Posts Tagged ‘toddlers’
Babies: Relaxation Techniques for Toddlers Bedtime
Monday, June 15th, 2009Top Tips for Christmas Shopping With Toddlers
Sunday, February 22nd, 2009I think Christmas shopping and shopping generally with toddlers, is given a bad press! With a little bit of planning and some common sense there are many practical ways to take the stress, frustration and tension out of buying your father- in – law his annual socks and festive tie!
I think it helps to remember that small children have limits. If you are shopping with toddlers, be alert to their needs: are they tired, hungry, overexcited by the noise and confusion, or simply in need of some fresh air or a reassuring hug?
I don’t think it’s fair to expect toddlers to go from sitting in the car seat to sitting in their buggy for hours on end, so make sure you take breaks in your shopping to let them get rid of some of their energy and have some physical fun.
Lots of shopping centres have places for them to let off steam – or while you have a coffee let them move about while you supervise them. I used to pop into the Early Learning Centre for a quick 20 minutes while they had a play to give us all a break!!
* A great idea is to get your child to wear something with pockets before you leave the house. Once you are at the shops fill their pockets with something healthy like raisins or grapes.
Toddlers love to sit in the shopping trolley or their buggy independently digging out the raisins or grapes and you are able to zip around happily picking up what you need.
* Bring a small container with their favourite snack or a sandwich as a stand by as a hungry toddler is a grumpy toddler!
* Babies and small children can also become dehydrated in the dry air of shopping centres, so be sure to take frequent nursing or juice or water breaks.
* Make shopping fun – play games in the shops and look for things and get your toddler engaged in counting the reindeer or looking for snowmen.
* Keep their hands busy with a toy or a book to occupy their minds.
* Remember that children are naturally curious and this is how they learn about the world around them. Make the trip a learning time and sing Christmas songs or Nursery Rhymes and talk about colours or shapes or see how many circles they can find along the way.
If they want to examine an attractive item in a shop, don’t automatically tell them off or shout at them. Instead, help them to hold the item safely, or let them know that it can be looked at but not touched. You might say something like “This is breakable, so let’s just look at it together.” Share your toddler’s enthusiasm and interest at this exciting time of Christmas with all its sparkle and magic and see the world from their perspective of curiosity.
* Choose a time when you know your little one will have a nap and make sure they are in the buggy so you can shop while they are asleep.
* How about sharing your kids with friends – they go shopping for a couple of hours on their own while you look after their children and then you swap. You get lots more done and you have a break and a bit of “me” time while your kids are having fun too.
* Toddlers can begin to be included in some of the shopping decisions so involve your toddler with questions such as “Which of these toys do you think Sophie would like to play with?” This can turn a frustrating,boring experience into a more pleasurable one, for everyone.
* Being surrounded by a crowd of adults can be a really intimidating business to small children, especially when shops are busy so using a backpack can be one way of bringing toddlers up to a height where they are more contented. It can also prevent the common, frightening experience of losing a toddler in a crowd.
A slightly older child can be a great help in shopping, if you approach it all in a spirit of fun and good humour. Ask them to go and get something for you while you supervise them as they love to be helpful and feel part of the shopping trip. Then praise them for their independence and help.
* Avoid the crowds. Shopping just before dinner, when shops are crowded, and parents and children are tired and hungry, can be very stressful. Try shopping in the morning or early afternoon on weekdays, or move dinner up and shop during the quiet early-evening time between 6 and 7 pm.
When you avoid the stress of crowded shops, busy car parks and long check-out lines, you have more patience and energy.
Be prepared for the tantrum zone check out. With colourful, delicious sweets and treats on display be ready,as these can throw your little one into a temper tantrum as you are both probably tired out and fed up waiting and they will become demanding and fractious. Be prepared and bring a favourite healthful snack from home which is an easy alternative to keeping them content.
