Category: 12 to 18 months

Stack Attack

Leave a comment

Stack Attack (5)

Veronika is old enough that today I thought I’d test if she was ready to build blocks up, not focus on knocking them down.

Whether you have a classic wooden set of blocks or foam ones, or something in between, blocks are a toy that never goes out of style, and they are so fantastic for children’s development. Today we mixed her foam set (consisting of multiple shapes) and added in a few wooden square blocks.

Stack Attack (1)

I handed her a block and mimicked placing it on top of another to start a tower. To my delight, she was game to build!

Stack Attack (6)

Her towers never made it more than three high before the temptation to knock over was too great, but any building at all was a definite first.

Stack Attack (8)

Since she’s older, we also worked on some learning concepts with the blocks. First I sorted them by color…

Stack Attack (3)

…and then by shape.

Stack Attack (7)

You can add in new vocab, too, perhaps “straight” or “pointy”.

Stack Attack (2)

She really loved inserting circular blocks into the holes of square ones, which I loved watching.

Stack Attack (4)

As a final element to today’s play, I introduced the notion of imagination. What if our blocks weren’t blocks but… cars? I made one go “vroom vroom” along her play mat and she immediately took me up on the idea, running a block back and forth.

Stack Attack (9)

How about a choo choo train? She loved this version, too.

Stack Attack (10)

I can’t wait to see what she builds or imagines in the future, whether her blocks become mountains or castles, animals in a pen or something else entirely.

Stack Attack alt.JPG

Magnetic Letters & Play Doh

Leave a comment

Magnet Playdough (5)

I’ve hesitated to give Veronika play doh until now, full knowing she would do a taste test. But we received mini containers of it as a birthday party favor so we had some (very!) supervised play doh play today. Note: I highly recommend the all-natural eco-dough as an alternative or a homemade batch in a pinch!

Today, I pressed the vivid play doh colors into flat pancakes on her high chair tray, and showed her how she could smoosh magnetic letters down into the pile.

Magnet Playdough (1)

She tried this a few times, but then was far more into the little play doh containers themselves!

Magnet Playdough (4)

She did indeed reach her little fingers in and give it a taste, which earned a quick firm “no”.

There was lots of opportunity to talk about colors here, both in the play doh and the letters, as well as to have fun with the letter prints that appeared when we lifted a letter up.

Magnet Playdough (3)

This was a nice first intro to the material, which I know she’ll play with lots more as childhood continues! Don’t have play doh at home? Here’s another way to play with those magnetic letters!

Magnet Playdough (2)

Clothespins + Empty Box

Leave a comment

Clothespin Box (6)

This is one of those classic games for toddlers that checks all the boxes: only two supplies needed, great for fine motor skills, and endlessly entertaining.

For Veronika at 14-months-old, I used clothespins that simply slot on (without a hinge). Older toddlers can definitely work their pincher grip here with the kind that pinch open and shut!

I set a few of the clothespins along the rim of an empty stacking box, and she immediately began pulling them off and dumping them into the box. This was great fun!

Clothespin Box (2)

Soon she wanted to imitate my ability to hook the clothespins on. This took a bit more coordination, turning until the slot lined up just the right way. She was so proud when she made it work!

Clothespin Box (3)

It kept her busy and concentrating for quite some time.

Clothespin Box (5)

Another fantastic toddler activity that you can put together in a, well, pinch!

Clothespin Box (7)

Small Toys in an Empty Wipes Container

Leave a comment

Toys in Wipes (4)

Today Veronika and I circled back to a game we played when she was much smaller, back then using fabric scraps. Now, with strong toddler hands, it was time to put toys in an empty wipes container!

Toys in Wipes (1)

To kick off the game, I used pieces of toy fruit that Velcro together. I showed Veronika how to stuff them down into the container, and she was an eager copycat.

Toys in Wipes (2)

Then we lifted the whole lid and dumped the fruit out. Next up: magnet letters! She loved making these disappear into the container, and of course we named each letter as it went in.

