Activities for a Two Year Old?

How about water? Put him in the bathtub with lots of cups and spoons...there's no rule that says bathtime has to be at night.

Hey Jess,

You could try enrolling in a mommy and me class,

And Most areas, have lots of free stuff going on ,

so search the internet with your city, state and free kids activities

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He might also like PLAYDATES, search the internet for your city , state Playgroups

In my town we have a children's museum and we have a yearly membership, so once a week our playgroup meets there, and we grown ups talk while the kids play,they also have a science, arts and crafts, and sticky fingers CLASS for kids 2-5 its discounted with your yearly pass ( 100 dollars) but you can also visit for a dicounted rate all of the other Children's museums inthe tristate area for a discounted rate ( which comes in handy when your a family of 5 like me)

At our local library we have a MOMMY and ME group for FREE
so what could be better.

I am a Bahai, and we have toddlers classes for free where our children learn about our faith they listen to music, learn to pray, color, and read stories, and fun things like that,
and we even have events for free, such as a service project for kids, toddlers can't do much along those lines, BUT sometimes visiting the elderly in nursing homes, makes both the kids and OLDER persons happy, especially when the kids have made their OWN COOKIES as gifts.

So these are a few of the things that I do with my children.

Hope you gets some ideas

Good luck

and CONGRATS

M

I have a just turned 3 yr old. Try blocks, and other toys that use his creative side, give him the tube from the toilet paper, the tube from the paper towels, and you can never fail with a cardboard box!!

I also have a 4yr old that will sit in front of the TV all day if I let him, so what i do is ask which show they would like to watch, and then let them know that the tv will be turned off after that show. You can do that twice a day, and they will only be watching for an hour total.

Hope that helps.

C.

Try puppets. Together you can act out familiar stories and create new ones from your own experiences. You can make a puppet theatre out of a large box and when Daddy gets home you can do a show for him! Don't ignore costumes either. Dress up is not just for girls. Play acting is a great way to harness a high energy kid's imagination. Building a fort using pillows and blankets presents a new play space. All of these activities need a grown-up's help in the beginning but can turn into independent play as your little boy discovers the powers of his own creativity.

Hi J.-

My daughter will be 2 in March and she too is in love with the Disney Channel. To get her away from it we do various things. I went out and bought flash cards with the alphabet and another set with numbers. We play with them every day and the good thing is as much as she thinks its a game, she is learning at the same time. Sometimes I will have her sit on my lap and we will play a game on the computer since that seems to hold her attention as well. And lastly, as funny as it is, I bought a swiffer duster. She actually takes it from me and attempts to dust (so cute!). We also will play with smaller blocks (from Imaginarium, you can get them at toys r us) they have a top sorter so it's developing other skills for her. You separate the squares, rectangles, triangles and circles and put them in the top.
Those are just a few things we do to break up the day and get her away from the TV. Of course once the weather warms up, it's back to the park we go!

Have a wonderful day!
M.

is there a library program for his age? that might give you more ideas of songs and hand games to do... and get him more interested in books,too.

my dd (2.5) LOVES creative play right now. she's always hanging me a doll or a dinasoar and having me "talk" with hers. I agree with Little People toys being a hit! she's not super into coloring, but i got her an art easal (IKEA was the cheapest i found) and keep it set up. she'll paint or color and put stickers on her creation throughout the day, a little at a time. another thing she loves which we don't do often, is i cut out pictures from a magazine, have her pick the pictures she wants and i put glue or tape on it, then she places it on paper... then she can color the page. i plan to save these and have her make up stories about her creations when she's older (they're mostly people's faces, animals, etc.) i usually do this activity on a rainy day, but maybe your ds would like it?

with creative activities, i think it's important to try different "mediums"... if they're not into coloring, try paints or markers... or laying out a big mat on the floor and doing it there... or more hands on like the magazine cut outs. or let him "tear out" pictures from old magazines.. he may love it!

maybe get some fake food (pretty cheap at walmart, i think) and that might spur on his creative side.