* If you reach your limit… If you reach the limit of your patience and energy, try to remain calm, centred and grounded and press your internal “pause button” and dig deep to find your positive ways of handling anger and fatigue. You might try saying, “I’m starting to lose my patience. I think I need a break from shopping for a bit. Let’s go outside for a few minutes so we can both get some fresh air” Even a few moments of fresh air away from the crowds can make a big difference for both of you
* If your children reach their limit… If, your toddler has simply reached the end of their tether – respect that. Shopping can wait; an exhausted, hungry, or overly-excited child can’t!
Remember that all children behave as well as they are treated. A child who is regularly given your time, undivided attention, patience, and understanding will have more tolerance for a shopping trip – and any other challenging situation – than the child who must face stressful situations without your understanding and emotional support.
* Look for ways to positively praise your toddler for their good behaviour.
* And remember to make sure you have had enough to eat and drink before you go out to keep your energy up!
* You get what you focus on…………. If you think the shopping trip will be stressful, frustrating and tiring ….. guess what …. it will be….. . so get playful and creative yourself and remember to do this before you go out.
Imagine the trip going really well …. see what you see 
, hear what you hear and feel how good you feel when the trip has gone really well. Turn the pictures up brighter and bring them closer to you and relax.
Toddlers will pick up on your mood so make sure you’re in a good mood first and they will follow you example.
* Another tip is to remember a time when a shopping trip has gone really well and to go back and remember it in great detail. See the things you did and remember the things you said and how you said them. Remember the frame of mind you were in and remember how you felt and then simply copy what you did that day as it clearly worked!
Shopping with your toddler need not be a strssful experience so relax get focused on what works and have fun!
Toddlers Are People Too
Thursday, January 29th, 2009Its humorous and sad at the same time that our childs first word learned is usually no. I started to wonder myself if I knew any other word besides no when it came to talking to my child. I dont recall ever hearing stories of children needing therapy because all they heard is no as a child. So lets not feel so bad about having to say no a lot during those crucial curious years.
Toddlers are mini adults in the making, what a wonderful time to start molding them. Why not start teaching them about making choices and decisions? Instead of always saying no, maybe we need to explain to them the consequences of their actions, or maybe let them do something you normally wouldnt let them do. Of course as long as its nothing that could harm them or someone else. Instead of saying no, dont touch that candle, what if we said that candle is very hot, you could burn yourself, you dont want to hurt yourself do you? What if you said yes to finger painting instead of worrying about them getting messy, isnt that the fun of finger painting to begin with?
I have found that allowing my toddlers a little more freedom with decision making, they are more likely to clean up after they make a mess, or brush their teeth when its bed time. Toddlers are people too; they like to be able to choose what they will wear, what they will eat, and what they will play. If we are always saying no to our children, then our children want to always say no to us.
Let your toddler feel important, let them have a voice and let them become the adult they will one day be.
How to Make Valentines Day Fun for Toddlers
Sunday, January 11th, 2009Holidays are a great time to make memories with your toddler. Here are ten easy, cheap ways for moms to make a big impression on this Valentines Day:
1. Fill their shoes with a sweet treat. When its time to put their shoes on, they will be thrilled to find a little Hersheys chocolate kiss with an “I love you from head to toe” note or a small toy like a Hot Wheels car.
2. Decorate your toddlers room with hearts. While your child is sleeping, go in his or her room and decorate the walls with construction paper hearts. When he or she wakes up, there will be a room full of love waiting.
3. Make a Valentine collage. Cut out different shaped hearts on different colors of construction paper. Glue on a piece of cardstock and you have a collage to decorate your kids room or a card for grandma and grandpa.
4. Bake heart shaped cookies. While youre measuring and mixing, tell your toddler the things you love and appreciate about him or her. Be specific and shower your child with encouragement. “I love how you are such a good builder. Youre great at making creative things with blocks” or “I appreciate how you give mommy hugs every day.”
5. Make a book of things your toddler loves. Have your toddler look through magazines and cut out the things he or she likes (cars, animals, favorite foods, etc). Glue these into a “Things I Love” book. Your toddler will delight in sharing his or her favorite things with friends and family.
