 Posted 4/9/2008 11:12:33 AM
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Finger Painting
Toddlers need to be active and creative and should have fun doing so. And what is more fun than making a mess? This month, make a mess with your son or daughter by doing some finger painting. Use brightly coloured paint and various types of paper to generate creativity in your tot. Let your child use their imagination to create a masterpiece. Sure, it may not look like much, but your child is developing in front of your very eyes, exercising their sense of touch.
If you’re feeling extra brave, take large sheets of paper, head outdoors and do a little toe painting instead. Put on some old clothes and let your son or daughter walk through the paint and create a path of footprints. This activity is best saved for a warm sunny day.
There are non-toxic paints available at toy stores, but you can also create your own. Try mixing flour, water and food colouring, or add some food colouring to vanilla pudding for edible art. Food colouring can stain, however, so keep an eye on your Picasso.
Katherine Kohler
Interactive Project Manager
katherinek@parentscanada.com
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Posted 4/9/2008 12:18:52 PM
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| My son is 2,1/2 years old. Since he was a baby, I have found that puppets were a terrific way to connect. He and I love bringing personalities to life with puppets and you can create so many stories together. I love hearing the different voices he uses for the various puppets. It is wonderful to see his creative mind at work!
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Posted 5/5/2008 10:30:32 AM
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| My 1 1/2 year old son and I love to jump on mommy and daddy's bed. He loves to burn off energy jumping around on the bed as well as rolling around all the big, cozy blankets and pillows. It's our way of bonding because we laugh and laugh, it's endless entertainment for him and seeing him enjoying himself so much makes me happy.
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Posted 5/5/2008 11:16:23 AM
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| Thanks for your responses! Finger painting and bed jumpin' are both fun ways to play. My kids are 4.5 years and 22 months old. They, too, love to jump on the bed but I'm somewhat neurotic and worry about them falling off and getting injured. The five year old is very, very energetic and fearless. His baby sister follows his lead. What is our fave way to play? Hmmmm...we've been doing a lot of outdoor stuff including obstacle courses in the backyard, using the fat children's chalk on the driveway or planting flowers and herbs.
Lisa Tabachnick Hotta
Online Editor
lisah@parentscanada.com
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Posted 5/5/2008 11:17:07 AM
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Oops...forgot about the puppets - that's a great one, too. Very creative!
Lisa Tabachnick Hotta
Online Editor
lisah@parentscanada.com
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Posted 5/6/2008 9:03:22 PM
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When I'm not up for the mess of painting, I indulge my two-year-old's urge to get his hands wet with a little water therapy. He pushes up a chair to the kitchen sink, takes out a few reusable snack containers, spoons, sponges, whatever he can get his hands on and goes nuts. I can prepare dinner beside him and we're both happy. There is usually puddle under his chair at the end of playtime, but it's just water and I'm trying to enlist his help in soaking it up with a few dish towels.
Also, when the weather is sunny and mild, I send both my kids (older one just turned five) to the backyard with big bowls of water, measuring cups and spoons. I don't know how, but they amuse themselves with these props for precious minutes!
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Posted 5/7/2008 3:25:35 PM
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| I have a very active almost-3-yo daughter and a ten month old boy. During the looonngggg winter we had here in Ontario, I found a great way to burn off energy indoors was to blow up a few balloons and we'd play the "balloon game". Which means we'd hit the balloon up in the air and try not to let it hit the ground, hitting it back and forth over and over. The little guy (the 10 month old) would get into it too by trying to crawl after it. I tried to get a bit more creative and used a marker to write letters or numbers on the balloon and then turned it into a bit of a learning exercise ("go hit the balloon with the number 4 on it") but essentially she just loved counting how many times we could hit the ballon up in the air without it touching the ground.
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Posted 5/15/2008 12:50:15 AM
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| There is one fun activity I enjoyed as a child and have passed it on to the next generation. I give my 3 year old a bucket of water and a clean paint brush and let her "paint" the side of our house. It helps that the brick is a light colour. She can be a Picasso for hours, never makes a mess and continuously creates new images! She is constantly excited about every new creation and I have no floors to clean up! We also get a kick out of playing "yoga" together with a deck of pregnancy yoga cards I received at my shower. She picks a card and we do the poses together. Some days we stick to the poses and other days we make up our own. Downward Dog has morphed into 'flamingo' and 'elephant' several times. She is thrilled and I am amused beyond belief - not to mention being able to get a good stretch in while she is entertained!
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Posted 5/16/2008 1:27:40 PM
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| i love the balloon idea and the "painting the house" idea - i am definitely going to try those with my child this summer. thanks for the great ideas. ejsmom
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Posted 5/22/2008 10:35:07 AM
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My kids are 12 and 14 so the play of the month takes on a whole new meaning when kids are older.
We go to the local school and play basketball (hoops as my kids call it) and play lots of card games. They are the ones that teach us the newest card games. Friday night is Family Night in our home so it's usually up to the boys what they want to do or play. It changes every week.
Jane
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