we have been given some computer cdrom's of stories like arthur and dd LOVES to "watch" them. I feel much better about those as opposed to just TV.

when i'm sick or something and allow dd alot of TV, i just make sure she has toys nearby and she typically plays while she watches or goes back and forth. i personally think that's okay, as long as it's not all day long!

how about music? get some sing alongs from the library or store and have a "music" time each day where you sing along, do motions, dance... whatever he gets into. even if he just plays while the music is on... it's better than just the TV and stimulating too! my dd loves to sing and dance, especially if dh and i are interacting with her along with it!

puzzles are great! any kind of interactive books... lift the flaps are great at this age.

i have a list that i got from the pediatrician that i've been saving for a rainy day... maybe i'll get it out and type some more for you!

good luck! let us know how it goes... hopefully the TV is just a novelty and he'll get more interested in other things. definitely set some boundaries... like only 2 shows a day or whatever you're comfortable, and stick with it!

darci

In addition to the previous activities, my son will spend hours with "Little People". We have rcvd these as gifts, the farm, jungle, school, park, store, etc and we set up an entire neighborhood and BOTH my boys love it. Even a walk despite the cold weather he loves. Just bundle him up good and explore the little winter world outside.

One of the things my 2 year old loves is playing with his piggy bank. We empty it out and fill it up again, he can't get enough. Also we go to the library at least once a week and pick out a couple of "new" books to read. He loves getting to pick out the books for me and helping me read them. I also keep all the toys in his room, where there is no tv. This way when we go back to the room to play he is only ever distracted by other toys and books instead. My son also likes to help me clean and watch me cook. I give him a wash cloth and have him "clean" and let him stir if we are not at the stove! Good luck, I am sure you will find more activities that he will like!

Candy Land, not the regular board game, but the Shape, sort, match, and color game that is literally a big castle. My daughter go it after her 2nd birthday and she loves it, we play it almost every day.

Water paints, ya know the books that already have the paint in them and all you need is a paintbrush and water. They are great and almost no clean up.

Finger painting gets messy, but fun.

Puzzles are fun to do together.

Craft stores have puzzles you color as well as other projects such as picture frames and door knob covers.

Legos.

The board games Dora ABC's and Diego 1 2 3's.

Chalk and easel.

Sand and water on the kitchen floor using tupperware.

I have a girl and no experiences with boys so i don't know how much he will sit down and do but my daughter enjoys all of these activities. I stay at home with her and go nuts without something to do, I'm sure I have more suggestions I cant think of at teh moment, so I will add on if I think of more. The key is sitting down and doing the activity with them.

I have a two year old too. If you can stand the mess, painting is really fun (finger paints and with brushes). And crayola paint will come off of anything. We have puppets of little boys, and Jacob loves talking to the puppets and telling them what to do when playing with legos and blocks. He also loves racing cars. Another big hit is playing cooking. Give him a pot and a pan and shred some paper in different colors and ask him what he's making. And for Jacob anyway, when in doubt put some music on dance and jump. He finds his was to our bed and does jumping for like 30 minutes. He also likes to set up his little chairs and "drive" to IKEA, and then gets out and "shops" and then gets in the "car". The way i started to encourage the pretend play, which now he does on his own, was by setting up the chairs and saying "Is this your car?" Or putting out the pots and saying "Are you making dinner?"
He's got the pretend inside of him, he just needs a little prodding.
And it is SO MUCH FUN.
J.

Hi J.-
My Daughter is not a TV buff at all, so we are constantly , Dancing to the radio,playing with the big Mega Blocks, rolling a ball back and forth to each other,coloring, she loves Little People and the Bus that goes with it, she also loves the books that have the sound, we read alot also...Not sure if this helped but...if so Good luck!