6. Enjoy a Valentines dinner of red foods. Serve pasta in red sauce or pizza for dinner. Drink cranberry juice and have strawberries and red jello for dessert.
7. Create a love treasure hunt throughout the house with a prize at the end. Use simple rhymes like “Rose are red, violets are blue, go into the kitchen, where theres something for you.”
8. Make shapes out of candy hearts. Dont want your toddler to eat all those tiny sugary candy hearts? Glue them on pieces of paper to form hearts, circles, squares, whatever shape you want.
9. Give your toddler a coupon book. Include coupons like, “Watch your favorite video,” “Have a friend over for a popcorn party,” “Go out for ice cream,” or “Trip to the zoo.”
10. Make a trail of hearts to a treat. Put hearts on the floor leading from their bedroom to a surprise like a small toy or a Rice Krispy treat.
Youll have as much fun as your toddler when you take time to make Valentines Day something special!
Choosing the best educational toy for different ages; babies, toddlers and children under 5
Thursday, January 1st, 2009Newborn to one:
This is a magical year in which so much happens. Babies go from being able to do little other than be amazed with this world to sitting up, crawling, possibly even standing up or even taking their first steps. In the early months they will not be able to hold a toy but will love colourful things which move and play music such as a traditional music box. These are really useful for just before bedtime or when changing a nappy and will stay a favourite for years.
Once babies perfect their grip, everything they come into contact with will be picked up and stuck into their inquisitive little mouths. Any toy that can be easily held, safely chewed on, and preferably makes a noise, will totally delight them. Jingle bells and maracas are ideal.
When they come close to walking they will love toys like the small Wheely Bug, although they may need help staying on. A good all-round educational toy for this age is a set of colourful, and preferably musical, stacking blocks initially the blocks will be played with only for their sound and the colour attractions, but in the second year they will come into their own as a stacking toy.
Find out more about educational toys for babies aged 0 to 1
Toddlers between one and two:
The second year is the year of mobility. During their second year most toddlers will become confident on their little feet and once they do, there will be no stopping them. They will explore how things work – stack things and then knock them over, hit things to see if they break, pull them along to check if they move in an interesting way or make a noise.
Pull along toys are great for this age, especially those that bend and sway, nod their heads, and enable some form of interactive entertainment for their young owners. Sound blocks are good for shaking and making noise too, and stacking rings are just difficult enough for this age to provide toddlers with a manageable challenge. Also, dont forget shape sorters to stretch young minds. There is nothing like noise and music to keep small people happy so depending how much noise you can bear why not try a childrens toolkit or for the more musical types, a wooden xylophone?
Find out more about educational toys for toddlers aged 1 to 2
Three to four:
At this age speech becomes a much bigger part of a small person’s life and role playing games start to take over from straight forward exploration games.
Also, this is the time when toddlers begin to play with rather then just alongside one another. A wooden garage or a castle are perfect to share with small friends. Bring in the mini trucks, fire engines or police cars and watch them immerse themselves in a little world of their own.
Little girls will love a Vanity Case, with combs, powder puffs, lipstick and mirrors and for the budding DIY specialist or gardener try a tool box or garden bag. Kitchen games are another favourite you can even get wooden cakes with pieces that Velcro back together. Pretend fruit and vegetables and kitchen items such as toasters are equally loved by both little girls and boys.
For the active toddler you can never go wrong with a pedaless wooden bike or a Wheely Bug they come as a colourful ladybird, a bumble bee or a cow.
Find out more about educational toys for toddlers aged 3 to 4
Four to five:
Preschoolers absorb information like little sponges and frequently remember more than adults which makes this age the perfect time to introduce them to educational toys like jigsaw puzzles of Britain or Europe. Show them where you went on holiday or where friends and family live and then marvel when they point to Manchester and Glasgow on the map, or Greece and Ireland.
