Making learning fun for a toddler is not an easy task but with these tips and tricks we want to share with you some great activities to learn something new everyday but in a fun original way. Let’s begin
Crafts
Crafting creative moments can be very enriching for children to develop their creativity, fine motor skills, patience and tranquility. Crafts have many benefits. Depending on the age of the children, some techniques or others will be more appropriate. It is important to bear in mind that they should be little directed craft times, appealing to the creative freedom and expression of children and letting them experiment with the materials without fear.
Create photo albums
We can let children to prepare those photo albums that we have been wanting to make for a long time and never find the time, ... to select the images, print them, paste them in a notebook, make comments and create stories. This is how they also train their creative skills. With the little ones we can prepare homemade memory board games with photos of animals but also of their friends!
Read stories, books and comics
Another great idea is reading illustrated stories, comics or books. Make sure each story has a moral lessons and that can bring some interesting information about something like seasons, nature, milestones for a toddler like potty training or stories to empower them and help them feel more confidence in their own abitilies.
We can also made a few stories up and tell them without any illustration involved. Listening to stories without seeing the pictures helps develop children's imagination and inner richness.
Lots of music
We listen to music of all kinds, we sing together, we play improvised instruments, we can even create a few nursery rhymes or we can make room to dance. Children love to share times of dance and body expression with adults, and we must bear in mind that throughout the day we will have to combine times of more hectic and physically intense activities with quieter times. Dancing and music are a good opportunity. Classic music is a wonderful tool as it’s calming too!
Crafting with recycled material
We can use all kinds of recycled materials; cardboard boxes of all sizes, newspaper, well-cleaned tetra-bricks, bottles, plastic caps, etc. to build objects, toys or inventions. For instance; make a boat, a castle, a farm, a cabin, a tower, a tadpole, a mask, a car, a rocket, juggling balls, ... We use our imagination and from recycled materials and a little paint and glue we can create to infinity. It’s also a great chance to spread awareness over recycling and environment.
Scientific experiments
Children can practice scientific inventions under the supervision of adults to play and learn at the same time! From more or less simple experiences, adapted to the age of the children, they can discover and practice basic principles of chemistry, physics, biology, geology, mathematics, ... haven't you tried to make a volcano with vinegar and bland? Or experiment with sound by making a phone out of yogurt cans? Or plant legumes in wet cotton to germinate?
These activities are great to boost their curiosity but also to help them explore and learn while having fun!
