How to Pick Fun Activities With Toddlers

Toddlers love to get messy.

Picking fun activities to do with toddlers is not hard to do. Toddlers are curious by nature and eager to explore the world around them. Just about any safe activity that enables toddlers to explore their five senses is going to be a big hit. Here is how to pick fun activities with toddlers.

Things You'll Need

• Play clothes
• Playfulness

Instructions

1. Dress toddlers in play clothes. It is hard to pick fun activities for toddlers that do not involve some sort of mess. Also, toddlers are not going to have much fun if they are constantly being told that they cannot get dirty. Dress your toddler in something that he can get dirty, and then go have fun.

2. Provide room to run around. Toddlers love to explore, and they want to do their exploring on their own two feet. Take toddlers to places where they can run around safely and touch things without harming themselves. Many communities have children’s museums that provide large enclosed areas in which toddlers can safely touch every object. A fenced in backyard or park is great for this purpose, too, although you will need to supervise the things that your toddler touches.

3. Encourage toddlers to get loud. Toddlers love to explore and experiment with various noises, and they sometimes need to use their “outside voices.” Pick activities that enable toddlers to get loud. Provide child-safe musical instruments that toddlers can play with. Attend a mommy-and-me music class where toddlers sing fun songs together.

4. Introduce different textures. Toddlers love to explore the differences in textures, from the feeling of wet finger paint to the softness of a cat’s fur. Make edible play dough so your toddler can sculpt things without your having to worry about her eating the play dough. Take your toddler to a petting zoo so she can touch the fur of different animals.

5. Allow toddlers to get wet. Many (but not all) toddlers enjoy getting wet. The bathtub can be a wonderful place for a variety of fun activities, from “painting” the walls with bath crayons to pouring water in and out of various-sized cups. Toddlers also enjoy splashing around in a wading pool. Always supervise toddlers when they are in or near water.

6. Bake together. Toddlers enjoy the taste of sweets just as much as adults do. Allow your toddler to help you mix up the batter and then lick the spoon. Your toddler can also help scoop spoon-sized cookie dough onto a cookie sheet. Just be prepared for a very big mess.

7. Enjoy your toddler. Enable yourself to see the world through your toddler’s eyes and enjoy the wonder in the beauty of the world around you.

Tips & Warnings

• Encourage toddlers to pick their favorite fun activities and follow their lead.

• Never leave a toddler unsupervised, particularly around water or outdoors.