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

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

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PLAY IDEA: Soap Flake Foam

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Soap Flake Foam* is a super easy, sensory activity your toddler will love, especially if they are a fan of messy play. Messy play gives children the opportunity to experience a wide range of sensory experiences. Activities like Soapy Sand and Finger paint help children learn about different textures and materials and now we can add Soap Flake Foam* to the list.

This recipe is from "Recipes for Messy Play".

Ingredients: 
1-2 cups Soap Flakes
Hot Water
Powder paint (or tempera paint)

Method: 
Put 1-2 cups of soap flakes into a bowl and add hot water until the soap flakes are completely covered and the water is just above their level in the bowl. Beat the mixture until the soap flakes dissolve and the mixture has the consistency of canned shaving foam. 

Let the MESSY PLAY begin!
 
The foam is cloud-like, soft and squishy to touch and is a great sensory activity on its own. If you are wanting to brighten it up for your toddler, you can add a bit of tempera paint or powder paint (see this home-made powder paint recipe) and encourage them to mix the two together - this is where the fun really begins. 

Soap Flake Foam* is a very soothing activity. Your toddler gets to experiment with and explore the properties of this amazingly soft solution. They will learn about colour mixing, texture, and design. Your toddler is also developing hand-eye coordination.



We (adults) can support our children by role modeling and showing them it’s okay to get messy. We can use descriptive words such as soft, slimy, squishy and encouraging them to tell stories about what they are feeling/doing.

The great thing about this Soap Flake Foam and messy play, in general, is you don't need a lot of extra equipment. Encourage your toddler to experiment by using their hands and fingers, feet and bodies. You can introduce other materials later on, like brushes, cardboard, sticks, leaves etc.

This is such a fun activity, even my 10 year old daughter enjoyed playing with it. Supervision is a MUST with any type of play, especially messy. Safety consideration: the soap flakes may irritate if it gets into the eyes, so remember to have some fresh warm water and towels on hand. 

Are you ready to get messy with Soap Flake Foam? 

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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: 7 Fun Ways to Play With Ball-Pit Balls

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If you have a toddler in your home, chances are you have at least one bag of '100 plastic balls', hidden away somewhere, probably so you don't have to pick them all up. Now is the time to pull them out and let your toddler have fun with them. My 18 month old absolutely loves these colourful balls, and will play with them all day, every day. They are inexpensive and provide hours of fun, and the clean up isn't THAT bad! Today I am sharing "7 Fun Ways to Play with Ball-Pit Balls... Give it a go - You and your toddler will have a BALL! 


1. Make your own ball-bit - Use things around your home to make your own ball-pit for your little one. Some ideas are: flexi tub, a tent, cardboard box, port-a-cot, paddling pool, plastic shell, bath (see below), laundry basket & an underbed storage bin. Throw in the balls and let your toddler explore and have fun!


2. Throw & Catch - these balls are great for little ones to practice their throwing and catching skills. They are light and soft, so you know your child won't hurt themselves or break anything (touch wood).


3. Colour Hunt/Sorting - have the balls scattered on the floor, and ask your toddler to grab the 'yellow ball' or 'blue ball', extend their learning by asking them to find 1-3 things of the same colour. You can also get some coloured card/paper and get your little one to find the balls that match each colour.

4. Muffin Tray - Your toddler will love putting balls into the muffin tray and taking them out. You can also use jelly cups, and cupcake cases - they are the perfect size for these balls.  
5. Counting/Alphabet  - Write numbers on the balls with a marker pen and practice counting and number recognition. Alternatively, write letters on the balls (capitals one side and lower case on the other) - great for letter recognition, and spelling their name or words. 

6. In the bath - when your little one is having a bath, throw in the balls for some extra added fun. 

7. Colour Sorting Game - Minne-Mama made this adorable Colour Toss Activity for her son - perfect for 'bean bag toss' (hand-eye co-ordination) or 'ball-pit balls' (colour sorting). What a brilliant idea! I am definitely going to make one of these for my boy.

Do you love or loathe ball-pit balls? If you love them, what do you do? If you loathe them, will you give these activities a go? Go on - your toddler will LOVE you for it. 
Charlene

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PLAY IDEA: Foam Eruptions

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I love Science and science experiments, especially when they have the 'wow factor'. Mixing baking soda and vinegar was a favourite when I was child and now I get to share it with my children. My son has never really been a fan of Messy Play, however after doing this experiment, I think he has changed his mind, because now he knows it's fun to mix, stir and scoop colourful 'stuff' and get messy!

Messy Play can help children to experiment and explore, learn about colour mixing and texture, develop hand-eye co-ordination and practice pouring, mixing, scooping and beating skills. 

We can support children by joining in, letting them know it's okay to get messy. We can encourage them to tell us what they are doing by introducing descriptive words such as runny, fluffy, warm, wet, and soft. Supervising them at all times, keeping them safe and preventing them from putting the mixture/solution in their mouth and/or eyes.

Disclaimer: This recipe is from "Recipes for Messy Play".
Ingredients: 
1/4 cup Clear liquid hand soap 
3/4 Warm water
2 Tbsp Baking Soda
2 Tbsp Citric Acid, lemon juice 
(unfortunately I didn't have either, so I used white vinegar instead, and it did the trick) 
Food colouring
Method: 
1. Set out small container in a deep basin or water trough.
2. Add clear hand soap and warm water to each container and invite the children to mix to create soapy water. 
3. Add a few drops of food colouring to each one. 
4. Invite children to add spoonfuls of baking soda to each bowl of soapy water and mix it in - it should become gooey. The children can then add spoonfuls of citric acid (or lemon juice) *we didn't have either so I used white vinegar instead). As soon as the citric acid/lemon juice/white vinegar hits the baking soda/soapy water combination, it will create a very light, airy, fluffy foam. 
5. Set out small spoons or sticks for mixing. The more the children mix in the citric acid, the lighter, fluffier, and bigger foam they'll get. 
Enjoy getting messy with your toddler and most of all have FUN!











Tip out all of the containers into a large container - get stuck in with hands and mix for some extra foamy fun!

Have you tried this or any Science experiments with your toddler lately?
Charlene

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PLAY IDEA: Play with Clay

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"Clay provides so many opportunities for Messy play, especially by adding water" 
(Recipes for Messy Play)

Clay is a natural resource that has no right or wrong way to be used. It can be rolled, pinched, cut, squished and moulded into different shapes and the texture can be changed simply by adding water. The great thing about clay is it can be reused and recycled. Like playdough, Clay provides children with so many opportunities to be creative and expressive. It can be used to create long-lasting shapes (do you remember making clay bowls or animals when you were younger?).

Clay can be bought from just about any art shop or potters’ suppliers – or if there is a school nearby, you could ask for offcuts or unused clay. In some areas clay will be available from the natural environment. An expedition to dig clay can be a lot of fun.


Clay needs to be soft for children to work with, you can do this by keeping it damp during play.

The great thing about clay is that little more than a damp sponge to keep the clay moist is necessary. Children’s exploration, handling, poking, shaping and forming the clay can be quite ample on its own.

Other tools you may like to provide: 
  • something to cut the clay
  • collage materials for decoration
  • pieces of card for children to take their work home on.



Clay is good for children's hand and eye coordination (including squeezing, patting) and developing finger and hand muscles (poking, pinching). They are also learning to manipulate through cutting, rolling and moulding the clay to make shapes. 
 





It's amazing at what you can create with clay - My 10 year old nephew decided to give Play with Clay a go - and this is what he created.

Have you tried CLAY with your toddler? Do you remember working with clay when you were little?
Charlene
Linking up with #ToddlerFunFriday
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