Their imagination is very fertile at this stage and toys like a multi-storey garage or castle, kitchen equipment like cookers and toasters make a perfect backdrop for them to play out their imaginary world. They are also likely to be full of energy and enjoy being physically active, so indulge them with a set of wheels of their own a bike or large Wheely Bug, for example. If you feel like bringing the game into the kitchen give your four or five year old some dough, a rolling pin and shape cutters and watch the mini master-chef at work. With any amount of luck you’ll have biscuits for tea!
Find out more about educational toys for toddlers aged 4 to 5
By Karen Singleton of Strawberry Children’s Toys
Learning toy the one learning toy your toddlers must have also happens to be one of their favorite
Friday, December 12th, 2008I have discovered a wonderful new world of exciting toy shopping on the Internet.� And one of my favorite stores (besides books) is a toy store selling classic and wooden toys.
Because we are all busy and have only a limited time to shop my suggestion of a toy I believe every toddler should have in his collection is a 3d wooden jigsaw puzzle. Actually he will need a collection whether it is all one theme or a variety.
3d wooden puzzles make a perfect first puzzle for a toddler.�
These puzzles have chunky pieces and are easy for a young child to handle.� If you have a child with lower muscle strength he/she will also be able to handle the individual pieces.�
The average size of many of these puzzles begins at about 4 inches by 4 inches.� Some can be as large as 6 x 10 inches.� They will have anywhere from three to six pieces.� Some of the larger ones may have ten to twelve pieces.
Puzzles are one of the most popular kids toys and can be given to children ages 3 and up. It will be fun for you to help your child pick out just the right puzzle that interests him. Make sure that it is not too difficult for his age or he will loose interest in it and set it aside.
Your child may even want to start a collection of one theme.� There are many selections available including:
- African animals
- Sea life animals
- Fish
- Dinosaurs
- Birds and trees
- Domestic animals
I like the fact that because the puzzles are chunky (one inch or a little more), they can stand up by themselves. Instead of throwing them in a box your child will be able to keep them on his nightstand, dresser or even a bookcase.� The puzzles will stay protected and in plain view.
Because your child will see his toy puzzles everyday he/she will be likely to play with them more often.� These puzzles are also good to incorporate into your childs daily creative playtime when he/she is playing with such other toys as:
- farm or barnyard toy set
- zoo play set
- circus toys
- train sets
QUALITY MADE TOYS
Like me, you will require a safe, quality-made toy.� You will want to make sure you select a brand that is manufactured from eco-friendly rubberwood.
Rubberwood are wonderful trees that produce a sap, which is the source of virtually all the worlds rubber. At the end of their rubber-producing life, they are harvested and new trees are planted.� But, these majestic trees have one more gift to offer beautiful hardwood.� Rubberwood is a very hard, non-splintering wood, making it an ideal selection in the manufacturing of toys.
Puzzles that I would select are both hand-made and hand-painted. Hand-painted puzzles are carefully painted with child-safe paint.� Puzzles with a variety of brightly colored pieces are my favorite. And, like I said, I love wood toys.
BENEFITS OF 3D JIGSAW PUZZLES
Now lets spend a few minutes talking about the many benefits of using puzzles.� Besides being a favorite toy with kids you as a parent or teacher are making a wise choice in providing puzzles for your child because they do provide many benefits.
The satisfaction of putting all the puzzle pieces together to form an object is a gratifying feeling for a child. He feels a sense of pride at a job well done.� Your child will also reap the benefits of learning:
- eye-hand coordination
- fine motor skills
- organization
- attention to detail
- finishing a task
Another way puzzles can be used in early learning development is to purchase alphabet and number puzzles.� You will be able to introduce your child to sequential learning.� These puzzles have to be completed in order and as they are done so the child will be concentrating on the order of his ABCs as well as numbers 1-10.� For instance, the letter C cannot come after the letter A.� B is the only fit.
