After your child celebrates their second birthday, they will experience major intellectual, physical, social, and emotional changes that help them make sense of the world.
Try these simple learning activities for your toddlers at home this holiday season. They’ll entertain your child while aiding their development.
1. Play Dress-Up
Get out a pile of old clothes and let your child play dress-up. “You can also participate, but it’s great to encourage group play with two or three other children their age.
SKILLS LEARNED:
Creativity
Imagination
Language Skills
Social Development
2. Decorate a Crayon Carrier Bag
Cover a table with for example newspaper, then gather a resealable zipper storage bag, glue stick, pompoms, and crayons. Let your child use the glue stick to coat the bag and help them stick on the colourful pompoms. They can fill the bag with crayons when it dries.
SKILLS LEARNED:
Motor skills
Planning
Creativity
3. Hide Toys
For an easy indoor activity for your toddler, hide a toy somewhere in the house, and ask your child to find it. Explore with them, using cues like “warmer” and “colder” to guide them.
SKILLS LEARNED:
Listening
Problem-Solving
Social Skills
Memory
4. Make a Mailbox
Create a mailbox by decorating an old shoe box or cardboard box and cutting a slit in the top. Fill it with your junk mail for your child to open. “Not only does this develop fine motor skills as they open the envelopes and take out what’s inside, but you can also use it to teach your child basic concepts.
“Talk about the pictures, colours, and letters; help them sort it by size, shape, or colour; or count the pieces. You can also layer in imaginative play by playing post office, or playing store with the coupons.”
SKILLS LEARNED:
Fine Motor Skills
Develops an Understanding of Basic Concepts
5. Imagine a Boat
Lay out a towel or blanket on the floor and have your toddler sit it, gently pull them around the room. Pretend the blanket is a train or a boat and that you are stopping at different places, like the zoo, the grocery store, or a favourite restaurant. This activity for 2-year-olds at home will also improve balance!
SKILLS LEARNED:
Balance
Pretending
6. Try a “Stop and Go” Game
Play games that involve starting and stopping, such as “red light, green light” or “freeze dance.” Developing self-control will eventually help children negotiate, compromise, and work out conflicts without losing their temper.
SKILLS LEARNED:
Self-Control
