Best of 2015: TOP 10 PLAY IDEAS for TODDLERS

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Last year was the start of something pretty cool. My son and I attended Play Centre every Friday and it soon became one of our favourite things to do. Each week, we were doing a fun activity, learning new skills and enjoying meeting and playing with new friends.
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PLAY IDEA: Marble Playdough

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My daughter, Miss B loves playing with her little brother and she asked if we could make some playdough. I love playdough, it's so easy to make and most of the time, we have all the ingredients sitting in our pantry. We use a basic playdough recipe, that I also use at Playcentre. 

Miss B told me "Mum - the easiest way to colour the playdough is to make a hole (well) in the middle of the playdough, add the food colouring and then 'smush' it together in a plastic bag". This is what we got...MARBLE PLAYDOUGH!  

Miss B was actually surprised it came out with a marble effect - this wasn't what she thought, but in her mind, it was SO MUCH BETTER. And off she went to show her little brother, who thought it was pretty cool too. 

BASIC PLAYDOUGH RECIPE
Ingredients: 
3 cups flour
1 1/2 cups salt
6 tsps Cream of tartar
2 Tbsps Cooking Oil
3 cups Boiling Water

Method: 
Mix the dry ingredients and cooking oil together, then add boiling water. If working with groups of children, divide quantities amongst the bowls. Stir well until the mixture leaves the sides of the bowl. Add more flour if the mixture seems to sticky, then turn out and knead. 

GLUTEN FREE PLAYDOUGH
Ingredients
1 cup Rice flour
1 cup Maize Cornflour
1 cup Salt
4 tsps Cream of tartar
2 tsps Vegetable oil
2 cups Hot Water

Method: 
Combine all ingredients together in a pot and cook over a low heat stirring as you go until the mixture leaves the sides of the pot and reaches a dough like consistency. Turn out and knead. 

(Recipe credit: Recipes for Messy Play)

Playdough cannot be ‘done wrong’ and is a satisfying sensory experience for young children. 

Playdough is easy to mould and manipulate therefore helping children to develop hand, eye, arm and body coordination. They are also developing their finger and hand muscles through squeezing, patting, rolling, poking and pinching. They (the children) can break it into small pieces, roll, cut and make shapes out of it. 

Add tools for cutting, pressing and shape-making e.g. cookie cutters, twigs, straws, pipe cleaners, and shells. Cups, bowls and pots & pans will encourage 'home play' and you can add props such as animals, rocks, dinosaurs to encourage dramatic play. 



Do you have any fun playdough activities? 
Please share your ideas below

Linking up with

The Resourceful Mama, Play Dough & Popsicles , Raising Little Superheroes , Books and Giggles

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PLAY IDEA: Painting With Toddlers

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Painting is a great play activity for children of all ages. It is a way for children to be creative using different colours and textures of paint and to showcase their feelings through art. It is important for us (parents) to support and let our children paint their own way. Here are some ideas, tips and tricks for you to consider when "Painting With Toddlers"

There are so many benefits to painting, especially with toddlers. It helps children to develop hand, eye, arm and body coordination, also developing their finger and hand muscles. Children are able to experiment with colour and texture, and using this to express themselves. 

We (parents) can support our children by talking to them about their art work, naming and dating their work, display it proudly in our homes, and provide opportunities to paint on different surfaces, including their hands.

You can either set up a painting area on a table or if you have one, an easel. Put some non-toxic paint (or make your own) in some small containers, add paper and your toddler is good to go! Have an apron, paint smock or an old t-shirt available for your tot to wear over his or her clothes, because this activity can get quite messy, very quickly, especially in the hands of toddlers. 

Using an old egg carton as a paint tray is such a brilliant idea, because your toddler doesn't need a lot of paint, it's easily accessible, and clean up will be a breeze - once your little one has finished their 'masterpiece',  pop the tray in a plastic bag and throw it in the rubbish. 

