10 Simple Brain Building Toddler Activities
* If you click some of links I’ve added to this educational information, I may earn a few cents to help keep this operational. I’ve either used these products myself or trust the recommendations from the moms I serve and choose to pass on the great tips. Win-Win You don’t have to be artistically inclined to successfully entertain your toddler. These simple brain building toddler activities can be modified toward any age, gender, skill set and intellect. First gather your tools and find a safe area in your home that is acceptable to mess up! Don’t spend a fortune on products to avoid being upset when your child breaks, loses or throws items away by accident. Do, however, try to get some things you can reuse to save time and money. When you start a project, start with the least number of pieces and add on as needed. Little ones don’t need many moving parts to be entertained. They just need someone to show interest and spend time with them. Basic materials to start with: Chalk– large for small fingers. Paint brushes, paint, sponges, smock– all in one is easier and cheaper. Bubbles– easy to use for you and the toddler. Great for bath, outside or pool time. Pipe cleaners– easier for little fingers to handle. Various sizes and colors. Pompoms– mixed sizes, colors and shapes. Macaroni-mixed shapes is great. Extra-large for the younger toddler. Playdoh– with accessories is best to save time and money. Crayons – large for small fingers. Paper– multi use paper that can withstand a toddler and any medium. Large beads-nothing that they could swallow. Sand– it doesn’t have to be colorful, natural works great for this activity. Stickers– toddler stickers are meant for the little ones to handle with ease. No frustrations. Cookie sheet- any metal surface that can come with you anywhere. Chalkboard spray paint– if you’re up to giving your toddler a small piece of wall to do chalk on. Markers – large for small fingers. Art floor mat– anything to protect your floor. Puzzles and tongs– they can be separate, but I like this kit due to the ease for toddlers. Some tongs are hard for little hands to maneuver. Small containers– Make sure you pick something that your little artist can’t open without you! Cupcake tray– have kids use tongs to pick up various items (straw pieces, magnets, pompoms, beads) and put in each cup. As they get more competent, try to have them separate by color-number-type etc. Empty boxes of various sizes- save boxes to have toddlers draw on, especially large boxes they can sit in. Empty egg cartons- can be used instead of cupcake tray. Great for separating paint colors as well as painting. Clear contact paper– any color or design will do in a pinch. Zip lock bags of various sizes Empty toilet paper, paper towel or gift wrap tubes- use as a tunnel for cars, pompoms, sticks, acorns etc. Let your imagination run wild here. Kids can put anything in these for fun. If you have a container, small garbage can or basket under it, cleanup will be a lot faster. Keep in mind that the first 5 years can be the best time for brain building activities. Brain development is at lightning speed during this crucial period of growth. Spending a few minutes every day working on fine motor skills with these simple exercises can boost cognitive progression, hand eye coordination and communication. These 10 simple brain building toddler activities can be done even when you aren’t feeling up to the task: Paint with water– no fuss no mess; they can do this on paper, rocks, shells or anything really- just watching those items get wet will keep their interest. Be sure to offer different size paint brushes or other tools. Q-tips, sponges, small roller brush, bubble wrap, fingers, spoon, paper, cotton balls, basting brush etc. Throw a little sand on the paper for added effect. Don’t be afraid to let them experiment with texture as well. Cookie sheet with magnets– find different types of magnets to keep their interest longer, but in a pinch any magnet will do. Even from the refrigerator. Plus, this is a simple activity to bring along when you’re in a hurry. Gather various size cookie sheets for simplicity. This can keep some toddlers enthralled for hours. Draw with chalk on the wall you’ve already prepped with chalkboard spray paint. Or any surface that you don’t mind wiping chalk off. We find the deck, rocks, toys, shells and ride on toys beautifully decorated all the time. It is easy to clean, so don’t get mad if chalk ends up in places you weren’t expecting. Sensory bin- if you have this ready all the time, it’ll be easy to set up when you’re low on energy and enthusiasm. Start with dry, safe, non-perishables that have different textures. If your toddler eats everything then size matters too. Suggestions; pasta, tin foil, Pom poms, sticky tape or squish balls and something earthy (acorn, flower, pine needle etc.). Put in container let them feel their way. Sensory bag-keep one around that can distract while you’re busy. Easy to make and be creative while toddler spends time exploring. 2 (any size) freezer bags, water, duct tape and a bath toy or 2 for the easiest one. Put water in one bag with toy, squeeze air out, zip it and tape it before putting into another bag for security and zip and tape again. Feel free to switch up what you put in bag: try play doh and beads or Pom poms: Hair gel, glitter, small plastic animals, food dye and the list is endless. Pompom play- have kiddo use tongs to pick up Pom Pom and put into something (we use cupcake tray or egg carton to show separation. As they need more of a challenge try putting one color in each compartment or counting as they do it. Using tongs builds hand strength. Contact
Chow Time with Kids