Finally, pay attention on how you give the puzzle to your child.� Anchor a good feeling about the toy by making a game out of it.� Discuss the animal/character as you sit down with him. Ask open-ended questions and guide him to new learning adventures.� If he has an African elephant for example, you will have wonderful opportunities to introduce your child to another exciting part of the world.� Be creative and create memories for both you and your child!
Puzzles are for fun and learning.� It is the one learning toy your toddler must have!
Easter for Toddlers: Meaningful Activities Beyond Chocolate Bunnies
Tuesday, November 18th, 2008Children bring joy to holidays like Easter, with their beautiful suits and dresses and colorful egg hunts on green lawns. But in addition to special outfits and candy peeps, what else can parents do to provide their kids with a meaningful Easter? Here are seven ways to go beyond the Easter bunny and communicate a positive message to your toddler:
1. Deliver an Easter basket to a friend in need. Do you know a child whose parent is deployed? Or maybe a single mom who has three young children? Think of a family you know that could use a little encouragement. Make an Easter basket for that family and deliver it with your toddler. Your son or daughter will learn the joy of giving firsthand as he or she gives away that thoughtful basket.
2. Buy candy and deliver it for a church or community Easter egg hunt. You can explain to your toddler that candy doesnt just magically appear at the egg hunts. People have to donate it first. Talk to them about the joy of giving and let them have their own special egg filled with a treat for helping out.
3. Visit a senior citizen at a nearby nursing home. Have your child color an Easter coloring page and deliver it to a resident. Call ahead of time and ask the activity director if theres a particular resident he or she would recommend. Ask for the best times to come and the appropriate protocol for bringing children. Your adorable child will be the highlight of the day for that senior citizen!
4. Have an “empty tomb” egg hunt. Hide eggs in your backyard or wherever would work for a hunt. Fill the eggs with stickers, quarters, small toys or candy. Leave one egg empty. Whoever finds the empty egg is the grand prize winner. Explain how Easter is the celebration of the empty tomb because Jesus rose from the grave on the third day. The grave was empty just like that egg. Give the child who found the empty egg a great prize like a dollar bill, larger toy, or scoop of ice cream.
5. Print out Easter coloring pages. Look on the internet for free coloring pages of Jesus on the cross and other Easter images. Tell your child how much God loves him and how special he is.
6. Attend an Easter service. Whether you go to church regularly or not, Easter is a great time to participate in a holiday celebration. Many churches offer fantastic programs for kids, from giant Easter egg hunts to musical specials.
7. Make something special for the host of your Easter dinner. If you are going to grandmas house for dinner, have your toddler make her a special card or craft to say thank you. Your host will be touched by your little ones thoughtfulness. And if youre the host, your child can make something small for each of your guests. Favors could be a coloring page, popsicle sticks glued together to make a cross, or plastic eggs filled with an after dinner mint.
When you take a little time to be intentional about Easter with your kids, you will find the holiday will become more meaningful not only to them, but to you!
Making Reading with Toddlers Fun
Sunday, October 26th, 2008Making Reading with Toddlers Fun
Reading with toddlers requires a slightly different skill set than reading to babies. After all, toddlers have out grown their fascination with eating their books and hopefully have developed a longer attention span than when they were babies. They can now begin to absorb and enjoy the story lines along with the colorful pictures that they have always liked to see. This provides parents with the opportunity to take their children to a whole new level of adventure with books. Below are some ideas that can help making reading a fun experience for both you and your toddler.
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Be sure to select a book that is age and content appropriate for your young child. Every child has his or her level of development–only you know your child best. If a book is over your child’s head, no matter how great this book is, shelf it until your child is ready to appreciate it. It is no fun for anyone to read an interesting book to an uninterested child.
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Make your child a part of the story! Use your child’s name instead of the main character’s when reading the book. Instead of Everybody loves the little gorilla, make it Everybody loves Billy or Everybody loves Annie. Incorporate family members in your story too. Instead of grandma loves him, and his aunts and uncles love him, make it Nana loves Annie, and Uncle John and Auntie Mary love Annie. Let your child be the little caterpillar; the beautiful flower. You child will enjoy the books more since he is on the center stage of all his books.
