Activities for Toddlers and You

Toddlers love to play with almost anything, but their very favorite thing to play with is you.

Although it can sometimes wear you out to play with a toddler, because they have such an abundance of energy, enjoying this special time in a child’s life is something you don’t want to miss. Not only will your child benefit from interacting with you, but you’ll also gain memories that you will treasure for a lifetime.

Activities for Toddlers – Although it can sometimes wear you out to play with a toddler, because they have such an abundance of energy, enjoying this special time in a child’s life is something you don’t want to miss.

Toddlers tend to key in on the emotions of their parents, so if you want to keep things fun, make sure you are enthusiastic about whatever it is you are playing with together.

If your toddler senses that you aren’t having fun, chances are they will lose interest as well.

Toddlers are notorious for wanting to play with whatever seems to be the most popular item at any given time, which is why when one child picks up a toy, the other children tend to want the same one.

Show a lot of interest in whatever activity you are doing together with your child, and they will share your interest.

Inspiration for Toddler

You can also serve as an inspiration for your toddler, setting the scene for the activities you do together.

Sometimes parents think that they have to always just play whatever games their child wants to play. But, toddlers love to mimic their parents and follow their lead.

Ask your child if they think they can gather up all the blue blocks in their wagon, or line up all the toy cars for a pretend parade. Not only are these types of activities good learning moments, but they will give your child something new to do and think about.

Reliving Your Own Childhood

Playing with a toddler is a good way of reliving some of the best times of your own childhood. Think back to how much fun it was to be a child, and how good it felt to just play.

Engage your toddler in some make-believe games, or play hairdresser, letting your child comb and style your hair however they want to.

Have a picnic in the middle of the living room floor, or have toy car races down the hallway. These kinds of toddlers activities will be fun for both you and your child.

Think up interesting task games that you can play with your toddler that will help them develop good motor skills as well as have fun. For instance, give them a box of alphabet magnets and ask them to put them all on the refrigerator.

Or, give them a stack of playing cards and ask them if they can line up the entire deck in a single row, snaking around the house.

These kinds of activities provide a lot of learning and practice for motor skills, as well as give you a chance to catch your breath and take a break for a few minutes.

Have Fun!

Most importantly, have fun! Your child will pick up on the fact that you are enjoying the time you spend together. You never want to make your child feel like it is a chore for you to spend time with them.  Playing together with your toddler is not only fun, but it will help build a bond between the two of you that will last a lifetime.