Category: 18 to 24 months

Color of the Day

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For toddlers who are learning all their colors, there are a lot of new words and ideas to take in all at once. One way to break it down is to devote a day to each color in turn. For example, today Veronika had a red day! You can continue this game on successive days of the week for each color of the rainbow, or add in other common colors like pink, black, brown, and white.

To start us off in the morning, I sang this ditty to the tune of BINGO:

There is a color of the day, and that color is red.

Red, red, red. Red, red red. Red red red.

The color is red.

And of course I pointed out red as I sang! So all day long, it was all about red. She had a red straw in her cup of almond milk.

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And she built with red blocks, and played with red fruits from the toy food bin.

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And she sorted red berries only from a coloring sorting pie.

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When she wanted to draw, I gave her red crayons and markers of course!

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If your child has clothing in the corresponding color of the day, then today’s the day to wear it! When we headed out of the house, I pointed out red everywhere we saw it, whether on Stop signs or other people’s clothing or flowers. We were so happy to spot this vibrant red in the sculpture park!

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What color shall we focus on tomorrow? Can’t wait to explore more!

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Five Little Monkeys

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I often affectionately call my kids “monkey” or “silly monkey” and it’s a moniker that fits giggling toddlers perfectly. Perhaps that’s why toddlers all seem to love the lyrics to Five Little Monkeys! In addition to learning numbers through this counting rhyme, there’s no doubt a thrill to the slightly naughty lyrics. Today, Veronika and I had fun with monkey games in a few ways.

We started out just saying this favorite rhyme:

Five little monkeys jumping on the bed.

One fell off and bumped her head.

Mama called the doctor and the doctor said,

“No more monkeys jumping on the bed!”

Repeat four times, counting down one monkey each time until no monkeys are jumping on the bed.

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To make the game tactile, I pulled out a set of stacking monkeys. Veronika is still too young to balance them with any dexterity, but she loved playing with them while I chanted the song.

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And knocking them down off the bed with each verse. “Bonk!” she said.

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I found another monkey rhyme with slightly strange lyrics, but a similar idea of teaching young kids to count down:

Five little monkeys walked along the shore.

One went a-sailing and then there were four.

 

Four little monkeys climbed up a tree.

One of them tumbled down and then there were three.

 

Three little monkeys found a pot of glue.

One got stuck in it and then there were two.

 

Two little monkeys found a currant bun.

One ran away with it and then there was one.

 

One little monkey cried all afternoon,

So they put him in a plane and flew him to the moon.

The lyrics to this were complicated, but Veronika continued playing with the stacking monkeys all the while, and loved making a monkey “ee ee, oo oo, aah aah” sound.

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We found cartoon versions of both to watch online to end the fun.

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Do you have a favorite rhyme about silly monkeys? Please share in the comments!

Pom Pom Drop + More Pom Pom Fun

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After recent fun playing with pom poms to develop fine motor skills, Veronika enjoyed a few variations on pom pom play today.

First up was a classic: a pom pom chute! I had a mix of empty toilet paper rolls and empty paper towel rolls, so taped these to the wall almost in a maze.

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Some of them were straight up and down and others I taped at an angle so she could experiment with the different ways this made the pom poms fall.

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Some were high, and some were low…

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…and all were a delight to watch a pom pom disappear and then fall through.

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For variation, we also tried pushing through cotton balls. These were fun because we could stuff a few into the tube before they all fell out the bottom, almost like puffy snowflakes.

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As she played with the pom poms, Veronika frequently named the color of the one she was holding, so I thought it might be time to see if she could sort!

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We played two variations on this. First, I gave her one size pom pom, but in all different colors. She named each color as she moved them into bins I had set out, although she didn’t always place like with like.

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Next, I gave her all one color (only blue) but in three sizes: big, medium, and small. I used a big deep voice when placing a big pom pom in a bin, and a tiny high voice for the small ones.

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I didn’t expect her to ace this, but the concept is coming along, little by little!

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As the day went on, I simplified the game so it qualified more as toddler busy play, leaving just one chute and a container at the bottom. I might leave this taped to the wall for several days, so she can return to it at her leisure.

