The Everything Toddler Activities Book Read Free Page B

across the bed until he is wrapped up in the blanket roll. Unroll your child before you leave him to go to sleep.
Monster Spray
    Help your child use his imagination to conquer his fears and get a good night’s rest.
    Activity for an individual child
    Age group: 18–40 months
    Duration of activity: 10 minutes
    1 empty spray bottle
    Materials for decorating (markers, stickers, etc.)
Have your toddler decorate the bottle.
Tell the child that this is now a bottle of monster repellent. Let him spray wherever he thinks there could be monsters lurking!
Counting Sheep
    Counting sheep is a well-known way to cure insomnia. Try this cute game to help lull your toddler to sleep. Supervision is needed if your child is still prone to putting things in his mouth.
    Activity for an individual child
    Age group: 30–40 months
    Duration of activity: 10 minutes
    8 to 10 cotton balls
Tell your child that the cotton balls are little sheep. Show him how he can herd them all on the pillow one by one. Perhaps they can hide under the covers, too!
Be sure to remind him that sheep are timid and that if he gets up or makes noise, the sheep will be frightened. If you are ambitious, you can use craft pompoms and draw on eyes for more realistic sheep.
Mealtime and Cooking Activities
    Mealtimes can be a great way to interact with your toddler and make her feel involved. When you include your child in mealtime activities and preparation, she is more likely to eat the food that you are serving. Additionally, cooking activities will help her learn about nutrition, as well as science and math concepts such as fractions, measurement, evaporation, and more.
Personal Placemats
    Your child will enjoy creating her own placemat that she can use at every mealtime.
She may want to make one for each person in your family.
    Activity for an individual child
    Age group: 18–40 months
    Duration of activity: 15 minutes
    12 x 14 sheet of poster board
    Crayons or markers
    Clear contact paper
Have your child decorate both sides of the poster board with crayons and markers.
Use clear contact paper to laminate her creation.
Homemade Butter
    This activity is a lot easier than you would imagine.
While making butter, your child is developing large motor skills and observing scientific changes as well.
    Activity for an individual child
    Age group: 18–40 months
    Duration of activity: 20 minutes
    1 cup heavy cream
    1 clear jar with a lid
    1 marble
Put the heavy cream in the jar with a marble. Cover jar with lid.
Have your child shake the jar vigorously until butter forms. Enjoy your fresh butter on some hot rolls!
Rainbow Toast
    Your toddler will enjoy decorating her toast with many colors.
This is fun to make and fun to eat!
    Activity for an individual child or a group
    Age group: 30–40 months
    Duration of activity: 10 minutes
    ½ cup milk
    Food coloring
    Cotton swabs
    2 slices white bread
Divide the milk into 4 or more portions in small containers. An empty Styrofoam egg carton works well.
Help your child place a few drops of food coloring in each milk portion to create the colors she desires.
Have child use the cotton swabs as paintbrushes to paint colorful milk designs on the bread. Be sure they don’t get too soggy.
Toast the bread under a broiler.
Mini Pizzas
    Pizza may very well be the most popular food among children.
Here is a way to involve your child in mealtimes and spark her creativity, too.
    Activity for an individual child or a group
    Age group: 30–40 months
    Duration of activity: 20 minutes
    1 canned biscuit
    1 tablespoon tomato sauce
    1 teaspoon grated mozzarella cheese
    Toppings as desired: pepperoni slices, onion rings, green pepper slices, etc.
Help your toddler pat the biscuit dough out into a circle, then help her spread on the sauce and cheese.
Let your child choose and arrange the toppings for her pizza. One idea is to use to pepperoni slices and a green pepper slice to make a smiley face.
Bake the pizza in a toaster oven or under the broiler until the