Toys in Wipes (3)

We followed up with foam puzzle pieces. This time she was much more interested in taking out. Doing so requires strong hand muscles, in order to reach past the flap in the container, grip the item, and tug it out.

Toys in Wipes (5)

Don’t be surprised if your little ones gets silly and wants to see what else fits inside. A chocolate bar?

Toys in Wipes (8).JPG

Finally, we played with a set of plastic bugs. Perhaps because of all the tantalizing legs and antennae, these were her favorites to put in and out.

Toys in Wipes (6)

A very simple game that will entertain a toddler immensely!

Toys in Wipes (7)

 

Wish Upon a Star

1 Comment

Wish Upon a Star (1)

We teach babies so much about stars, whether through songs, books, nursery rhymes and more, which has always seemed strange to me. Real stars (those distant fiery balls of gas) are not something our little ones can comprehend, and let’s be honest: they rarely even see those glowing points of light since they go to bed early!

And yet stars in the night sky have great meaning for humans, and always have, so today Veronika and I devoted some play specifically to stars.

We started off with a read of a few board books about stars, namely Touch the Brightest Star and How to Catch a Star. As we read, I opened up a can of glow-in-the-dark stars for her walls.

Wish Upon a Star (2)

These were like magic to her. She loved to pick up handfuls of them and we “twinkled” them up in the air as I sang “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star”.

Wish Upon a Star (3)

Of course put a few up on the walls, for bedtime magic!

Wish Upon a Star (4)

We finished by watching a video of “Twinkle, Twinkle”. Now when we pop outside after dark, I hope she’ll begin to make the connection with the stars we see shining in the sky.

Wish Upon a Star (6)

Before you know it she’ll be wishing on one!

Wish Upon a Star (5)

Sensory Play with Frozen Veggies

Leave a comment

Edible Frozen Veggies (3)

Not only is this game great for toddler sensory fun, it doubles as a comforting way to soothe all those teeth coming in. Veronika is currently getting 8 new chompers, in addition to the 8 front ones she’s already got, which made the timing just right.

To play, I simply opened up a bag of frozen mixed vegetables and emptied them onto an pizza tray.

Edible Frozen Veggies (2)

I added a big ladle for her to scoop with, but the lip of it was too tough to get under the veggies, so soon we switched to a regular dinner spoon.

Edible Frozen Veggies (4)

She took it from there! She loved the sound that the spoon made in the pan, shoveling through the veggie pile, and of course pushing them to the floor.

Edible Frozen Veggies (5)

The small carrots, peas, and corn will thaw pretty quickly, but remain cold enough to soothe, which means she was thrilled when she lifted the spoon to her mouth and got a taste.

Edible Frozen Veggies (7)

This became an impish game, testing if mommy was going to chide her for eating her “toys”. Not this time!

If you want to throw in some quick learning, talk about the colors of the different veggies!

Edible Frozen Veggies (6)

Mostly, though, I let her play solo; the veggies kept her happy on the kitchen floor for almost a half hour, a big win in my book!

 

Flashcards in Envelopes

Leave a comment

Flashcard Envelopes (7).JPG

I spotted this game online and found it a delight in so many ways. It works fine motor skills for toddlers (taking flashcards in and out of envelopes), requires no fancy materials, keeps your tot busy for ages, and doubles as a lesson on word recognition. If you don’t have a set of flashcards, consider investing in some. You can play this game now, and use them with a beginning reader far down the road.

Flashcard Envelopes (2)

To play, I simply put about 10 flashcards into empty business envelopes. If your toddler is closer to 2 years old, consider sealing them shut. For Veronika, I left them easy to open.

Flashcard Envelopes (1)

She started out sitting on my lap, as I showed her how to lift the envelope flap and remove the card inside.

Flashcard Envelopes (3)

Soon she was concentrating hard on fitting the cards back in again.

