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Educating children through games is the best way to promote their motor skills and exercise both, their body and mind. It can also be a great way to enhance communication skills in kids, especially when they are still learning to talk and express themselves. So, here are some fantastic activities that your kids will enjoy to the fullest.
Importance of Education Through Activities for Kids
As parents, being involved in your toddler’s development takes less effort, but has numerous advantages. Here are some advantages of developmental activities.
- Boosts problem-solving skills and allows children to think strategically
- Introduces children to new concepts and things, right from textures, colours, numbers, etc.
- Some activities require multiple tries to get right. This allows children to try hard until they succeed, along with processing emotions.
- Helps children face their fears and try new things, without the fear of failing.
- Children learn to think more flexible, with developmental activities.
Developmental Activities
Some of the developmental activities for 2-year-olds are as follows:
1. Building Blocks
This game introduces your child to letters and numbers.
How to Do:
Give your toddler a set of colourful blocks labelled with alphabets or numbers, and ask him/her to stack them.
What Does it Teach?
- Fine motor skills
- Dexterity
2. Simon Says
Simon Says is a simple game which keeps toddlers entertained for long, while teaching them to follow instructions.
How to Do:
- One child will be ‘Simon’, who will give commands to other children, to follow.
- The catch is, only commands beginning with ‘Simon Says’ must be followed.
- You can also try this activity with your child, without involving anyone.
- Start with easy directions like, “Simon says, place both hands on your cheeks”. And your child will have to follow the command. This way his/her motor skills improve.
- As your child gets good at this activity, you can give complex commands or instructions like, “Simon says, pull your right ear and then your left ear“.
- Many children can participate in this game, which makes it a fun group activity that keeps kids entertained.
What Does it Teach?
- Following instructions
- Gross motor skills
3. Object Line Tracing
Object line tracing proves useful in preparing your kid to write, later on.
How to Do:
- Place a few objects on a white sheet and encourage your kid to trace lines around it, with chalk or crayons.
What Does it Teach?
- Self-control
- Fine motor skills
4. All Aboard
This activity helps in advancing your toddler’s imagination and creativity.
How to Do:
- Design a car out of a cardboard box.
- Let your kid pretend to drive it around the house
What Does it Teach?
- Creative imagination
- Balance
5. Obstacle Course
This activity boosts many useful skills in your kid.
How to Do:
- Set up an obstacle course using your kid’s toys and allow him/her to navigate a toy car or truck through it.
- Use different textures to boost the learning experience.
What Does it Teach?
- Eye-hand coordination
- Motor skills
Educational and Learning Activities
Some educational and learning activities at home for your 2-year-old, can be:
1. Count Everything
You can use everyday household items for this activity.
How to Do:
- Stack toys or any simple things from your home in a row.
- Count loudly and point at each item as you count.
- Let your child repeat after you until he/she memorises the numbers
- Begin from one to ten, and slowly progress to 20, 30, and so on, as the days pass.
What Does it Teach?
- Counting skills
- Cognitive skills
2. Colourful Balls
Toddlers usually love kicking, throwing, and rolling balls. So, get colourful balls for your little one and let him/her play.
How to Do:
- You can provide your kid with a set of soft, plastic, colourful balls which are bound to keep him/her entertained for hours.
What Does it Teach?
- Motor skills, timing
- Hand-eye coordination
3. Sink or Float
This boosts your toddler’s scientific learning.
How to Do:
- Collect a few toys, and fill up a bucket with water. You can even do this during bath time.
- Drop the items into the water, one by one, to see which one sinks or floats.
- Use objects of different weights, so that your toddler can understand the difference between the two.
What Does it Teach?
- Cognition
- Early scientific development
4. Colour Sorting
This activity helps nurture your toddler’s love for colours.
How to Do:
- Arrange a collection of similar items, like wood blocks, Lego pieces, blocks, cars, and magnets, and prompt your kid to categorise them by colour.
What Does it Teach?
- Cognitive skills
- Hand-eye coordination
5. Matching Game
This activity can be an excellent learning tool.
How to Do:
- Draw a vertical line on a sheet of paper.
- Draw two sets of same items, like fruits or vegetables, and have your kid match them.
What Does it Teach?
