I am very pleased to introduce a fantastic guest post from blogger Amy from Young Mom Of Two who has come up with 5 ingenious fun indoor activities for toddlers. I can't wait to try out some of these with my two!
When the first spring sunrays come knocking on our doors, every child will rush out on the street to welcome and embrace the beginning of another warm season. Of course, the first period of spring is always tricky and the weather can be deceitful. If it happens that your children get surprised by the sneaky spring showers, it is always a good idea to have a back-up plan. So instead of staring out of the window, waiting for the rain to stop, you could try a more creative approach, such as these few:
1. You've got mail
A simple and yet fun pastime activity to get you through those gloomy rainy days. All you will need is a shoebox and some junk mail. Decorate the box accordingly and fill it with various letters. This is a great way to exercise your toddlers cognitive abilities, especially their motor skills, but it can also be used as a great leaning tool. Create fun drawings or write simple messages on letters and let your child learn about letters, colours and words through fun and play.
2. Dress up time
And what is a better way to spend some quality time with your children than to organize and good old dress up party? A masquerade is a great way for children to develop their imaginative sides and to improve their social and language skills. You do not necessarily have to create costumes, simply make use of old clothing garments, buy clothing or check it out at online stores like Swap. Role playing can greatly contribute to the overall development of children, especially toddlers.
3. All aboard!
Another game that can help your children express their creativity and get them to dive into their fantasy world. Simply take an old blanket or even some plastic buckets and create an imaginary train that is going to take your children all around the world. Once everybody is aboard, make a tour around the house and make stops in different rooms. You can always make this a bit more educational by pretending that every room represents a different country or continent and teach them about basic geography.
4. Express yourself
It is a well-known fact that children learn best through play and experience. This is why it is important to let them express themselves creatively. For this game gather some old magazines, some blank pieces of paper, scissors and glue. Cut out different facial features from the magazines and encourage your children to mix and match and create their favourite characters. Also, allow them to get messy and to glue up while making the collages. After all, they will learn best from their own life experience.
5. Draw your favourite songs
When children are still quite young they mostly rely on their basic senses, especially on what they see and what they hear. Keeping this in mind, it is really important to help them develop their senses and their creative little brains. While listening to their favourite tunes, ask them to draw what they hear in the song. This will help hem express their creativity but also make them rely on all of their senses. It is also a good idea to boost their brain activity by playing some sounds of nature and asking them to draw the first thing that comes to mind.Children are simple beings that live their life through imagination and fantasy. These types of games do not require much effort but can do wonders for children’s development. It is really important to always find new and innovative ways to help your children use their wits and learn through play.
Amy Mia Goldsmith is an Aussie expat living in the UK and a newbie parenting blogger. Check out her blog Young Mom Of Two
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