Ask her which block stands out once she has had a chance to examine each one. Using flash cards of different plants or shapes, you can make this game more challenging by asking the player which ones are similar and which ones are different.

8. Rescue the Animals

Get a roll of masking tape, some dolls, automobiles, or even toy animals. One by one, attach the toy animals to a window or door using strips of masking tape. Encourage your youngster to carefully peel/pull off the tape in order to “rescue” the toys. It’s a great game for toddlers to play that helps them practice their hand-eye coordination and fine motor abilities.

9. Toy Tea Party

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Bring your child’s favorite toys over for a tea party and spread out a rug or sheet on the floor. Give each person their own plate, beaker, and plastic cup. Encourage your kid to give the toys something to eat by placing some pretend food, such as tiny triangles of bread or cake, on a larger plate. You can even offer juice or tea if you have a plastic jug or teapot, but make that fake juice or tea first or you’ll spend the entire time trying to prevent spills. Have a conversation with your youngster about the toys’ favorite foods and topics of conversation. Don’t forget to teach the toys how to share politely and to say please and thank you.

10. Dress Up Game

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Give your child a scenario or career, such as summertime, a rainy day, friends from the forest, a sports star, or a construction worker, and ask them to come up with an outfit that fits the criteria. They can browse through the dress-up bin or use their own clothing. Then play a song that fits the situation you’ve chosen and perform a fashion show. We promise that playing this game will result in tons of amazing images. Playing is an excellent way to get kids to get into their pajamas after supper.

11. Shape-matching

On felt, trace different shapes. Use cookie cutters in a variety of shapes or make your own to make it simpler. Cut out the shapes, and then split them in half. Match the various halves with your young child. To make the art project even more vivid, use different colored felt.

12. Excavation Site

Sift sand into a big pail. Include some of your toddler’s preferred small toys, such as tiny plastic dinosaurs or other trinkets. Then allow your child to explore and unearth all the buried objects.

13. Building Block Bath

This may be a good bathtime activity. Your child will enjoy building interesting things while soaking clean if you simply add plastic building blocks to his next bath. Just keep in mind that you should never leave your kids alone near or in water.

14. Stackable Cups

Give your young child a packet of colorful paper or plastic cups and instruct him to build the tallest tower he can out of them. He might even sort the cups if they are various colors so that he can stack different colored towers on top of one another.

15. Gelatin Aquarium

The night prior, mix some gelatin per the instructions on the package, pour it into a sizable glass baking dish or loaf pan, and then stir in some of your toddler’s preferred little toys, such as plastic fish, toy cars, etc. Sterilizing the toys first by running them in the dishwasher or boiling water for five minutes is a good idea. Refrigerate the “aquarium” along with his or her toys. The following day, your child can search through his or her “aquarium” to find the toys and even try some of the gelatin.

Conclusion

It can be hard to keep toddlers out of trouble, but these toddler activities will certainly keep them engaged. Additionally, they provide enjoyable chances for practical learning. There are so many fantastic games you can play with your toddler—these are just fifteen of them. Just be imaginative, and you’ll both have fun playing the games and laughing together!