How true that statement is ! I know for myself that I'm a visual and hands-on learner and I believe majority of children are too.
Here are just several ideas on activities that you can get your toddlers to be all hands-on and mine love them:
Sensory experience
1. Shaving cream: put some shaving cream on a cookie sheet and let them touch it, smear it, etc. My kids love this. Don't worry about them eating it. They won't because after one taste, they know it taste YUCKY!
2. Grains: you can pour some uncooked rice grains, couscous, corn kernels etc in an open container and let them play with it. It may get messy, but sometimes, that's how kids learn and experience :) Just be careful with young children who still have tendencies to put things into mouth (chocking hazard) or you can put them in a durable plastic bag and let them squish it
3. Yogurt (and food coloring): you can let your kids just play and touch the yogurt, they might eat it at the same time too. I added some food coloring before (and put a wearable bibs on ;) or smock) and they think it's fun
4. Dough
3 cups flour, 1 cup warm water, 2 Tbsp oil. Put the flour in a mixing bowl and make a well in a center. Very SLOWLY add in the water and the oil and then incorporating the flour bit by bit so it will mix smoothly. Continue to knead the dough until it's no longer sticky. Let it rest for about 10 minutes and then you can let your kids shape it, cut it with cookie cutter, roll it or do whatever they want. Just keep in mind this is not cookies recipe :)
5. Jello
Let them poke it, touch it, cut it, bounce it. They will have so much fun doing it
Arts and Crafts
1. Unused magazines and scissor (the one that is safe for young children) and let them just cut away. My then 2-year old had so much fun doing that with unused magazines
2. Painting with yogurt
3. Shapes Pasta: let them paint the pasta
4. Toilet paper rolls: two rolls can be taped together and made into a binocular :) My daughter thought it was fun. She even color the binocular with her crayon and put some stickers on it, wrote her name to make it all personal ;)
5. Marshmallows: you can get large or small ones and let them glue them on paper to create alphabets, etc
Other convenient things around the house
1. Pots, pan, wooden spatula and let them make some music (maybe not early in the morning), but my kids love this idea
2. Boxes: especially the large ones. My 15 month old climbed inside and his sister pushed/pulled him around the house
3. Helping at kitchen: You can let your kids help you with cutting vegetables using kids cutlery knife. Those knives can't cut very well (but that's the point) and they just want to mimic what you are doing, so let them :)
4. Fill up the kitchen sink with some water : My daughter actually washed her pretend play fruits and vegetables there :)
The ideas are endless. Spend some time away from your medias (smartphones, tablest, computer, etc). Spend your precious time with your children doing activities. Create more childhood memories. Involve them and they will have fun and learn at the same time.Labels: Indoor Activities for Kids, Quote
