5 Fun Ways To Keep Toddlers Busy

Have you ever seen a toddler grip a pencil for the first time?  Or have you ever seen a toddler use that pencil to draw on your important documents or write on the walls? As much as parents are excited to see their toddlers grip something for the first time, sometimes things just don’t go according to plan. When toddlers are in their exploration face, they can get excited trying out different things for the first time. They can explore their artistic nature as they learn new things. 

As parents, you can keep your toddlers busy by helping them learn new skills in fun and innovative ways. Studies show that early childhood begins from a person being born until they reach eight years old. 

Keep in mind that early childhood is a critical stage for child development. You should use this time to ensure that your toddler develops the necessary skills and knowledge that will help them as they get older. A great way to do this is by including easy and fun STEAM activities that they will enjoy!  

Check out these five fun ways to keep toddlers busy:

1. Playdough

Playing with dough is very enjoyable. Young children will love the act of rolling, sculpting or molding dough. It’s a fun way for them to develop their motor skills since they will be using the small muscles in their fingers. Once they develop these muscles, they will be able to hold a pencil and write later on. 

Playdough can also help develop a toddler’s artistic abilities. They can use their imagination while molding and shaping the dough into anything they want. If your child plays with dough together with other young children, he/she can develop social skills such as sharing and spending time with other people. 

Aside from dough, you can let your toddler play with other colouring materials such as crayons or paints once they are a little older. This will allow them to improve their strength and skills that will be useful now and in the future.

2. Magnets on the Fridge

Playing with magnets on the fridge is an amazingly fun way to keep your child active and help them improve their communication skills. You can even use magnetic alphabet letters so that they can become more familiar with the alphabet. 

This is an easy activity that would be preferable for children who may have difficulty speaking. This playing method is a great and exciting way for them to communicate and have fun. It gives young children hands-on learning while exploring different shapes, letters, textures, and colours.

It gives children the chance to be expressive in a different way.

This activity teaches a common courtesy to a young child while keeping them busy in a fun way.

3. My Turn

Sharing is caring. This is something that people should learn as early as possible. My Turn is an activity that shows an adult teaching a young child how to share with other people. It starts by a guardian or a parent politely asking a child to pass a toy or the remote control by saying, “My turn please,” with their hand held out, and ready to receive the item.

The adult should gently guide the toddler’s hand to place the object into the outstretched hand. Positively praise your toddler and respond with a “thank you” right after they hand over the object. This will encourage a repeat performance sinc your toddler will like receiving praise. The second part of the activity is where the adult will say, “Your turn,” and hand back the object to the toddler. Always remembering to say “please” and “thank you.” 

This activity teaches a common courtesy to a young child while keeping them busy in a fun way.

This activity teaches a common courtesy to a young child while keeping them busy in a fun way.

4. Try STEAM Activities

Kids should always be active, and STEAM activities are great for keeping young children busy and instilling the importance of creativity in a child’s development. 

Due to the nature of STEAM activities focusing on Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics, it is easier to do with children who are a little bit older. However, you can still do STEAM activities with toddlers too. Instead of making them do a step by step activity, you can go with activities that they are doing already. 

For example, you can have a water play activity with them while they are taking a bath. You can put different types of objects on a bathtub filled with water and let your toddler see which ones sink or float. You can also do this with their favorite toys to make it more fun for them. 

Here are other fun STEAM Activities that even toddlers can do and learn from:

• Science

Science happens to be basic at this stage of a young child’s life since everything is about exploration. Take music, for example. Almost everyone loves music, but for children, encouraging them to make even the slightest of noises is considered a STEAM activity already.

• Technology

You can teach your child technology by allowing them to explore tools such as painting materials and other stationery materials. Most of these activities will be based on cause and effect and teach manipulation of objects to a certain point—for instance, painting. Place the paint in a tub to keep it in one place, set up the kids with paintbrushes, and offer a bowl of water for easier cleanup.

• Engineering 

Playing with blocks helps in problem-solving and creative thinking. Problem-solving skills help a child develop the ability to work alone. It is best if random activities are set up and different mediums are used. These encourage the child to extend their imagination and think outside the box, thus engaging their creative front.

• Art 

Art helps keep the child’s attention for a longer period and teaches them about their world. It also teaches the toddler to have a lifelong investment in art. The importance of creativity in a child’s development cannot be stressed enough; simply put, it encourages both uniqueness and group work.

• Math 

You can incorporate Mathematics by focusing on counting and pattern understanding. For example, an animal tracks activity. With a child who loves animals, one may want to track down animal prints. However, this project is easier after a snowfall, when the footprints are fresh. The prints are measured and marked on a piece of sheet.

5. Chunky Puzzles

Puzzles are great for entertaining young children and keeping them on their toes. Try to let them do the puzzle on their own so they can learn to be independent. Although it may be challenging, it can still be fun for them. 

Conclusion

Keeping toddlers busy is easy. They are eager to explore and discover new things. STEAM activities are great ways for parents to start teaching their children while letting them have fun as well. The great thing is that these can happen naturally!

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Aimee Hill is a freelance writer and part of the content team at The Long Reach. Aimee has worked in the arts industry since graduating from university. When not writing about the many possibilities you can do with art, Aimee can be found researching new travel destinations.