Fun for the Littlest Ones
The Wheels on The Stroller Go...
We all know the old "Wheels on the Bus." Next time you go for a walk, try singing "Wheels on the Stroller." Some sample lyrics: The visor on the stroller goes up and down. The girls in the stroller go whee, whee, whee (or wah wah wah, depending on the day. The doggie by the stroller goes bark, bark, bark. The mommy pushing the ...(read more)
Shake, Rattle and Roll
Toddlers are curious about sounds, so find a few plastic bottles with wide necks -- The Container Store is a good place to look. Then fill the containers with different objects like pasta, beans or pennies. Be sure to seal the container tightly; you may want to use some duct tape over the lid to be sure those small objects don't escape. Your toddler will have ...(read more)
Go Fish . . .for Toys
Take a few of your child's favorite small toys and tie one end of a short length of string to each of them. Tie the other ends of the string to the tray of his or her highchair or tape them along the outer edge (make sure the tape is out of the reach of your little one). Your child will enjoy throwing the toys off the highchair tray, ...(read more)
Laundry Basket Ride
On a carpeted surface, push your child around in the laundry basket while changing loads of laundry. They love the ride and then can take their own turn pushing around dolls and stuffed animals themselves!(read more)
Row, Row, Row Your Boat with Your Baby
This activity is for a baby the age of about 4-5 months. Sit on the floor with your legs spread apart and sit your baby facing you propped up with a pillow or cushion. Grasp his hands and pull his arms very gently so that he leans toward you while you lean back slightly, then change direction so that you lean forward and he leans back. Sing "Row, Row, Row ...(read more)
Tall Tales for Your Toddler
Try just starting a story in a quiet-ish moment. It can be a total non sequitur, no moral, no point, no lesson. Look at your little one and start with 'Did I ever tell you about ...' and just take it from there. The funny cat that used to live next door to us, the day we moved into this house, the first time I met your ...(read more)
Pumpkin Decorating for Toddlers
After your toddlers have picked out their perfect pumpkins, have them create their own jack o' lanterns using pre-cut felt shapes. Cut out various shapes of noses, eyes and mouths and let your child decide which ones to put together to create the perfect face. If you use double sided sticky tape to adhere the felt to the pumpkin, the felt pieces can easily be removed. As ...(read more)
Building Block Boxes
Wrap empty boxes of varying sizes with brown paper bags. You can use shoe boxes, cereal boxes, Mac and Cheese boxes, etc. After they are wrapped, the kids can decorate them with crayons & stickers and then stack them as high as themselves. These are great for toddlers because they are big, but light weight. (read more)
Magic Cups
This simple game for toddlers and preschoolers is based on the same principle as peek-a-boo, the favorite game of many infants. To start the game, hide a small toy under one of three cups while your child is watching. Then move the cups around and ask him to guess which one the toy is hidden under. Hint: for young children, move the cups slowly at first so they ...(read more)
Toddler Charades
My 3-year old loves playing this simplified version of charades. Imitate an animal or object and have your child guess what you are. Alternatively, imitate an activity and have your child guess what you're doing. Take turns. Be sure to explain to your child that there should be no talking!(read more)
Shaken Paintings
This art project is especially great for toddlers who love to shake and rattle things. Roll up a piece of white or light-colored paper and place inside a clean, empty Pringles can. Using a spoon if necessary, coat 3 or 4 marbles, one at a time into different colors of paint. Place them in the Pringles can as well. Let your toddler, shake, rattle, and roll the ...(read more)
You Are My Sunshine!
A fun twist on the song "You Are My Sunshine." In this modified version, you replace "sun" with the name of your child or members of your family, friends, etc. Our rendition will go, "You are my Gwen-shine, my only Gwen-shine, you make me happy, when skies are gray, you'll never know dear, how much I love you, please do not take my Gwen-shine away." We then ...(read more)
Blanket Rides
Put your child in the middle of a blanket, sheet, or towel and slowly pull them around. They will experience a new way to move through space and see what's around them! Little ones may be more comfortable on their tummies, older ones can sit.(read more)
Making Faces
A fun way to teach your baby about emotions is to make faces and say what each one is. Grin a huge grin and say "happy face," an exaggerated frown and say "sad face." Stick your tongue and roll or blink your eyes for "silly face." There's also angry, sleepy, shy, proud, confused, and any other emotion you can act out.(read more)
Fingerprint Spiders
With a black marker or Sharpie, draw a giant spider web on a piece of butcher paper. Put little fingers, one at a time, on ink pads (black or multicolor) and place fingers on spiderweb. You or your wee one can draw a silky thread to each spider, add eight legs, eyes and mouth for some happy, silly spiders. You can also try this with orange ink ...(read more)
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Because a Great Book Makes You Laugh
Before we had kids, we might have said that the best sound in the world was waves crashing. Or a champagne cork popping. Nothing against the ocean or a bottle of bubbly, but now we know for sure: the best sound
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