Friday, 30 October 2009

• Entertaining Two Toddlers, One Activity At A Time

  

  Being a nanny for a 2-year-old, 15-month-old and a 3-month-old can be quite the challenge at times.  The most difficult part for me is trying to find activities both the 2-year-old and 15-month-old can both participate in.  Though the children are close in physical age, at this point, they are miles apart developmentally.  The 2-year-old can color, paint and play with clay whereas the 15-month-old will put crayons, paint, and clay straight into his mouth the second he gets his hands on them.  Frustration has led me to figure out a variety of activities both children can do and enjoy.

  Since I am on a budget I had to get creative when coming up with fun crafts for the children to do.  Paper plate crafts are simple, safe, inexpensive and fun for all ages!  A paper plate can be turned into a flower for spring, a sun for summer, a pumpkin and turkey for fall and in the winter by attaching a small paper plate to a larger one, a snowman!  With supervision crayons (or paint for the older kids) can be used to create the design you want.  For the flower an adult can make a petal pattern that the children can trace and cut out using safety scissors or for the younger children the adult can do the cutting.  Have the children attach the petals with either a glue stick or tape depending on the age of the child doing the craft.  For the turkey, help the children trace one of their hands onto a piece of construction paper, cut it out, and attach to the plate as feathers!  Children can glue pom-poms onto their snowman for buttons or just simply draw them on.  Make the paper plate crafts as simple or as elaborate as your children’s ages allow for! 

  Foam is another great medium for young children to use when crafting.  Depending on how likely it is that your toddler will put something in his mouth, you can use either a glue stick or self-adhesive foam pieces to create door hangers, picture frames and even holiday houses!  The possibilities are unlimited since foam pieces come in a variety of colors, shapes and sizes.  Foam pieces are also a great way to discuss colors, shapes, numbers and letters with your young children.  They will love learning with their foam pieces since they will think they are just playing! 

  Young children also love music and moving their bodies so this next idea is a great way for them to have fun making an instrument they can later play music with and dance around to.  Let your children fill containers that can be tightly sealed with beans and/or rice to make homemade maracas!  Your children will have hours of fun shaking these noisemakers!  Throw in some pots and pans your children can bang on with wooden spoons and watch them have a blast dancing around to the beats they create!

  Do you have any creative activities for children of varying ages to enjoy?  What other household items can you think of for your children to reuse for playtime?

   

  • 6:59 PM
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