Two-year-olds’ play is exploratory, active and can get messy. Their attention span is still quite short, but if they engage with something they love, it can be long! We’re going to share some favorite activities among 2 year olds you can try at home or outdoors, with minimal to no toys and prep!
Gross motor play
Toddlers at this age are now starting to run and jump! They are so eager to run around from one place to another and to continue to explore the possibilities of their growing body. If you want to offer something new or different for your little one other than playing catch, races or climbing up and down the playground, these fun physical activities will also engage their focus, coordination, and cognitive skills!
This is the perfect time for introducing throw and catch games!
- Beginners: sit on the floor in front of each other and roll a large ball back and forth.
- Intermediate: stand very close to your toddler and almost drop the (large) ball into their arms.
- Expert: throw the ball from further away, or bounce it towards them.
You can also try out activities to stimulate balance like:
- Walking along a path.
- Moving across the room by stepping on specific designated objects like the popular game “the floor is lava”.
- Walking on uneven or soft ground like a mattress!
Racquet sports can be introduced through games like balloon tennis!
- You’ll need a few balloons and home-made racquets using paper plates, popsicle sticks and masking tape.
- You can start easy and begin to introduce different challenges as they improve their coordination!
Try some home gymnastics! Because, what child doesn’t love jumping from the couch to the cushion, then doing a somersault and rolling around on the soft surfaces?
- Take the cushions out of the couch and place them on the floor next to the couch, fill up any gaps with extra pillows and cushions.
- Add obstacles! A table to commando crawl under, a box to crawl through, a ramp to somersault down.
Turn up the music and dance with scarves and ribbons! Your child will love to have this active musical experience with you, plus it’s great for bonding.
Fine Motor and Sensory Play
Fine motor skills are a skill that toddlers need to constantly work on so they can accomplish important daily tasks like getting dressed, using buttons and zippers, self-care, drawing, coloring and later on, writing. Those little hands aren’t ready for all that just yet, but that’s because they need to play with their hands all that they can to build up the strength for doing so. These activities will get their busy little hands moving, grasping, squishing, patting, pinching.
Nature has lots to offer for fine motor skills. Leaves, flower petals, seeds all are small and thin and require some fine motor precision to pick them up and handle them. These activities encourage finger and hand dexterity:
- Contact paper suncatcher
- Big and small nature hunt
- Natural art
- Fruit skewers: great way to include kiddo’s in the kitchen!
Another great way to strengthen your child’s hand muscles is through sensory play! Try these activities to help them with their sensory processing skills while working on their fine motor skills:
- Sensory bins: Fill them up with rice, lentils, beans, blended cereal, you name it!
- Sand & Water Play: Use two trays and fill them up: one with sand, one with water. Let your little one mix and mold!
- Bath paint: This one keeps the mess where it’s not a problem!
- Chia gel sensory play
- Colorful spaghetti sensory play
Cognitive Play
Last but not least, these games will get your little ones problem solving skills to work!
- Tall towers
- Stacking cups (fun little extra: add beans or grains for scooping and transferring)
- Jar instruments
- Matching games: using a book about colors, color flash cards or colored paper, encourage your little one to match a toy or object to each color!
Before you’re off, inspired to introduce your little one to one of these wonderful ideas, it’s important to remember that free play is also crucial for a child’s development. If you want to learn more about the importance of play, check out our masterclass “Playful Learning”. If you’re short on time, check out this development tip on free play.
