Help your toddler learn new things as they explore the world around them!
If you have a toddler roaming around, you know how inquisitive they are at this age. They’re becoming very curious and want to try and do most things themselves. So, why not help foster this love for learning by providing them with new and fun activities?
A World of Discoveries provides premier daycare services in Columbia that support toddlers and their learning. Learn more about fun activities to try at home to spark and encourage toddler development.
Fun With Textures
Toddlers are very much sensory learners who begin to learn about the world around them from touching, tasting, and smelling things. Set up a sensory table with a variety of different textures.
From a bowl of water and pipe cleaners to sandpaper, rubber bands, and cotton balls, you can explore new textures with them. You could also take the cotton balls or dried beans and write their name and have them trace it and glue them on. This exposes them to their name and different letters, helping to familiarize them.
Organization
Make cleanup and organization fun (even though it may take more time) by creating a game out of it. Make a guessing game out of where things go. Give them an item — such as socks or a shirt — and have them guess where it goes.
You can also ask them, “where do your shoes go?” or “where are your toys stored?” and they can help you put things away. This teaches organization and responsibility.
Labeling
Every week, go around your home and label a couple of things such as the window, couch, and door. Create labels that are all the same color and easy-to-read writing that your child can identify.
Have your child talk about them each time they pass. They’ll soon gather more and more information about common things around the house. Not only will they associate words, but as they begin to learn the alphabet you can ask, “what letter does window start with?” and reading and word recognition become easier.
Numbers and Measuring
Help your toddler begin to count by using everyday items such as books or toys to measure their height. Have them lay down and place the items next to them. Together, you can count how many “books tall” they are.
You can then go around your home having them measure the dog or their bike.
Scavenger Hunts
Kids love a good scavenger hunt — it allows them to explore and be natural investigators. You can create a scavenger hunt just about anywhere — at home, at the park, or even at the grocery store. It can be as easy as find something that is green or find a circle-shaped item. You can also have them find more specific items such as socks and books.
It’s fun to watch toddlers learn about the world around them, and it’s the small things such as textures, organization, labeling, measuring, and going on scavenger hunts that can really cultivate their development.