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Stab That Shape Foam Trays

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Veronika has shown an early interest in shapes and can now readily recognize triangles, stars, hearts, and circles. We’re working on squares and rectangles next!

To foster her interest in the topic, I made this easy shape recognition tray for her today, using a leftover foam tray from the grocery store. I simply drew 4 shapes, three that she knows well, and one less familiar (the square).

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I then handed over the tray and a plastic fork. First she just loved stabbing at the tray!

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It was a tougher than I thought for her to poke the tines of the fork directly down, so the game was great practice for fork skills at the dinner table, too! Soon she started to get the hang of it.

“Can you poke the heart?” I asked her. Yup! She also easily followed directions for the circle and triangle.

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When I asked her to poke the square, she just played around aimlessly with the fork, which reinforced my sense that she doesn’t know the word yet. But she still was having lots of fun!

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Older toddlers and preschoolers will enjoy this tray, too. Encourage them to “stab” along the lines of each shape so it is covered in dots, a precursor to tracing.

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Meanwhile, Veronika had fun stabbing the tray all over. The dots feel bumpy once the tines of the fork have poked through, and she carried the tray around happily for a while.

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Frog in the Grass

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Here’s an adorable game to play outside with a toddler, one that involves both imaginative play and observational skills. We used frog toys because the green camouflages perfectly in the green grass, but any green animal toy would work equally well, or even green beanbags. To wit, we also added a snake and a centipede.

Veronika spotted the frog toys before we headed outside, excitedly declaring, “Froggie, froggie!” so I knew she would love the game. Once we were outside, I scattered the frogs in the grass while Veronika watched, curious. Older toddlers can be asked to close their eyes while you scatter the frogs, making it a true hunt.

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“Frog in the grass!” I yelled, once all four had been ‘hidden’. She was confused until I led her by the hand to toddle over to the first frog. Then it seemed like the most exciting errand in the world!

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After that she was off and running, finding a frog in the green grass, bringing it back to the patio, and then returning for the next one.

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Then we also hunted down the green snake and centipede.

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Once everyone safely made it to the patio, I tossed them back into the grass. “Frog in the grass!” I yelled again. This time she thought it was hilarious, and went scampering over.

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You can add animal learning to the game by making the corresponding noises and motions. Veronika loves to say “ribbit”, and I encouraged her to leap like a frog.

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Next thing I knew, she had two of the frogs kissing on the patio, unprompted!

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We’ll have to see if one of them turns into a handsome prince.

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Rock Drop

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Now that warm weather is here, I’m looking for easy ways to entertain Veronika out on our patio. This activity was perfect, and couldn’t get any easier. You just need a container for water plus rocks, whether those found directly in your yard, or treasures from a recent nature walk.

We have an inflatable tray that’s perfect for water play, so I blew that up and filled it with water. (Alternatively, use a baby wading pool or even just a tray with high sides for this activity).

I filled the tray from our watering can, which caught Veronika’s attention immediately.

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She came trotting over to the pile of rocks I’d set next to the tray, and before the water was even all poured she picked up the first one. She knew what to do! Ka-plink! The first rock went in.

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Ka-plunk. Followed by the second.

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And she worked her way straight through the whole pile.

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So then we pulled them out and piled them up and did it again! This kept her busy for a full half hour. I wish I could expound upon it and say we did anything more thrilling than that, but this was pure toddler heaven.

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Rocks plus water, folks, that’s it!

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Shaken Ball Art

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Here’s a painting method that’s fun for toddlers because it involves lots of shaking and noise, fun for parents because the mess is contained, and fun for everyone because it produces a beautiful piece of art. It’s a great way for toddlers to send a card to a loved one…or also to involve toddlers in making art to thank essential workers and heroes.

For set up, Veronika and I poked through the craft bin to find items that would roll; bonus points if they would also make noise! We ended up with a Styrofoam ball, a pom pom, and small beads. I wish I had jingle bells, but we recently used them!

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I then cut out heart shapes from construction paper, choosing pink and red. You can use any color of shape of paper you like, but hearts felt appropriate for this project. Tape one heart into the bottom of a cookie tin (or similar container with a secure lid), and then add the round objects.

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Now we poured in blobs of paint. I let Veronika choose the colors, and she loved watching me squirt in a generous amount of each.

