• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Authentic Mom

  • Home
  • About
  • Blog
    • Motherhood
    • Beauty
    • Recipes
    • Lifestyle
    • Product reviews
    • Motivation
  • Freebies
  • Shop my favourites
  • Contact
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram

Activities for busy minds (toddler edition)

September 18, 2020Uncategorized0

It is no question that our toddlers mind are always busy and needs continuous stimulation.

 

Learning doesn’t have to happen at a table. Our kids learn as they play and through everyday life experiences.  Below are a few activities to try with your toddler:

 

                                                                    SENSORY PLAY

Sensory play builds nerve connections in the brain’s pathways, which lead to the child’s ability to complete more complex learning tasks. It also supports language development, cognitive growth, fine and gross motor skills, problem solving skills, and social interaction

-a bowl of jelly with hidden objects in, let them take it out

-shaving foam/yogurt on a mirror, let them draw, scribble, go wild

-mud bath for farm animals, let them scrub the toys

-rainbow rice for scooping/ transferring. Find recipe here

 

                                                                        SORTING

Sorting objects into categories

Sorting helps build visual perception and thinking skills. Children can generally sort the colours before they can name them. Learning to categorise and classify helps memory skills.

-start out with 2 colours at a time and work your way up

-as you child gets familiar with more objects (e.g shapes) let them sort accordingly

-make it fun and include movement e.g they have to walk/ crawl to put the red block in the red basket

 

                                                                PUZZLES

Inset puzzles are great to begin with

This is a great way to create a fun learning opportunity for kids. Simple inset/ jigsaw puzzles help children develop finger strength, perseverance and problem solving skills. … Picking up, moving and twisting the pieces of a puzzle helps children to develop finger strength and hand-eye coordination.

-inset puzzles are great to begin with

-jigsaw puzzles- this is a favourite at any age

-geometric puzzles- teaches them about shapes

-connect the dots-  here they learn about numbers

-mazes- helps with critical thinking and eye coordination

 

                                                               COUNTING

Teaching your toddler to count involves more than helping them learn the numbers one to ten. It involves helping them understand the meaning of numbers. E.g give me 2 bananas, and they then have to count them out and give it to you.

-start out with 1-5 and work your way up

-count anything throughout the day

-put flash cards up in the house and when they stop at the number let them jump or clap that amount of times

-do counting receptively (give me 3 balls) or expressively (them counting)

 

                                                            SCOOPING AND POURING

Scooping and pouring activities help develop fine motor skills in under 5s as well as using math concepts such as less and more. These tasks help children coordinate their hand movements with what they are seeing and feeling (it might be water pouring on their feet!)

-put water in a big container and let them scoop and pour with cups

-put objects in the water, let them scoop and transfer it to another container

 

                                                           PLAY DOUGH ACTIVITIES

Play dough activities has numerous benefits. It is calming, it helps with fine motor skills, encourages creativity, enhances eye-hand coordination, improves social skills, promote playtime and supports literacy and numeracy.

-rolling balls and strings (strengthens hand and arms muscles)

-poking holes (strengthens finger muscles)

-makes shapes, numbers, objects (creativity and learning)

-use cookie cutters and do make believe play

 

                                                         FINE MOTOR

blockplay

Fine motor activities help children perform important tasks like feeding themselves, grasping toys, buttoning and zipping clothes, writing, drawing, and more. The ability to complete self-care and everyday tasks helps a child’s self-esteem and confidence to increase.

-beading/ threading

-posting

-weaving

-block play

 

                                                            GROSS MOTOR

Running and jumping

Gross motor skills involve movements of the large muscles of the arms, legs and torso. Kids rely on gross motor skills for everyday activities at school, at home and in the community. Kids who struggle with gross motor skills have trouble doing whole-body movements like climbing and jumping jacks.

-climbing

-crawling

-obstacle courses

-jumping

-yoga for kids

-running

Let’s stimulate our little ones’ brains one activity at a time while they still have lots of fun!

