101 Things to do with a Toddler..

LISA · April 30th, 2004, 06:58 PM

Color
Blow Bubbles
Play Hide-and-Seek
Peek-a-Boo
Play Chase
Do Fingerplays
Sing a song
Collect rocks in a basket
Make an obstacle course out of cushions and/or furniture
Make a fort out of cushions and sheets
Go for a Walk
Make a Car out of a box
Read a book
Go to the park
Fingerpaint
Play with Clay-Dough
Toss Bean bags into a Bucket
Play the shell and pea game
Dance to music
Download games for toddlers from the Internet
Practice putting things in and taking things out of boxes and bags
Make a temporary slide out of a table leaf and your couch
Roll a ball back and forth on the floor
Scoop dirt or sand into a child's bucket (or use a serving spoon and bowl)
Practice climbing by stacking boxes on top of each other (only with adult supervision)
Put on a puppet show
Go fishing with a yard stick and yarn
Make a Horseshoe game
Make a Shape Puzzle
Play paper basketball
Run through a Sprinkler
Play with a bucket of water and a sponge (PLEASE WATCH CHILD AT ALL TIMES!)
Make a Drum out of an oatmeal box
Play with a kazoo
Wash windows together
Bang on Pots and Pans with a spoon
Brush each other's teeth
Play dress-up with stuffed animals and your child's clothes
Stack canned or boxed food on top of each other
Let child stack mixing bowls inside each other
Make a playhouse out of a large box (see links page for some great instructions! Entitled: Building a Playhouse)
Let child play with a sticker sheet (make sure your child doesn't eat them!)
Put stickers on fingers for finger puppets
Play a musical instrument together- i.e.recorder, piano, etc.
Go on a Smelling Hunt
Frost Cookies
Plant a flower or vegetable plant together
Roll a tennis ball into an empty trash can or bucket
Draw on a mirror with dry-erase markers
Play hide and seek together- trying to find a stuffed animal or other object
Have a splash party together in the bathtub
Put a leash on a stuffed animal and walk around the house
Record each other on a tape recorder (great for scrapbooks or journals!)
Make and try on paper hats
Give a piggie back ride
Play "Horsie"
Talk into an electric fan (it distorts your voice)
Play tug-of-war with a blanket
Collect flowers (felt, artificial, real...)
Make a camera and go on a Safari
Play games with frozen juice lids
Disconnect your phone and pretend to make phone calls to relatives
Leave your phone connected and really make phone calls to relatives- let your child talk too
String large beads onto or along a shoelace
Squirt each other with squirt bottles
Glue shapes onto paper
Make sock puppets
Make paper puppets
Fill an old purse with toys
Use a paper towel tube as a megaphone
Make binoculars and go "Bird Watching" or "Stuffed Animal Watching"
Put snacks in different fun containers (paper sacks, empty canisters, etc.)
Act out a story from a book
Walk on a balance beam- use a 2x4 placed on the ground
Draw with chalk on the sidewalk
Sketch an outline of your child on the sidewalk or paper with chalk
Paint child's palms with tempura paint and blot on paper. Makes a great card for loved ones!
Put lipstick on child and kiss a mirror
Make a puddle on cement and splash barefoot in it
Let child decorate and eat an open peanut butter sandwich
Make a toilet paper barricade for child to go under, over, or through
Do the Hokey Pokey
Make a super-hero costume out of household items
Do Knee-Bouncing Rhymes
Play "Red Light, Green Light" saying "Go" and "Stop"
Make a shoebox train for stuffed animals
Make a pillow pile to jump on (keep it clear from any hard surfaces, including walls!)
Make an easy puzzle with felt and velcro
Make bracelets or collars for stuffed animals out of pipe cleaners and jingle bells
Learn numbers from a deck of cards
Play the matching game with a deck of cards
Make a domino chain
Have a picnic in the park, backyard, or living room!
Play dress up in Mommy or Daddy's clothes
Make a tin cup telephone and talk to each other in it
Make a nature collage
Mirror each other
Make a "Mummy Mommy" with toilet paper
Make a tape recording of short music selections and instructions to move in different ways
Make and walk along a toilet paper trail
TAKE A NAP!!

Tara · May 5th, 2004, 12:05 AM

Love these!! Thanks!

KimInCanada · May 5th, 2004, 10:07 AM

Wow!! Thanks Lisa!

Cat · May 5th, 2004, 10:33 AM

Lisa, thank you, my baby isnt into toddlerhood yet, well, nearly, so I have printed this off for reference

Nichole · May 5th, 2004, 03:37 PM

What a great reference!

Thanks!

Karly · May 5th, 2004, 04:08 PM

Wonderful resource, especially the last one!

Haley · May 7th, 2004, 03:38 PM

It's amazing that the things in life that are so simple are sometimes the most fun. Great reference list! Do we have to do all of them before we get to the nap at the end?

Jane · May 13th, 2004, 08:05 AM

What a fantastic list....thanks!

