Challenging Your Toddler Academically At Home

Toddlers are already a challenge for parents: new discoveries unearth all kinds of glorious messes, and are sometimes even kindling for tantrums.

Finding ways to keep a toddler entertained is a fairly doable task. Finding ways to keep them entertained AND working their minds and bodies in a healthy, challenging way is tougher!

Here are some ideas to get your creativity started. These are some activities my toddler loves. In turn, I can learn even more about her by studying her as she does these, and be further inspired to create more opportunities for learning the way SHE loves to learn. It's a happy cycle.

The Loose Parts Theory.

This was a "Big and Little" Loose Parts Box I made earlier this winter.

I learned about it here. It does a great job explaining what it is and why it works for preschoolers. Basically, the theory of loose parts allows children to synthesize and create on their own using whatever resources they have. If we don't show them how to build something, they'll end up building something entirely different (and usually better!) than what we had in mind! Loose parts can be any sort of unattached object used to create or play with freely. This week I created a loose parts "L Box" to go with our letter of the week: L.

I've seen loose parts invitations to play using rocks, leaves, and sticks, play food, legos taken apart, beads, dried pasta or beans, seeds, toothpicks, chopsticks, cut up straws, and buttons. Be creative and selective with your loose parts to suit your child, then let 'em play!

My daughter did this at her grandparents' house using shells without even realizing!

All you have to do is set it out. I love the term "invitation to play" because that is exactly what you're doing: inviting your toddler to explore, create and truly play with no stipulations. Watching imagination come to life is insanely gratifying!

Move Your Art Away from the Art Table.

I know, I hear you type-A moms!! (I am one!) Are you insane? What a mess! Just hear me out.

I learned a few weeks ago that just moving a toy in our house can create a whole new outlook for play with my toddler. She hadn't played with her "kitchen" for a long while, and I moved it upstairs from her regular play area, and into the living room. As soon as she saw it, she shouted, "Hey!" and pointed, and immediately began baking up some mischief. :)

I tried this with her art since, and have had much success. She received this "invisible paint" mat as a Christmas gift this year, and we LOVE it. I bring it up to the kitchen when I'm cooking or preparing food for snacks. A paintbrush dipped in water brushes onto the mat, bringing out the color of that section of the mat. When the water dries up, the color disappears. You could buy one of these for less than $20, OR you could simulate a cheaper version with a small chalkboard and a paintbrush in water.

Another artsy adventure we've tried is sidewalk chalk. And we try it everywhere. Outdoors, on flower pots, lawn furniture. Indoors on chalkboards and plastic mats, and paper, and anything it will rub off from easily. Simple and no mess.

Art can also be magnetic! Use a cookie sheet, a filing cabinet, the fridge, or even dishwasher to display beautiful works of magnetic art! We use whatever magnets I can find for free or cheap. I have a large tin of magnetic letters, but also have several magnets I've collected from my teachings years that she uses as well. Make designs, count them, spell words, or even sort them into color or shape groups. Encourage your toddler to do his or her own thing! Best part-- no mess. :)

Finally, we moved art into the kitchen. I am a firm believer in food being an art form. One time I let my toddler "decorate" her own graham crackers with a simple homemade frosting. I used food coloring so she could have a few color options. On days when I don't want that kind of messy food art on my linoleum, we make designs with our cheerios or count them or sort them into groups or make patterns. The possibilities are endless with a tiny piece of cereal. :)

Yum.

Utilize Your Local Resources!!

I cannot stress this one enough.

Using the light table at a library.

The local libraries in our community and surrounding communities (we live in a VERY rural area) have been gold to us. Use everything in the libraries! Not just the books.

Of course, book hunting can be a huge part of the fun, but also check out videos, magazines, fun internet websites, free kids worksheets and activities, story times and craft days, and even toy checkouts. Not sure what your library has to offer? Just go to the front desk and ask what their non-book resources are for toddlers or preschoolers.

Most libraries have activities and toys available for check out.

