Small children around age 2-4 are usually too young to ride bicycles. Their minds haven’t yet grasped the concept of pedaling or steering for themselves. That said, you can still go ahead and get your toddler acclimated to riding a bicycle, tricycle or big wheel. Training wheels on a small bicycle appropriate for the size of your child will support your toddler’s upright, seated position. This is also an opportunity to introduce bicycle safety by fastening a helmet and/or knee and elbow pads to your child when they mount their wheels. You will have to push them around at first, but as they graduate in age they will also leave the training wheels behind.
Zipper Pulls
If there is one thing you have learned from following our blogs, it is that toddlers imitate adults as part of their learning process. The problem in imitating adults is that toddlers often have not developed the coordination to do the same activities as adults. One example of this is harnessing small objects, like using crayons to draw a perfect square, or tying shoes with shoe laces. Your toddler has more success with jumbo-sized objects like daubers, stamps or Velcro strips. Many childrens’ coats are made with zippers and impossible for little fingers to zip! Our solution? Work together to make crafty, jumbo-sized zipper pulls that make it easy for your toddler to zip his or her own jacket. Help kids cut out shapes from construction paper and hole-punch at the top. Use a paper clip, ribbon or string to tie the shape to your toddler’s zipper. Laminating the shape before tying it to the jacket will help it last longer. Nick Jr. has pre-made Zipper Pull designs that you can print from the internet free of charge.
Fun Baby games ( Gift Bag Treasures )
Everyone has tons of gift bags stored in the closet from past parties and showers. Here’s a good time to use them. Take about 6 or seven of them, open them up and put them on the floor. (This is one of those toddler activities where your toddler might have more fun with the objects rather than the planned activity.) Have your toddler look in each bag to see if there is anything in it. Then place an object ( Toy, ball, doll, truck, etc ) in one of the bags and mix them up.
Now have you toddler look again. When he finds the object congratulate him with clapping and much excitement! This way he will become enthusiastic to do it again!And again !!
For some of the older toddlers, put an object in each bag and when she looks inside review the word for that object.Get some exercise in and put the gift bags around the room or house so that your child will have to walk to each bag and look to see if there is anything inside!
If your gift bags have different colors or objects on them, you can talk about them while your toddler looks for the hidden treasures. Makes it more fun for the toddler.
Color with Crayons
Crayola crayons have been around since 1903. A box of 8 crayons cost a nickel! Crayons were invented by cousins Edwin Binney and C. Harold Smith. In 1900, they made slate pencils for schools. Then they began researching other nontoxic, drawing mediums for kids because their first wax crayons used to mark crates contained chemicals toxic to children if swallowed, etc. Instead, they mixed only pigment with paraffin wax to make a safe crayon that kids could use without getting poisoned. Today there are 120 colors of Crayola crayons. You can download free coloring pages from the Crayola website for your kids.
Vandalize the Tub
Are you struggling to lure your child into the tub? There are a number of bath toys marketed to make tub time fun, but none are as innovative as bathtub finger paints and bathtub markers. Made of soap, these paints and markers let your child get creative while also getting clean!
With bathtub paint, kids can paint the tub surface, shower wall, other bath toys, or each other and still get clean. Parents report that bathtub markers are a bit harder to wash off than the finger paints. Bathtub paints or markers usually cost between $5.00- $10.00 a set. Refill paints are not available.
Movement and Music
There are numerous milestones that define your toddler’s growth and development. Between 24-36 months, dancing and running become primary, borderline irresistible behaviors in toddlers. Toys that play music or move robotically seem to ignite a toddler’s physical response to immediatly break out in dance or run around the room dizzily. It is little coincidence that this age bracket is learning the balance between risk and challenge.
Musical and robotic toys elicit a sort of attention by which toddlers follow along with their bodies through running, jumping or dancing. Toys of this nature usually require batteries and may have small, moving parts. If you have a toy like this in your home, be sure to keep it out of your toddler’s reach unless you are supervising play
Childhood social skills
Research has shown that a child’s social skills at the age of three can predict their future social and academic performance. Important social skills like their ability to manage feelings and behaviors, recognize social cues from others and engage in positive interactions with friends. The study also found that children dealing with higher levels of stress were more likely to have lower social skills. Family malnutrition at age four can cause problems at a later age. Kids who received positive reinforcement and whose parents are involved in their kids school, have a positive impact on their short time and long term development.
Learning toys
It may sound impossible but you can find learning toys for your kids especially when they are at a younger age. Many argue that the words, learning and toys are the complete opposite and that there are not such things. The fact is, as parents, if we thank the time we can find learning toys for our kids. Its similar to getting them to eat healthy food. Its all about how you present it to them. If it looks good and taste good they have no problems eating it. The same holds true for toys. If you present learning toys in a cool matter and give them that perception that its cool and fun they will enjoy it and play with it. It all comes down to the mindset that you instill in them and how you approach the presentation of the toy.
Hello world!
Welcome to Learning Toys For Kids, a interactive and information site for parents to find toys for their developing kids that will stimulate their minds and to challenge their intellect. We will also give you advice and ideas on how to raise your children and flourish their development.