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Close the lid securely and shake! Veronika flinched at first, but then giggled at the loud sound. In retrospect, I wish I’d used my smallest cookie tin for this activity, since the large one was hard for her to hold securely and shake at the same time.

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At first she was frustrated, but then she liked watching me shake as I talked about all my movements: up, down, side to side etc.

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We opened up the tin for the big reveal: our heart was now covered in spatters and streaks of paint.

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Set aside to dry, and repeat with additional hearts. You may not need to add new paint after each round, depending how much is still left in the tin. As a result, we had some that were too painty, and some with perhaps not quite enough, but Veronika was proud of them all.

 

Early Morning Fun

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I’ve heard stories of magical children who wake up and occupy themselves solo before their parents come in to get them each morning. Does this sound like a fairy tale to anyone else? Certainly it’s never been the case for my son!

But Veronika has shown herself capable of waking up and chatting with her stuffed animals for about 30 minutes before she grows restless enough to call out for me. Right now, this collection of “friends” is the only thing in her crib at night.

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I hoped the addition of a few small toys might stretch our mornings even longer! So before she went to sleep, I chose a few toys with specific criteria:

  • They had to be soft, in case she rolled onto them in the night
  • They had to be quiet, so they wouldn’t disturb anyone else while she played
  • They had to lend themselves to solo play, meaning items she can keep busy with all by herself without growing frustrated or needing assistance.

To wit, I used a ribbon toy expressly designed for busy solo play. I also added a fabric book with lots of flaps and textural elements, and a few small bug toys that she really enjoys, like a butterfly and ladybug. I tucked these into the corner of the crib. Here was hoping…

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She noticed them as she lay down to sleep. Uh oh, now I worried they would keep her awake! But luckily she settled right down. In the morning, I peeked at her in the monitor. Ladybug and butterfly were in her hands!

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It was hard to tell if she had kept busy with the book and ribbon toy. Both were moved from where I had left them, but I wasn’t sure if she had really played or just tossed them.

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Either way, I intend to keep this up! The plan is to mix up the toys once a week or so to keep things fresh. Does your toddler keep busy solo in the crib in the morning? Please share any tricks in the comments!

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Super Quick Sticker Art

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Looking for a quick way to occupy a toddler’s endlessly curious hands? Look no further than the top drawer of your desk for office supplies!

To wit, Veronika loves the stickers in her big brother’s home school workbook, but I can’t let her have them. Thinking quickly to avoid a tantrum today, I pulled out office dot stickers, the kind you can buy in bulk from any drugstore or office supply store.  And that was it!

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I gave her a few sheets of colored construction paper and just let her start sticking stickers all over.

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Older toddlers might want to be deliberate with their stickers, either grouping them by color, or making a pattern, or lining them up in straight rows. You can even encourage sticker piles, aiming to have your child place one circle directly atop another. For Veronika at a year and half old, this activity was just about pulling them off the sheet and pressing them onto the paper.

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She was so happy to do so!

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When she seemed on the verge of losing interest, I added anther office supply: pens and markers!

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At first I showed her how to draw right on the dots. But okay, this was too advanced for her coordination. Instead, she loved using the markers all around the dots.

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She even tried using two markers at once!

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And best of all, she was very busy.

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Sponge Bath

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Veronika recently painted with sponges, and since we had leftovers from the pack, we decided to continue the fun in the water!

A sponge is the perfect cheap toddler bath toy. First there’s the obvious fact that it’s, well, a sponge! It will hold a large amount of water and toddlers love squeezing them out. Veronika delighted in the squishy sound that it made whenever she did this, as well as the bubbles that foamed up if she squeezed them under water.

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Then there’s the fact that they stick to the side of the tub. It’s almost like playing with big wet stickers!

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Plus sponges play right into your toddler’s love of cleaning. My tub was sparkly clean by the end of Veronika’s bath!

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For learning fun, cut the sponges into shapes before adding them to the tub. It can be a bit tough to cut into thick sponges, but luckily Veronika didn’t mind that my circle and heart were a little crooked.

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We also talked briefly about the different colors, but honestly I mostly sat back and let her play! An extra long bath never hurts.

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