Toddler Learning Activities that are Fun for Everyone

Here are some great toddler learning activities to keep your little ones busy. These activities are intended to help your toddler explore, understand, and love the world around them.

Activities for your toddler should always foster a sense of self-worth. Choose or adapt toddler learning activities to fit with your child's developmental stage.

And remember to always have fun! Laughter is a great daily supplement for any person, big or small!

So use your imagination, get happy, and start learning with any toddler activity you decide on.

Awareness: Be Here Now

This is a very simple activity you can do with your toddler as often as you like. In my experience, it's a great game to play in the car or while pushing your tot in a stroller.

Take turns with your toddler identifying one thing that each of you sees. "I see the sky", "I see a bird", etc. As your toddler gets older, add more senses...what do they hear? what do they feel?

It's a great way to simultaneously teach new words while bringing your child into the moment, almost like a mini-mindfulness meditation.

Color Match 'n Paint

Pick up 3-4 fruits or veggies that are different colors (red apple, green lime, yellow lemon, orange...well, orange). Set them out on a table in front of an equal number of white pieces of paper (if you wanted to get fancy, cut out shapes of the fruit).

Offer your toddler each of the colors of paint, finger paint works great but crayons would work also. Hold up one fruit at a time and ask them to paint that piece of paper the same color.

As their art-work is drying, let them taste each of the fruits. And be sure to hang up their work to show everyone how well they know their colors.

Take a Trip to Your Local Orchard

My toddlers always LOVED visiting the orchards. Living in Pennsylvania, we're lucky to have plenty of them around.

Go out and pick whatever is in season. This will help teach your toddler where our food comes from. Berries, pumpkins, or other low-growing crops are best since the toddler can be on his/her own (relatively speaking, of course).

Many orchards have petting barns with goats and sheep, hay rides, and other free learning activities. Take advantage of these! The free-er the better I always say. Don't forget to wash or sanitize your hands after petting farm animals though!

Play With Your Food

Take an egg carton or other small containers and mix a few drops of food coloring with soy milk. Make several colors.

Using sugar cookies, pancakes, waffles, toast, etc. let your toddler paint on their food. Yummy fun!

Peanut Butter Modeling Clay

Use this recipe only if it has been determined that your child has NO allergy to peanuts.

Mix 2 cups peanut butter, 6 tablespoons honey with enough flour to make a bread-like dough. Let your toddler make any shape or squishies without worrying if they decide to taste a chunk of it.

We'll be adding more toddler learning activities each month!