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Toddler Activities

Toddler Activities to use during your home school hours

They're not just playing; they're learning!

Looking for productive toddler activities to satisfy your little one's curiosity and desire to explore without wrecking havoc on the household?

Here are some ideas that will not only keep your little tykes busy and entertained; they'll also stimulate their desire to learn more.

What general ideas can you use?

Games
Crafts
Educational Tools
Outdoor activities
Books and Puzzles

Better yet, here are some ideas on how to incorporate these items to make a successful learning day for everyone!

Toddler Craft Basket

Have a basket, box, or cloth bag filled with craft supplies just for the toddler/preschool gang. Consider having one for independent activities and one for supervised activities. I often find things at dollar stores and craft stores to add to the craft basket. What kinds of things can you put in your artistic arsenal?

markers (washable, of course)
construction paper
feathers
beads and buttons (watch the size if you have tots under 3)
paper plates
foam shapes
paper bags
stickers

We also have a daily craft time (well almost daily) for the two and three year olds. This is a supervised activity with special supplies I wouldn't dare leave in their reach.

finger paints
tempra paints
colored chalk
glitter

Once you incorporate the craft basket into your family, you'll be amazed at the number of items and ideas you find to throw into the baskets.

Educational Activities

A long time ago I read a suggestion to keep a supply of toys and toddler activities that were only allowed while the older sibling were homeschooling. This great suggestion made the toys seem special and kept their appeal longer. Here are some obvious and not-so-obvious ideas for starters:

puzzles
lacing beads
alphabet manipulatives
blocks (all types)
color and size sorters
simple workpages
counting manipulatives

You can spend a small fortune on these items or collect a gold mine from yard sales and second hand stores. (I've done both.)

Tip: Spend five minutes using a familiar object a new way. For instance, make a color pattern with blocks. Or stack one block, then two blocks, then three blocks, then four blocks and have them do the same. Then leave them to independently manipulate their educational tools. The activity is likely to last longer than if you simply sat them down with the box of blocks.

Let's Tackle Kindergarten

Here's a great idea for your preschooler. A tackle box of manipulatives to teach pre-kindergarten skills.

Skills include colors, number recognition, sorting, letter sounds and recognition, fine motor skills, and handwriting. A 24 page activity book is included.

Includes: Dice, sorting cups, counters, number and letter manipulatives, writing board, shapes, pictures, tackle box, and activity guide.

This will give your preschooler their own homeschool curriculum.

Ages 3 to 5
$44.99

Outdoor Activities

So you have decided to take the crew to the backyard while enjoying a beautiful day. The little one is interested in the activity for five minutes and then gets bored. What next?

You probably already know about such things as swings, chalk, sandbox, and balls. They are all great suggestions. Here are a few others:

Turn the hose to the least amount it will go. Expect a contented toddler and a mess.
Collect leaves to turn into a poster later.
Collect twigs and sticks. (Not to sound sexist, but the male gender often has an insatiable desire to do this anyway.) Sort the sticks smallest to largest.
Look for bugs and name them. Ants, lady bugs, butterflies, grasshoppers, bees. Draw them on index cards as you find them.

Educational Games for Little Ones

Check our educational games for games appropriate for your tots.

More Toddler Activities

Looking for more ideas? Judy is a homeschool mother of ten and shares some of her toddler activites and recipes on her website, Homeschool Faith and Family Life. Judy's suggestions for toddler activities

Karen shares her 25 favorite picture books for preschoolers on her Homeschool Life Situations website. This is a great list to print and take to the library.

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