Children this age are naturally curious, and can turn almost anything into a game. Toddlers may be more interested in playing with the equipment than following specific rules for an activity, so keep the instructions simple and expect kids to invent their own ways to play.
Attention Span
Toddlers typically have a short attention span, so be sure to pick games and crafts that can be completed quickly. According to Parenting Press, young toddlers may only be able to concentrate on a single craft or game for 2 to 3 minutes, while older toddlers may be able to handle up to 10 minutes, depending on the activity and the personality of the child.
When planning toddler activities, be sure to consider how much time you’ll need to set up and clean up afterwards. If you’re working with a group of toddlers and have limited time to complete the activity, you may want to set up and complete any particularly difficult parts, such as cutting out pieces, ahead of time.
Toddler Games
Toddlers love to play games that involve movement, music, and basic concepts such as hide and seek. For a simple movement game, you can set pieces of colored paper on the floor like stepping stones and have young toddlers jump from one paper to another, or have older toddlers run to a particular color when you call it out.
For music games, you can have kids dance to a lively song, then stop the music and have them freeze and make silly faces until the song starts again. For hide and seek or treasure hunt games, you can hide stuffed animals, toys or objects you will need to introduce a class activity around the room and let the toddlers discover them. You can also hide them under upside down boxes or containers and have the toddlers guess which ones have the objects for a memory game.
Toddler Crafts
For toddler crafts, look for projects that the kids can play with during the craft or afterwards. For example, toddlers can decorate empty cardboard boxes with crayons, colored paper, stickers or self-adhesive foam pieces, and then pretend the boxes are a house or car for themselves or a stuffed animal, stack them like building blocks and knock them over, or toss beanbags into them.
To decorate empty plastic containers, you can have the toddler decorate a piece of paper, then wrap it around the container and tape it in place. Then use the containers as flower pots, or fill them with rocks and use them as musical shakers. Although paint can be messy, toddlers love to play with it during craft time. You can have toddlers make keepsake handprint crafts by putting their paint-covered hands on blank canvas aprons or tote bags, or let them play with paint by dunking a small marble or rubber ball in paint, then rolling it over a piece of paper place in a baking sheet or cardboard box.
Materials and Supplies
When choosing toddler games and crafts, consider how messy the activity will be, and provide an appropriate, easy-to-clean workspace. Plastic tablecloths from the dollar store can protect floors or furniture during painting, and old adult t-shirts cut open at the back can make simple, yet effective, art smocks. Make sure that all toddler craft supplies, such as paint and clay, are nontoxic. Avoid games and crafts that require small pieces that little ones could choke on, since kids this age may still put things in their mouths.
Many websites, including Family Fun and Toddler Toddler, have great free ideas for toddler games and craft projects that only require readily available or inexpensive supplies that most parents already have on hand. After looking at a few of these activities, you’re sure to get some great ideas of your own.