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Don’t forget the action. It is great fun to act out certain scenes in a story. As you read Here come clown feet squeeze your child’s little nose and make a clown sound. And when you read Here come pig feet push your nose up and say Oink, oink. When you find ways to act out the silly scenes, you and your child will giggle through the favorite scenes of your books over and over again.
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Repeat and explain. Now that your child can appreciate the meaning behind the stories, make sure you help your child understand the stories during your reading times. If some of the lines or vocabulary might be new to your child, be sure to take the time to explain what was said in the book using terms and words your child can understand.
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Animate your reading voice! Children love high pitched sounds. While it is important to read clearly and slowly, your child will love to hear your special sound effects, your special Papa Bear voice and Little Bear voice. This will further engage your child’s interest in a book.
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Get your child to read to you. Once a favorite book has been read over and over again, give your child a chance to read it to you. Don’t be surprised if the story line is a tenth of what it used to be or even completely new to you. You can point to pictures and ask questions to help your child along, and always encourage and enjoy the story however your child wants to tell it to you. Whether she can really read it or not
, your child will have a big smile on her face and be beaming with pride that she can read.
Reading together provides a wonderful way for parents to bond with their children–make it fun too!
Activities for Toddlers: Simple and Inexpensive Ways to Enjoy Life with Your Little One
Thursday, August 28th, 2008Have you ever bought your toddler an expensive new toy, only to discover that he spends more time playing with the box it came in?
Toddlers have an amazing ability to sink into the simple things of life and create worlds from their own imagination. At this magical age, virtually everything is brand new, and we can relax and know that our interaction with our young children, especially through simple, repetitive activities, is enhancing their development and love of learning. The key is to keep it simple and spend lots of time allowing them to explore at their own pace.
Here are some simple and inexpensive activities you can enjoy with your toddler:
Outdoor Activities for Toddlers
Toddlers love to be outside. Often, toddlers will want (and need) time to play freely, but here are some ideas for those times when your toddler wants to engage in play with you:
Blow bubbles. Toddlers love to chase and blow bubbles. They watch in awe as nothing at all turns into something and is then carried away by the breeze. Spillproof containers are perfect for toddlers, especially when they are off chasing their bubble creations. Toddlers love it when you blow bubbles, too. Try counting the bubbles or challenging your child to see how many she can catch.
Watch the clouds. Lie on your backs together and find shapes in the clouds.
Draw with sidewalk chalk. These thick chunks of chalk are perfect for little hands, and they are well suited to a toddler’s fine motor skills, too. Allow your child to create designs of his own creation. Or write your child’s name in block letters and invite him to color them in. You can also draw a wiggly line down the sidewalk for your toddler to walk along. Or make up a story as you walk along the sidewalk about a child who is out for an adventure in the world, and illustrate different parts of your story as you go.
Take a walk in the wide, wide world. A simple walk in the neighborhood will give your toddler an opportunity to become familiar with the world outside her home. As she follows the same route over and over, she will begin to form a concept of her neighborhood. In time, this will bring her comfort that comes from knowing she is “almost home.”
Toddlers also love to walk in the woods. All that nature has to offer, such as rocks, sticks, and leaves, are marvelous entities to be held and explored. If you take the time to allow a toddler to explore the woods, you are in for a treat yourself as well as a lesson in patience. A toddler can watch a simple stream for what can seem like hours. While you walk, put a piece of transparent tape, sticky side out, loosely on your child’s wrist. When she finds small items that she’d like to document her journey, whether its flecks of mica, pretty leaves, or dried pine needles, she can press them on her Nature Bracelet. When she returns home, seal the goodies by placing another piece of tape on top.