I have a 2 yr old son (25 months). He loves anything paint!!! We color, finger paint, glue things, small puzzles, make and cut out shapes with play doh, big blocks, anything music, a lot of dancing, lots of books, cars, mr. potato head.
Basically anything messy is his love. We also have a finished basement where I have tunnels and forts and a big mattress, so we jump around, hide, and play there sometimes. I also let him watch telle tubies, wiggles, baby einstein cartoons, Disney and Noggin shows. Sometimes his shows are on while we do other activities. When it's better weather like spring and summer, I have a sand and water table in the back yard with some other stuff that keeps him busy. Because he's alone (no other children around), even all the toys don't keep him that interested. I have noticed that the same toys at daycare are a lot more interesting to him. If you are home a lot with him, try joining some of the mom groups locally. They are always doing some cool stuff. I also take him for Barnes and Noble, they have book readings for kids and kids love the Thomas table there. We also go to the children's museum if I run out of ideas. On saturday mornings, we go to a little gym class, and that's great because it tires him a little bit and he won't mind playing quietly at home after that. Hope this gives you some ideas.

I don't know if he's a young two or an old two, but at that age my daughter loved to do "science experiments" I would put out a mat over a mopable floor, and set her up with a little table and a lot of plastic containers, spoons, droppers,etc, and then give her things like molasses, tooth paste, vinegar, baking soda, mouth wash, dish soap, soy sauce- you get it... to mix together and make foams and pastes etc. It was very messy and reserved for days when we'd really be home for a good chunk of time- and of course was followed by a long bath time. We still do this from time to time and she's 8, they don't grow out of the mess making.
Does he like being read to?
Forts? Forts out of pillows, under a table with a long table cloth, blankets over chairs...
Easy puzzles,
water play- a basin of warm soapy water and some of his toys to wash.
Um, it's been a while since I've had a 2 year old, but that's off the top of my head!
Good luck

Hi J.. Two's can be fun and tricky. When you say "playdough was a disaster" what do you mean? Was it extremely messy? Was he not interested? Two's love to touch and feel their way around and through things. Perhaps getting together with other playmates in order to show him that is OK and fun to get messy and to explore this way. Pouring, mixing, cooking, tasting, are all sensorial explorations that 2's love. "Family Fun" is a great online resource for crafty, age appropriate acitivites. "PE central" is great for active play games of all ages. Email us at ____@____.com for more questions or suggestions.

How about Play-dough? Or water color painting? My sons loved Music Together. It is like gymboree but more music oriented.

Thank you. My son will be 2 in March. I needed the same ideas. My son does love coloring. Maybe I'll try the Crayola Color Wonder finger paints. No mess is ideal for me. He does love blocks, but trains and cars are his favorite. He got the Thomas & Friends table for Christmas. It gets pricey at times, but he loves it.

Well..... I don't have any advice. However I am in the same boat. I work and my osn goes to day care during the day, but in the evenings and on the weekends he likes to watch movies continuously, he will play a little bit during the movie. Not that I don't love the genie form Aladin or those little fish in Nemo, BUT to much is too much. I don't know what to do with my son either. He will be 2 Feb. 24th. I want to do arts and craft project with him, but I don't know what, I was going to get him some playdough, but judgind from what you said maybe I won't. Anyway if you get some good ideas, would you mind sharing them with me. Please. I don't want my son to be watching tv all the time either.

Thanks,
A.

Depending on how coordinated your 2 year old is - pipecleaners and pony beads. I secure a pony bead on to the end of a pipecleaner and then let my son fill the rest of it up with whatever colors and shape beads he wants. Takes him a while to get the pipe cleaner through the hole so it keeps him busy for a while and then when he is done i tie it up for him so and he can shape whatever shape he wants. Good key chain, bracelet, or whatever else you can think of grandparent homeade gift. If you want a little more challenge change the pipecleaner to boondagle (sp?). good luck!

I honestly really do not have a creative side either. I have a two year old daughter. I am not a stay at home mom but here goes. I color with her and she loves it. Playdough is not easy but she really didn't like it. My daughter has a kitchen and we play together and have tea parties. Maybe you can get your son one of those inexpensive work stations. My daughter has fun with her kitchen and we can play for at least 1-2 hours. I actually just posted something about my daughter watching movies. We actually watch it together and cuddle on the bed or couch as chill time. Good Luck because I have no creative mind