Developmental Activities for Toddlers

Watch your child enjoy this activity using an adult paint brush! Set a large piece of paper on the floor of your house or sidewalk. Show your child how to go back and forth on the paper using water. Your child may end up 'painting' more than the paper!

The habit of counting to children will begin to help them understand numbers when they are older. Whenever your child is going up or down the stairs, count each step. Your child will begin to absorb this language.

Children love their own space to play! Locate a large cardboard box. Turn it upside down and cut out a door and windows. Encourage your child to take favorite toys inside the house to play. Encourage your child to say , "Bye Bye" when going inside and ,"Hello" when entering your space.

Shapes are fascinating to children! Show your child 2 rectangles, 2 squares, and 2 circles. Scatter the shapes on the floor in front of your child. Put one of the shapes in your hand and name the shape. Ask your child to find the other shape. If your child just wants to play with the shapes, that's fine! Try the activity later.

Children love to paint on an easel! Try using blue and yellow paints. Enjoy watching your child create the color "green".

Children this age love trains! This is a fun song about a train to sing with your child:
The train is rolling down the track,
Listen to the wheels go clickety clack,
Over the bridge, around the bend,
Taking me for a ride.
Pretend you are a train moving around the house. Be creative with your movements as you turn on bends, go up hills, blow your whistle.

Your child will develop eye/hand coordination with this fun stringing activity. Knot one end of the pipe cleaner. Show your child how to put the pipe cleaner in the hole of each bead. Let your child continue. Try not to interrupt your child's work.

Children love to be creative as they paint the sides of the bath tub. Provide your child with bath tub crayons designed for use while bathing. See how long your child will stay with this activity. Take a photo of the bath tub artwork to display for all to see!