Think like a kid. As you enjoy time with your toddler, try to imagine what things look like from his point of view. Toddlers take delight in the simplest things, especially if you do them again and again. For example, kids love to simply count their footsteps up to five or ten, and then start again. They love to say hello to the same dog (or the rosebush or the big rock or the open meadow) that you pass on each walk. They love to try to hop over cracks in the sidewalk. What did you love to do as a young child? If you can’t remember, ask your parents or other adults who spent time with you, and make a point to weave those simple activities into life with your own toddler.
Indoor Activities for Toddlers
Read. Reading opens a toddler’s imagination and fosters a love for books, which can propel him to success far into his school years. Read to your toddler whenever you get the chance. Take weekly trips to the library to pick out new books and audiobooks to enjoy. Introduce your child to the books you remember from your own early childhood. And make sure your child sees you enjoying a good book now and then, too.
Sing. Anytime a toddler can sing, concepts are likely to stick. Sing simple songs such as the alphabet song, or silly songs you make up about the life you live. Kids love having their own special songs, too. See if you can make up a song to the tune of Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star, which features your toddler’s name and some of the things you love most about him.
Car Games and Activities for Toddlers
Magnetic Trays. You can use an old metal tray or purchase a ready made magnetic tray at the toy store. With these trays, toddlers can play with alphabet and number magnets, as well as paper magnetic dolls. Another great way to use a magnetic tray is to print off pictures of family members and adhere them to magnets.
Travel Songs. Singing songs in the car is another great activity that passes the time. Again, repetition is the key. Sing the same song each time you and your toddler start off on a trip to the store, for example.
Story Starters. Start a story, and then ask your toddler or preschooler to fill in the blanks here and there. For example, you might start with, “Once upon a time there was a dog named: ____” (Ask the child for the dog’s name.). And the dog went to the ____.” This is great when you have a mix of ages, too. The older children can create a very silly tale, and your child can make it even sillier when it’s his turn.
Don’t be afraid to do the same thing twice. The key to educational games at this age is in repetition. Children’s brains develop connections by doing, seeing, and hearing something over and over again. That’s why children want to watch the same video, listen to the same song in the car, and go through the same bedtime routine each night.
As parents, we sometimes worry about whether our toddlers are getting enough attention, stimulation, and entertainment. Often, the games toddlers truly love are the most simple and the least expensive especially when taken at a toddler’s natural pace and shared with someone they love.
Teaching Toddlers about Love on Valentines Day
Thursday, August 7th, 2008Valentines Day isnt just about eating chocolate candy and red hots (although that may be what your toddler thinks). Its a great day to show your toddler what it means to show love to others. Toddlers probably wont get much out of a heart to heart talk about the virtues of love, but they will learn from these simple and fun activities:
1. Spin the bottle, family style. Sit in a circle with your family and put a bottle in the middle of the circle (a babys bottle may be appropriate!). When the bottle stops, say something you love about the person its pointing to.
2. Make heart magnets. Buy flat magnet paper at the craft store. Cut out the faces of your toddlers family and friends from pictures. Glue them on the magnet paper and then cut each face out in the shape of hearts. Stick them on the refrigerator as a reminder of all the people who love your toddler.
3. Create a love book. Instead of making magnets, take the pictures of your friends and family and paste them into a little book. Write down names under the pictures. Your toddler can read and re-read this love book filled with all the people who care for him or her.
4. Make homemade Valentine cards for friends. Help your toddler make big hearts out of construction paper. Then let them look through magazines for favorite toys like cars or dolls. Paste those pictures on the hearts to make the heart card more interesting for toddlers to look at.
5. Have a kiss jar. On Valentines Day, tell your toddler to give away kisses on the cheek to family members and friends. Every kiss earns a ticket. At the end of the day, let your toddler exchange the tickets for a prize.
6. Cut your sandwich in the shape of a heart. Eat your special sandwich at lunch and tell your toddler lots of things you love about him or her. Ask your toddler what he or she loves about you, your spouse, or siblings.
Shower love on your toddler this Valentines Day. After all, values are more caught than taught.