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Days 11-15: Week 3 Roundup
It's Week 3 of my free resource, 25 Days of Toddler Play!
For more information about 25 Days of Toddler Play, click here.
For the week 1 roundup (which contains days 1-5), click here.
For the week 2 activities (days 6-10), click here.
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25 Days of Toddler Play is divided into 5 weeks, with 5 activities per week. You can do any of them at any time, this is just how I chose to introduce the program.
Because I'm a former teacher, I introduce the supply list before the week begins so you can make sure you already have everything you need.
The program also includes one or two toys per week that I think are high-value for the cost and are shoppable on my Amazon storefront.
Day 11: Mixing Colors with Ice
Wow, did I underestimate how much fun my kids would have with this. My recommendation is to make a LOT of ice because your kids might not be ready to be done when the ice is gone!
What is it with toddlers and ice? Ice is like this magic substance that can calm them down, cure any boo boo, entertain them, be a snack, teach them some early science skills, etc etc. Plus, you know, Elsa. ❄️
So, today we're adding COLOR to ice. Totally changes the game. Younger toddlers will love seeing the ice melt in water and seeing the water color change. Older toddlers can have fun trying to make secondary colors (green, orange, purple) by mixing primary colors together. And of course, seeing what happens when you mix ALLLLL the colors together.
Any ice mold will do, but I happened to have these adorable little fish molds that the kids LOVED. TJ Maxx for the win.
As with all water play, I like to set my kids up over baking sheets and on top of a waterproof tablecloth to mitigate the mess. And always keep towels nearby! OR, you could do this in the bath if you really wanted to keep it mess free.
I use the plant-based food coloring from Whole Foods (I linked a similar one on my Amazon storefront) because my kids looooove to put ice in their mouths. I suppose you could use juice if you wanted to instead of colored water.
Let me know how your kids like this one!! This one was my kids' favorite by a long shot!
Day 12: Less Mess Glue
If you're like me, you tend to stray away from crafts involving glue because it just seems like too much of a disaster to even try. When you allow your toddler to PAINT with the glue though, it really cuts down on the chaos!
Grab a little dish, and squeeze some glue into it. Give your toddler the dish, a paintbrush, and some scraps of paper and let them have fun painting with the glue!
I got this idea from my favorite @lovevery play kit - it's "The Enthusiast" play kit for months 28-30. You may remember that adorable picnic set from our day of water play - that's also from The Enthusiast.
Also, I am SO excited to announce that I have been selected to be a Lovevery affiliate!! If you want to check out The Enthusiast play kit along with all of their fabulous kits ages 0-3, here is an affiliate link.
Thank you for helping me make a little money from this side hustle I started! ❤️
Day 13: Montessori Inspired Scavenger Hunt
✨ The free PDF is available here!
Plus, find more info in my blog post ❤️
Who doesn't love a good scavenger hunt?? Especially when the goal is to only FIND things, not collect them (and ultimately leave them in a pile so that, later, Mom has to spend time going back around and doing the scavenger hunt in reverse, putting everything back where it was originally).
Younger toddlers typically want (nay, NEED) to be helpers, so let's not squash this natural urge!! They can help you by helping themselves in lots of small ways you may not have thought of.
This simple, Montessori-inspired scavenger hunt includes items to find that are all things your child can and should have access to. You may not have thought, for example, to put the kids' plates and cups at a level they can reach. They may be high up in the cabinet with your plates. If you put them down low (ours are in a Lazy Susan cabinet), your child can be tasked with helping set the table at dinner time.
Let me know how it goes! Have FUN!
Day 14: Pipe Cleaner Fun
This one will really depend on the age of your child. If you have a younger toddler, you can just give them the pipe cleaners to explore (bend back the ends so they aren't sharp!). Twirl one around your finger to make a spring, they love that!
Your child might also enjoy stringing cut up paper towel roll rings onto the pipe cleaner. My daughter (22 months) colored them with markers and then made some beautiful jewelry for me to wear with the pipe cleaners.
Older toddlers (preschool age) can have lots of fun stringing pony beads onto the pipe cleaners. Make special colors or patterns, or do whatever your child is naturally drawn to. One word of advice: Do this over a baking sheet so the beads stay contained. It is soooo much less stressful when you don't have to clean up a hundred stray beads after the activity is through!
Have FUN! And always supervise your kids when working with small beads and pipe cleaners!
Day 15: Paint That Isn't Paint
Stand up if you love painting with your toddlers!
*crickets*
Ya. Me neither. That's why I love these paint markers made from solid acrylic paint. They are similar in consistency to oil pastels, except that they're water based (hellooooo washable!) and sized perfectly for toddler hands. The colors are sooo vibrant, and they layer great.
I love to give my kids really big pieces of paper to use with these so they can really get into their art. I can't wait to see all the beautiful art your littles create with these!
Grab them in my bio (under week 3 supplies)! Have FUN!
Stay tuned for Week 4: The supply list drops tomorrow! And don't forget that you can sign up for my email list to get these activities delivered straight to your inbox!