Flashcard Envelopes (4)

Once she had mastered the mechanics of this, she started to pay more attention to the pictures on the cards. I had deliberately used some that are her early words, and she happily said or signed them to me.

Flashcard Envelopes (5)

Hat! Duck! Cat!

Flashcard Envelopes (6)

Once she got tired of that, there was simply a big heap of fun envelopes and cards to play with for a while, making this activity great for self-entertainment.

Flashcard Envelopes (8)

My Beautiful Balloon

Leave a comment

My Balloon (6)

Veronika had so much fun with a balloon recently that today I treated her to another, this time the small Mylar kind, but we turned it more into a game of cause-and-effect. These little balloons are perfect for multiple games, all of which encourage hand-eye coordination, too.

She immediately discovered that, when released from her hands, the balloon skittered away from her. This led to an excellent time giggling and chasing it around the house.

My Balloon (1)

To avoid frustration, next we tied on a string. I towed it along behind me and she gave chase on hands in knees.

My Balloon (2)

Then it was her turn to tug it along, soon her endless companion in loops around the house.

My Balloon (3)

The best fun was dropping it from a height and bopping it back in the air. She roared with laughter.

My Balloon (4)

Lie your toddler on his her or her back for the best view!

My Balloon (5)

Bubble Fun

Leave a comment

Bubble Fun (3)

My new favorite thing in the world is Veronika’s first full sentence: “Bubbles, please please.” As a result, I’m constantly trying to meet this adorable demand, with bubbles in the bath or during playtime. We quickly ran through a bottle of store-bought bubbles so I tried these two recipes at home. Both are so easy, and toddler-friendly to boot.

Bubble Fun (1)

Bubbles 1:

  • 1/3 cup baby shampoo
  • 1 and 1/4 cups water
  • 2 teaspoons sugar
  • 2 drops blue food coloring

This nice mild formula blows great bubbles that you can also catch on the wand without popping them. The added bonus is that it will be tear-free if any solution gets in the eyes.

Bubble Fun (4)

Bubbles 2:

  • 1/4 cup dish soap
  • 1/4 cup glycerin
  • 3/4 cup water
  • 1 tablespoon sugar

This version makes stronger bubbles, which float high up in the air, and they will leave behind little strands of popped sugar when popped just right (you may have noticed that the sugar-based bubbles at a Gymboree class act the same).

Bubble Fun (7)

Veronika was not content to watch me blow the bubbles; she wanted to take charge, dipping the wand in and out.

Bubble Fun (5)

Older toddlers will no doubt want to practice their blowing skills, too.

Bubble Fun (6)

Needless to say, you can’t go wrong with bubbles.

Learning Things That Go

Leave a comment

Stamps (4)

There are so many ways to teach toddlers about the various vehicles in the world, whether that means cars and trucks, or boats, or planes, or everything in between. Most obviously you can point these things out in the real world or read about them in books. But toddlers are so tactile, so consider hands-on learning with stamps or stickers that depict things that go!

First up: stickers. Veronika is currently obsessed with stickers, so we had lots of fun with a reusable sticker book from Melissa & Doug. She was a little frustrated that the big planes and trucks wouldn’t stick to her belly…

Stickers (5)

…but loved that she could lift them off the page over and over.

Stamps (5)

Next up: stamps! I purchased a stamp set with big chunky ones just right for toddler-sized hands.

Stamps (1)

We talked about the image on each stamp before I pulled out the ink pads. Of course the ink itself was more fascinating for a while!

Stamps (2)

But soon I showed her how to press a stamp down into the ink, which then appears like magic when pressed on paper. She was a little young for this activity, impishly trying to eat the stamps, so we tucked the ink pad away. But I loved that this was both a vocab lesson and an “art” activity.

Stamps (3)

One final option: felt pieces featuring things that go. Veronika loves her set with cut-outs of planes, trains, and more.

Things That Go alt

Little felt shapes like this of things that go are great for, well, when you’re on the go!

Things That Go var

Whichever medium you choose, there’s lots of hands-on learning and fun to be had!