Previous Post: « Snack ideas for kids
Next Post: Coated cake balls (recipe) »

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

ABOUT

Hi, I’m Bianca!

My blog is here to inspire and help you to have a more organised life. I share routines, recipes, product reviews, motherhood and overall lifestyle content to make life a teensy bit easier. Thank you for being here!

Read More

Join The Authentic Mom Squad

Get free and exclusive printables, dinner ideas, recipes and more!

Advertise YOUR BRAND here. Send me an email to get in touch!

Connect With Me

Keeping kids healthy during winter doesn't have to Keeping kids healthy during winter doesn't have to be time consuming.

To ensure Little B gets extra nutrients we love adding @naturesnutritionsa to his diet. It is yummy and can be added to everyday snack or drink as a "milkshake". One less thing to worry about when he focus on play and growth😉

Available online, @wellnesswarehouse and selected retailers.

🎶@pinksweats I feel good

How are you making sure your kiddies' immune systems are well boosted?
Our first bath I waited 1 week before bathing Bab Our first bath

I waited 1 week before bathing Baby Z, the vernix that covered her skin lasted long and I didn't want to let go of that.

When I introduced her to her first bath I had peace of mind that what I put in her skin is good for her and the environment.  We love our @ohliefnaturalproducts as it do just that. It is organic and gentle on her skin.

Available at most major retailers😁

When did you first bath your baby?

🎶 I get to love you - @ruellemusic

#firstbath #organicskincareproducts #babyskincare
HAPPY WOMEN'S DAY "She is clothed in strength an HAPPY WOMEN'S DAY 

"She is clothed in strength and dignity and laughs without fear of the future".

Ladies, you are fearfully and wonderfully made. I hope you had a wonderful day🌸
Throwback Thursday Today Baby Z is 3 weeks old, I Throwback Thursday

Today Baby Z is 3 weeks old, I cannot believe how time flies. My pregnancy with her was much different than my first. 

I am so delighted that she is a healthy baby after all the health scares we had. I will share more about this soon. 
 

👗@cherrymelonmaternity 
📷 @brittanystaats & @wouter.staats
1 week of baby Z..... Our hearts are full. The p 1 week of baby Z.....

Our hearts are full.

The past week has been nothing short of blessed. We are still figuring out this new journey, but oh my is she an easy baby. 

She was born on 14 July, I will still tell you all about my journey. 

It's been a week of recovery for me as well, c-section are rough.

Thank you for all the messages, visits, prayers, meals, support and gifts.

#newborngirl #postpartumlife #babygirlstyle
FROZEN MEAL IDEAS Going to hospital means the men FROZEN MEAL IDEAS

Going to hospital means the men in my life will be home alone. Let's not forget loadshedding and all the excess stress that comes with that🥴

Meals that are easy to freeze and won't get mushy is always a win. 

Adding @goodlifeorganicsa spices to our meals ensure for great flavour, it is organic and a little goes a long way.

Swipe to see my meal ideas for frozen meals that won't compromise on taste.

What meals do you usually freeze?

#mealprepideas #mealpreps #BA
Prepping B for when I am in hospital To be honest Prepping B for when I am in hospital

To be honest, my heart is already sore leaving little B to go to hospital. This time around it takes much more preparation than before. This little human needs care while I am in hospital. Yes, my husband will be around but I want to make sure his secondary caretakers and I are on the same page.

Here is what I have planned:

-his meals are frozen and breakfast option are on the fridge

-outfits are all set out

-his schedules are on the fridge (very easy going and he knows his routines well)

-his likes and dislikes

-some house rules e.g pick up toys after playtime

-a small gift to open every day while I am gone (e.g crayons and drawing book) @thecrazystoresa was a good place to shop for this

I am excited for him, I know he will absolutely adore his sibling.

How did you make sure your children are well taken care of while you were in hospital?

Rug: @builderssa

#newsibling #momtobe2022 #pregnancytips #secondpregnancy
Copyright © 2022 · Authentic Mom · Hearten Made ⟡