Here are some ideas you might like to try, with your toddler, the next time you explore painting...
  • Try using different textures in a range of sizes and colours e.g. paper, cardboard, fabric, wallpaper to paint on. Also other surfaces such as fences, stones and wood off cuts might interest your child. 
  • Use a range of paints such as powder, puffy, poster, acrylic, watercolour, dye, oil paints or natural products such as watered down clay. 
  • Have a range of bright clean colours and shades to choose from 
  • Use different painting tools such as brushes, sponges, rollers, leaves, cotton balls, fly swats

Does your toddler love to paint? Do you have any ideas, tips and tricks about 'Painting With Toddlers' that might help others? Leave a comment below. 

Charlene
    Painting at an easel
More PLAY IDEAS: 


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PLAY IDEA: Finger Painting

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Messy play gives children the opportunity to experience a wide range of sensory experiences.  It helps with hand-eye co-ordination, exploring new textures, learning about colour mixing, patterns, and designs. 

Finger painting is a great messy play activity. It encourages children to explore through the senses of touch and sight. The good thing about finger painting is that you don't need a lot of additional equipment - children are encouraged to use their hands, fingers, feet and bodies to experiment. 

This finger paint recipe is from "Recipes for Messy Play". There are two recipes for you to try at home - cooked and uncooked. You can use tempera paint powder or a non-toxic paint to add colour.
For the purpose of this post, I have used food colouring, mixing it in with a stirrer, before giving it to my toddler. 


COOKED FINGER PAINT
Ingredients
2 cups Cornflour
5 cup Cold water

Method
  1. Mix the cornflour to a smooth paste with a little cold water in a large pot. 
  2. Add 5 cups of cold water and stir over a low heat for about ten minutes until the mixture has thickened to a consistency that will pour slowly and keeps it's shape briefly when moulded or patterned with fingers. 
Colour can be added while the finger paint is being cooked or mixed into the finger paint by children during play.

UNCOOKED FINGER PAINT
Ingredients
2 cups Cornflour
1 cup Cold water
4-5 cups Boiling water
1/4 cup Soap Flakes (optional)

Method
  1. Whisk the cornflour and cold water together in a large bowl until all the cornflour is suspended. 
  2. Pour in 4-5 cups of boiling water while stirring and beat until the mixture 'grabs'. 
  3. Stir thoroughly until the mixture is smooth, thick and translucent. 
Optional: Add the soap flakes if desired and keep stirring. If the mixture seems too thick, carefully add a little more water. The finished finger paint should pour slowly and keep its shape briefly when moulded or patterned with fingers. If the mixture doesn't 'grab', then simply add more cornflour and microwave it for a couple of minutes. 

NOTE: Let the mixture cool before putting it out for children as it's very hot when first made. Soap flakes may irritate if they get it into their eyes, so remember to have some fresh warm water and towels on hand.


Find a suitable area, preferably outdoors, as this activity can get quite messy. Use a table, or a flat surface to 'play' on and remember to have a bucket of warm water and a towel nearby to clean up messy hands when done. Most of all, have fun getting messy with your child!

***SOME IDEAS***
  • Try experimenting with different smells and textures.
  • Give your child some tools, e.g a comb, paint brushes, toy cars to use for making marks in the finger paint. 
  • Add a bit of sand or shaving cream to give the paint a different texture.
  • For a mess-free alternative, check out Mess Free Finger Painting by Happy Mum, Happy Children.
  • For more paint recipes for your toddler - head over to Girl on a Mission's Easy Kids Paint Recipes for more ideas.
Have fun!
Charlene
PIN IT! 
(Hover & Click top left corner of image)


Linking up with
 #ToddlerFunFriday
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PLAY IDEA: Soapy Sand

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A couple of weeks ago at PLAY, we introduced our toddlers to Soapy Sand. A simple 'messy' play activity that allows your child to be creative, learn about sand and water, strengthen their muscles, and work together with others. 

What you need:
Sand
Dishwashing Liquid
Water
Shallow tray

What to do:
Put some sand into a shallow tray, squirt some dishwashing liquid all over and then add a little bit of water at a time, mixing it together until the sand becomes light and frothy. Yes, it's that simple!

The children can explore the soapy sand by feeling, squishing, massaging, patting, pounding, shaping, moulding and digging.

You might like to add in different equipment e.g. digging equipment such as shovels, spades, scoops and sticks, a range of containers of different shapes and sizes, natural resources such as stones, shells and wood, sieves and tubing of different lengths and types, and a range of vehicles that are not too small.