Chow time with kids can go either way. Every day is a new adventure with the fickle offspring. For a parent, planning and preparing meals is likely a daunting task and can make for tension around mealtimes. Finding what pleases everyone in a family could make you wish for a chef. Kids have a love-hate relationship with food. Have you ever noticed how fast their favorite meal this week is the hated one next week? When you think you’ve found a mealtime pattern of happiness, those little monsters go switching things up. In our house, a favorite saying is, “Which way is the wind blowing today?” Meaning, do you like bananas (or some other food) or not? I still say this to my 13-year-old-eye roll! I’ll be honest here, with almost 32 years of experience raising 7-of-those-that-make-us-question-everything, I found no magic that has them approve or disapprove a specific food. Nor have I concocted any spell that makes my offspring try everything I put in front of them. The best tip I learned, by default; The busier I was the less I worried about what they were eating. Don’t worry; I didn’t let them starve or eat ring dings (are they even still around?) for breakfast. I always put out a plate of nutritionally balanced food and prayed for the best. Sometimes I was lucky and other times, not so much. Depending on my hustle of the day, I may choose to fight about chow time with kids or let it go. No Perfection Here Truthfully, I raised my children in a home where we offered foods in their most natural state as possible-most of the time. We belonged to CSA’s, planted food in our yard, had reciprocal bounty sharing with friends, went to Farmer’s Markets, frequented health food stores, and tried to teach the brood how crucial healthy food was to our existence. There was no perfect parenting, though! We still had the occasional fast food stop, boxed food night, or indulgent dessert. We did our best to instill good choices with balance as they evolved into young adults. We were hoping that we inspired enough for them to make healthy decisions throughout their lives. From infancy through adulthood, each child had their food quirks. As you probably have figured by now, it’s impossible to keep those youngsters in a bubble. They quickly learn all about the foods you’re trying to limit, from friends and other family members or commercials and society in general. Nevermind attending another little one’s birthday party, complete with all the processed, food dye, deep-fried, sugar-laden carbs you can find. So What’s a Parent to Do? My current binge-watching TV show is set in the 1700s, and while it may not be a perfect depiction, I have been observing how the children were parented. Good, bad, or indifferent-who knows? I will attest that 300 years ago when it was mealtime, everyone sat together and had a bowl or plate with the same food. Chow time with kids was no different. Either they ate what they had or went hungry. Sounds simple, right? As with all things parenting by today’s standards, we put too much time effort and energy into overthinking childrearing-including feeding them. Maybe if we had chores from sun up to sun down like those yesteryears, we wouldn’t be helicopter parents. Those families had no time to worry about everything little Billy did all day long. Plus, those children had chores a good portion of the time as well, even at 4-5-6 years old. So, for the sake of simplicity, why not back off? Keep a regular mealtime plan, limit the options, set down a colorful plate of whole foods, and go about your own business. No conversation about food, no debate, no switching anything-just plain old “this is what you get!” What’s the worst that could happen? Hungry kid, temper tantrum, wasted food, arguments amongst adults or with child-or both? All manageable. Enough hunger and eventually, they would concede the battle. Just In Case; For Chow Time with Kids Besides the “back off” method, I do have a few tips I found helpful through the years. Some worked better on one tot or another, but overall these were successful resolutions for chow time with kids. Stick to a routine whenever possible. Kids thrive on a predictable day. Avoid letting the tykes snack an hour before dinner. Hungrier is better. Encourage building an appetite. Outside play, chores, exercise, or just dancing can burn extra calories and ensure they will eat when they’re at the table. Make the ambiance upbeat. Have a pleasant meal conversation. Save any heated discussions for after mealtime. Give a warning message, bell, music, etc. 10 minutes before the kid needs to eat. They don’t like to disrupt playtime, and this will help make the transition. Enlist the help of those that will be eating. Even simple things for smaller ones like carry the cups to the table. Keep distractions out of the eating area, including all screens, toys, mail, homework, movies, etc. Please don’t force them to clean their plate. Whatever the little ones finish is a windfall. Give a set time limit that everyone has to stay at the table (10-15 minutes is okay- just be consistent). Remind them it is family time. No negotiating or bribing. It sets you up for more problems in the long run. Make an appropriate sized plate. Use the 1 tablespoon per age rule in the early years. For example, a 2-year-old would get 2 tablespoons worth of chicken, vegetables, and rice; 3 TBS for a 3-year-old, 4 TBS for a 4-year-old, you get the drift. Limit beverages at mealtimes and keep it to water only. Be a good role model. Try not to show your displeasure with food around the children. You can share the things that don’t tickle your palate at another time. Don’t buy junk. Or, if you do, keep it hidden. Kids don’t NEED cookies, soda, and donuts
