By Genesis
Getting bored of the same old game of peek-a-boo with your toddler? Fortunately, there are more ways to entertain your little one than simply covering your face or popping out from behind a chair!
1.
Build a tent. Even little kids love a good tent. Drape a sheet over
two or three chairs to form a cozy space and let your child hang
out in there. Give him a bowl of Cheerios, a book and a couple of
toys and he’ll be happy for a good ten minutes or more!
2. Pick up. This game is a good way to teach cleaning
up skills, too! Get a box or a bag and hold it open, while asking
your child to put a toy in. If he doesn’t understand, show
him by picking up a toy and dropping it into the box. Then clap
and cheer. He will certainly want to imitate you. Don’t be
surprised if the fun gets started all over again by dumping out
everything you just picked up.
3. Water play. Obviously, this is best done outside,
or in the bathroom. An adult should always supervise when a child
is playing with water. Fill a shallow baking pan or a plastic tub
with a couple inches of water. Add some bubble bath mixture or shampoo
if you like and use a whisk to create bubbles. Let your toddler
splash away in the water and use measuring cups to scoop and pour.
She might get soaked, but she will have a blast.
4. Create an obstacle course. The key to doing this
is not to make it too difficult or your toddler will get frustrated.
Place a toy or food at one end of the room and make it harder to
get to by putting cushions or chairs in the way so she has to move
things or crawl under them. Once your child has finished, start
all over again from the other end!
5. Take it out. Fill up a small tote bag with
toys, books, and household items like keys and cd boxes. Give it
to your toddler and he will stay occupied taking everything out
one by one.
6. Batting Game. Put a hook into a joist or beam
in the ceiling and hang a long cord from it with a light toy attached
to the end. This should be within easy reach of your child, so he
can bat it around. WARNING: Do not ever leave your toddler unattended
with this game as he could get the cord wrapped around his neck
and choke. Take down the toy when he is finished playing.
 7. Lotto. Buy a simple Lotto game. Although your toddler won’t
be able to actually play, he will have fun sorting through the cards.
You can help by showing him that some of the cards are the same.
Or lay two or three out in front of him, name the items and ask
him to point out one of them. For example, if he knows what a dog
is, ask for the dog. He will be delighted to show you which card
has a dog on it.
8. Draping. Sit on the floor with your child in
front of you, facing you. Flip a blanket over both of you and lean
in close to kiss her. Slide the blanket slowly off and then flip
it back over again. Kids adore this game!
9. Non-sand sandbox. Take a child’s pool or
a large plastic bin and fill it up with rice. Give your toddler
some cooking utensils and trucks to play with and he will have a
blast mucking around in the rice. Rice is far easier to clean up
than sand and can quickly be swept up off the floor.
10. Fill an empty tissue box with silk scarves,
handkerchiefs or baby socks and let your child pull them all out
again. This activity can keep your toddler busy for quite some time,
especially if you fill up a couple of boxes so you can hand the
next one to her when she finishes with one!
These are just a few of the ways to keep a little
one busy and happy. With some observation and creativity, you are
bound to come up with even more!
Article written by Genesis.
All opinions expressed are that of the writer.
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