April 30th, 2004, 06:58 PM	#1
LISA cough hack wheez Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Hamilton,Ontario,Canada Posts: 21,349	101 Things to do with a Toddler.. Color Blow Bubbles Play Hide-and-Seek Peek-a-Boo Play Chase Do Fingerplays Sing a song Collect rocks in a basket Make an obstacle course out of cushions and/or furniture Make a fort out of cushions and sheets Go for a Walk Make a Car out of a box Read a book Go to the park Fingerpaint Play with Clay-Dough Toss Bean bags into a Bucket Play the shell and pea game Dance to music Download games for toddlers from the Internet Practice putting things in and taking things out of boxes and bags Make a temporary slide out of a table leaf and your couch Roll a ball back and forth on the floor Scoop dirt or sand into a child's bucket (or use a serving spoon and bowl) Practice climbing by stacking boxes on top of each other (only with adult supervision) Put on a puppet show Go fishing with a yard stick and yarn Make a Horseshoe game Make a Shape Puzzle Play paper basketball Run through a Sprinkler Play with a bucket of water and a sponge (PLEASE WATCH CHILD AT ALL TIMES!) Make a Drum out of an oatmeal box Play with a kazoo Wash windows together Bang on Pots and Pans with a spoon Brush each other's teeth Play dress-up with stuffed animals and your child's clothes Stack canned or boxed food on top of each other Let child stack mixing bowls inside each other Make a playhouse out of a large box (see links page for some great instructions! Entitled: Building a Playhouse) Let child play with a sticker sheet (make sure your child doesn't eat them!) Put stickers on fingers for finger puppets Play a musical instrument together- i.e.recorder, piano, etc. Go on a Smelling Hunt Frost Cookies Plant a flower or vegetable plant together Roll a tennis ball into an empty trash can or bucket Draw on a mirror with dry-erase markers Play hide and seek together- trying to find a stuffed animal or other object Have a splash party together in the bathtub Put a leash on a stuffed animal and walk around the house Record each other on a tape recorder (great for scrapbooks or journals!) Make and try on paper hats Give a piggie back ride Play "Horsie" Talk into an electric fan (it distorts your voice) Play tug-of-war with a blanket Collect flowers (felt, artificial, real...) Make a camera and go on a Safari Play games with frozen juice lids Disconnect your phone and pretend to make phone calls to relatives Leave your phone connected and really make phone calls to relatives- let your child talk too String large beads onto or along a shoelace Squirt each other with squirt bottles Glue shapes onto paper Make sock puppets Make paper puppets Fill an old purse with toys Use a paper towel tube as a megaphone Make binoculars and go "Bird Watching" or "Stuffed Animal Watching" Put snacks in different fun containers (paper sacks, empty canisters, etc.) Act out a story from a book Walk on a balance beam- use a 2x4 placed on the ground Draw with chalk on the sidewalk Sketch an outline of your child on the sidewalk or paper with chalk Paint child's palms with tempura paint and blot on paper. Makes a great card for loved ones! Put lipstick on child and kiss a mirror Make a puddle on cement and splash barefoot in it Let child decorate and eat an open peanut butter sandwich Make a toilet paper barricade for child to go under, over, or through Do the Hokey Pokey Make a super-hero costume out of household items Do Knee-Bouncing Rhymes Play "Red Light, Green Light" saying "Go" and "Stop" Make a shoebox train for stuffed animals Make a pillow pile to jump on (keep it clear from any hard surfaces, including walls!) Make an easy puzzle with felt and velcro Make bracelets or collars for stuffed animals out of pipe cleaners and jingle bells Learn numbers from a deck of cards Play the matching game with a deck of cards Make a domino chain Have a picnic in the park, backyard, or living room! Play dress up in Mommy or Daddy's clothes Make a tin cup telephone and talk to each other in it Make a nature collage Mirror each other Make a "Mummy Mommy" with toilet paper Make a tape recording of short music selections and instructions to move in different ways Make and walk along a toilet paper trail TAKE A NAP!! __________________

May 5th, 2004, 03:37 PM	#5
Nichole srsly? Join Date: Dec 2003 Posts: 16,344	What a great reference! Thanks! __________________ "So let us summon a new spirit of patriotism; of service and responsibility where each of us resolves to pitch in and work harder and look after not only ourselves, but each other." - President Barack Obama

May 5th, 2004, 04:08 PM	#6
Karly Looking forward to my favorite holiday... Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: at my computer Posts: 8,322	Wonderful resource, especially the last one! __________________ Let Them Be Little - Tyrus, Alexis & Carsten Josh and I will celebrate 10 years in

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May 5th, 2004, 12:05 AM	#2
Tara Registered but not Subscribed Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Texas Posts: 1,275	Love these!! Thanks!

May 5th, 2004, 10:07 AM	#3
KimInCanada Registered but not Subscribed Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Hamilton Ontario Posts: 672	Wow!! Thanks Lisa!

May 5th, 2004, 10:33 AM	#4
Cat Registered but not Subscribed Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Inverness, Scotland Posts: 2,026	Lisa, thank you, my baby isnt into toddlerhood yet, well, nearly, so I have printed this off for reference

May 7th, 2004, 03:38 PM	#7
Haley Registered but not Subscribed Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Virginia Posts: 128	It's amazing that the things in life that are so simple are sometimes the most fun. Great reference list! Do we have to do all of them before we get to the nap at the end?

May 13th, 2004, 08:05 AM	#8
Jane Registered but not Subscribed Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Sydney, AUSTRALIA Posts: 2,247	What a fantastic list....thanks!