Talk to your child/children about what they are doing, so they can learn new words. Offer new ideas, and join in with them, exploring the soapy sand together. 

This activity was a hit with our toddlers, and I thoroughly enjoyed it too! Give it a go with your little one!

Thanks for visiting, 
Charlene

Linking up with:
 #ToddlerFunFriday @ My Bored Toddler 
Blog Fair #18 @ Mummy Do It 
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DIY: Homemade Colour Book

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I made this Colour Book when Master M was only 5 months old. One year later, he still loves it. It's such a great little book and really easy to make. I was inspired by this post over at Craftulate.  

You will need:
Paint swatches (two of each colour)
A range of stickers
Book binding rings (x2)
Hole punch
Glue
Laminator/laminating sheets (optional)
Firstly, lay out your paint swatches so you can see how the book is going to turn out.  Glue the paint swatches back to back in order (see below pattern) to form a book layout.
Cover (white) - Red,
 Red - Orange, 
Orange - Yellow, 
Yellow - Green, 
Green - Blue, 
Blue - Purple, 
Purple - Back of book (white). 
Colour Book Layout
Add a variety of coloured/themed stickers to each page, including the colour word in the top left corner (at this point I laminated my book so it would last longer). Punch two holes in each card and thread two 'book binding rings' through to hold it all together. 

You can either add patterned or scrapbooking paper for a cover,  or use white paint swatches and decorate with coloured or themed stickers like I did, and personalise the book by using your child's name. And just like that, your little one has their very own (made with love) Colour Book. 








My 17 month old son loves his Colour Book (ever since he was 5 months old). He is now looking at the pictures and attempting to say the names of the animals/objects.
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Linking up with: My Bored Toddler for #ToddlerFunFriday
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P is for Play Space Inspiration

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I am a teacher by trade and a mother by nature who loves browsing through Pinterest and pinning lots of play space ideas. Play is an important part of childhood, so creating a play space for your baby or toddler will be beneficial to their learning and development.

Not sure where to start? Jen from IHeart Organising has come up with a simple list of items that are consistent with play spaces (or play rooms for older children) and is a great place to start if you are wanting to set one up.

I am currently working on updating Master M's Play Space, so I thought I would share some of my favourite and inspiring PLAY SPACES with you. Just click on the image to directed to the original post. Enjoy!
via The Imagination Tree
What I love about it: This play space is simple, yet very effective. I love the use of mirrors, treasure baskets and open ended toys. I am also inspired by the philosophies of Montessori and Reggio. 

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 via Adore Cherish Love
What I love about it: This "Learning Corner" is super cute. I love the alphabet posters (Casey designed these herself) and the art work - I actually made one with Master M last week and will be putting it in his new play space. You can see Casey's tutorial here. I love the thick woven baskets too, they are perfect for books and for treasure baskets.

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via Childhood101
What I love about it: I found this post when Master M was a few months old and absolutely loved the idea of a long mirror in his play space. We had one tucked away in the wardrobe so I brought it out and he loved it! It was funny watching his facials when he saw his own face. A low shelf to display toys is a great idea too. 

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via Kz and Me
What I love about it: Creating mini centers is a great idea! Having different areas with materials/toys will encourage your baby to crawl and explore. Love it!
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via Mama Mandolin
What I love about it: I love the shelving units with baskets - a great storage system for toys and books at eye level for your little one. Displaying artwork is important too, I love the 'clothesline' idea - definitely incorporating this idea into Master M's play space. I am also on the hunt for a little table and chair set. 
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If you would like some more tips on how to create a play space in your home - Childhood 101 also shares 10 Tips for Creating Great Play Spaces. It's a great read.

Have you got a play space in your home? Please share your ideas below.

This post is part of
#AtoZChallenge
My Bored Toddler

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H is for Homemade Play Recipes

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Looking for simple, fun and affordable activities for the kids? Lucky for you, I found these awesome homemade play recipes I'm sure the kids will love. Just a heads up though - it might get messy, very messy - however, it's a great opportunity for kids to experience sensory play, using a variety of materials and textures. So click on the images below to see more details of each homemade play recipe and ENJOY!
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