Check your downtown city schedule. Is there a festival or sidewalk sale coming up? Anything seasonal like a farmer's market or street dance or fair? Maybe a new storefront is opening. Maybe there's a discounted zoo day. Maybe there's a city-wide pancake feed. Use these opportunities to meet other kids and parents, to open your toddler's eyes to new experiences, and to get some hands-on learning time.

I enjoy letting my toddler handle the coins as I pay for small items at the thrift store in town. Last year we took her to a pumpkin festival where there were free fall-themed games for kids to play. I often bring her to the local orchard where she picks apples and later, helps me bake with them. We always have a parade at the fair in August, and she loves to catch candy from the fire trucks and floats.

Churches, libraries, zoos, museums, shops, businesses, farms, play groups, etc. The possibilities on using local resources are endless!


Rotate Your Toys

As aforementioned, even moving certain toys or activities to another area can benefit your child's creativity and play.

Currently stowed toys. 

I rotate my toddler's toys (and even my babies' toys!) on a regular basis, about once every three or four weeks. Sometimes, more often.

Toy rotation is simple: in your child's regular play area set out two or three of their favorite play things or activities, then stow away the rest. My toddler's right now are her tiny play dog kennel, play dough, and pretend garden set.

Yep, there's a plastic horse in the play dough.

In a few weeks, I'll set those three things back in her closet or away in a cupboard, and set out three different toys. Try choosing toys that challenge your child in different ways. Maybe try one puzzle (for spacial and math skills), one dramatic play activity (like dress up clothes or pretend food), and one toy that keeps them active (like race cars or bubbles).

Toy rotation keeps clutter at bay, keeps children interested in their "current favs", and teaches the importance of simplicity.

Try Something New Together

Anything goes! Our family loves cooking new foods and tasting them. This spring we're going to try our hands at gardening vegetables. Our toddler will have a full hands-on gardening experience! It will be new to her, and us, so who knows what kind of inspiration we'll find together!

Bundle helps me water my indoor mint about every other day.

You could try a new way to...

Cook or Bake
Create a work of art
Do a Craft
Garden or Grow a New Plant
Wood Work or Build Something
Make or Play with Sensory Doughs
Read a New Book
Make a Book
Try Yoga
Try a New Sport or Other Outdoor Activity
Care for a New Pet (even a stuffed one! Don't worry, anti-pet moms!)
New Educational Video
Create and Sell Something (Lemonade Stand, anyone?)
Learn a New Instrument Together
Learn a New Song or Dance
Try a Video Game or Computer Game

Or . . . go to a new or different . . .

Park
Pool
Zoo
Play Group
Restaurant
Thrift Store
Garage Sale
Church
Museum
Lake or Beach
Farm
Concert

We happened upon this random fall festival in a teeny town near us. Bundle and Daddy got to "milk" a cow, then earned a prize for it! So fun.

I'm sure there's a thousand more! New experiences always breed excitement, different ways of thinking, and further inspiration!

Study Your Child

This one's easy. Take a cue from your toddler. What is she interested in? What could he spend hours doing without even realizing? Where does she beg to go on weekends? What books does he gravitate toward at bedtime?

My daughter became obsessed with puppies and dogs after she became acquainted with her grandparents' giant Australian Shepherd/Labrador. She became very attached to him, and in turn, became very interested in dogs and puppies. She always wanted the dog books at the library and wanted to play with any stuffed animal she could get her hands on.

The dog in question. :) Such a sweetheart.

So...we have...checked out dog books, hunted for pictures of dogs in magazines and glued them to paper, used plastic dogs in play dough creations, made "puppy food" out of macaroni and "fed" all the stuffed animals, learned and named all the parts of a dog's face, and even learned songs and rhymes about dogs.

Puppy Obsession . . .

Take their loves and joys and ideas and run with them! Look stuff up on the internet, find fun kid-friendly youtube videos, check out library books and toys, create something related to that object or activity, take photos, and share them! Its' so fun to listen and study and watch her. Who knows what her next educational obsession will be! :)



Most of all, learn with them.

If your child sees you learning along with them and enjoying the process, they'll enjoy it even more, and be inspired to question, understand, synthesize, evaluate, create and explore!



Happy Learning!


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