A couple of you have requested some “flashback” posts about things I did with my girls when they were toddlers. It took some thinking to remember back — with little ones running around, things seem like a blur sometimes! I thought I would start with outside activities, since the weather is still so nice and fall is such a lovely time to play outside. Here are some fun ideas, using very basic materials:
Bubbles – I did most of the bubble blowing when my girls were small, although the horn style blowers (like from Gymboree) are easier for little ones. Big wands that can be swished and ran-around with are great too. I do remember one of our favorite things to do with bubbles was trying to pop them with different parts of our bodies. Great way to work on those tricky body parts, like elbow, shoulder, chin, etc. Also, showing my girls how to get their hands wet and catch the bubbles was a huge hit!
Sidewalk Chalk – So much fun can be had with big chalk! Try drawing on wet cement or dipping your chalk in water. Draw shapes and have your toddler jump, march, tiptoe or walk around the outline of the shape. Draw long, winding paths and play follow-the-leader. Bring a big cardboard box outside and color it, inside and out.
Water – With close supervision, of course, water offers an endless amount of creative play opportunities. Painting with water is a classic toddler activity – and for good reason! Offer many different types of brushes, including small rollers, wide brushes, even an old sock to dip and paint with. When you are tired of painting, bring out the funnels, measuring cups, and scoops and get busy. Dipping and squeezing sponges is a really satisfying activity, too!
Buckets – We still never have enough buckets! My youngest, especially, is a collector. Rocks, sticks, leaves, flowers, seed pods, etc. are all fair game. We used to have a set of small buckets in 3 or 4 different colors. The girls would choose a bucket, then hunt for things (inside & outside) that matched the bucket’s color. A small, lightweight bucket, or even a margarine tub with a handle tied, taped, or stapled on, is perfect for even the smallest collectors.
I’m sure those of you living with a toddler right now have lots you could share — what keeps your toddler busy outside?
Happy Playing!
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My almost 3-year-old and I like walking through our neighborhood, searching for interesting garden sculptures, flags, etc. She knows exactly where to find the house with “chubby bunny and blue lizard,” the house with the hanging gorilla (not kidding), and so many others. Somedays we look for a specific type of animal, other days we look for a color or shape. We usually top off our scavenger hunt with a trip to the swings.
Other fave activities: collecting acorns and their “acorn hats,” finding fallen leaves/flowers for collages, finding rocks to paint, and pretending to be bees/butterflies looking for pretty flowers.
I love these ideas!
Something my 3 and 5 year olds did with me two days ago was collect small boulders, dig a little “path” and fit the boulders together like a puzzle to make a stepping stone path. They loved the collecting, I did most of the digging but the puzzle fitting was the most satisfying part for me to watch then figure out. It was a beautiful and functional finished product.