- Cognitive skills
- Hand-eye coordination
Art and Craft Activities
Here’s a list of the sensory art and craft activities for a 2-year-old:
1. Play Dough
Play dough is a versatile activity for kids that provides hours of fun learning
How to Do:
- Buy playdough of different colours and encourage your toddler to create various shapes and patterns with it.
What Does it Teach?
- Fine motor skills
- Eye-hand coordination
2. Colour Mixing
You can make colours more enjoyable for your child, with this activity.
How to Do:
- Show your kid how to combine and make new colours.
- Begin with primary colours, like red + blue= purple.
What Does it Teach?
- Motor skills
- Colour recognition
3. Finger Painting
A messy, yet fun activity for kids!
How to Do:
- Tape a piece of paper to the table and give your toddler small cups of paint.
- Let your kid take control and paint what his/her heart desires.
- It maybe a good idea to dress your kid in old clothes and keep wet wipes handy.
What Does it Teach?
- Motor skills
- Sensory skills
4. Paper and Glue
This activity is both, educative and entertaining.
How to Do:
- Take a sheet of coloured paper and cut small pieces out of it.
- Have your kid paste it on another piece of paper, with glue.
- You can also draw different coloured circles and cut corresponding coloured paper, to develop colour recognition in your kid.
What Does it Teach?
- Hand-eye coordination
- Fine motor skills
5. DIY Craft
DIY craft is a good activity to stimulate your toddler’s creative skills.
How to Do:
- You can try a simple craft, by utilising easily available household items, like a ball of cotton, and giving it an animal form.
- Focus more on the process of creating the art, rather than what the final result looks like.
- Exploring with new materials can make the activity more exciting for your kid.
What Does it Teach?
- Sensory skills
- Cognitive skills
Indoor Activities
Some fun activities for 2-year-olds at home, which may retain their interest is:
1. Opposites
This activity is simple and does not require any materials.
How to Do:
- Select a few easy opposites, like sad- happy, and have your kid act them out.
- You can also encourage him/her to speak the words.
What Does it Teach?
- Vocabulary
- Cognitive development
2. Balancing
Balancing activity may tick off most boxes of your toddler’s growth and development.
How to Do:
- You can turn a plastic bowl upside down or use a stool and have your kid balance himself on it.
- Your kid may enjoy stepping down or jumping off and, climbing over it again.
- Make sure to supervise your kid, during this activity.
What Does it Teach?
- Motor skills
- Balance
3. Zig-Zag
This activity keeps your toddler entertained, and doesn’t take much effort
How to Do:
- Stick colourful tape in various patterns, to the floor in your house.
- Tell your kid to walk on the tape, without losing balance
What Does it Teach?
- Motor Skills
- Balance
4. Straws and Cups
Your toddler will find this light-hearted activity fun.
How to Do:
- Provide your kid with an empty cup and a straw.
- Direct him to put the straw in the cup.
What Does it Teach?
- Hand-eye coordination
- Fine motor skills
5. Touchy-Feely Activity
This interesting activity can be both, informative and exciting.
How to Do:
- Gather a few items that have a different sensory feel, like soft, rough, sticky, or bumpy, in a bowl.
- Then say the word, and have your kid pick out the matching item.
What Does it Teach?
- Cognitive skills
- Sensory skills
Outdoor Activities
Some meaningful outdoor activities which help in your toddler’s development are :
1. Pouring Water in Cups
There’s always fun in simplicity.
How to Do:
- Provide your kid with few plastic cups and a pitcher.
- Allow him/her to pour water into the cups, from the pitcher.
- Refill the pitcher when it gets empty.
What Does it Teach?
- Fine motor skills
- Hand-eye coordination
2. Playing in Sandbox
Playing in a sandbox keeps your kid amused for a considerable amount of time.
How to Do:
- Create a sandbox and fill it with sand, toys, and small buckets.
What Does it Teach?
- Muscle skills
- Eye-hand coordination
3. Watering the Plants
Toddlers can indulge in their love for water play, through this activity.
How to Do:
- Give your child a plastic watering can and show him/her how to water the plants.
What Does it Teach?
- Sensory skills
- Cognitive skills
4. Planting a Seed
This activity helps inculcate in your kid, a love for nature.
How to Do:
- Assist your kid in planting a seed, and watch it grow!
What Does it Teach?
- Locomotor skills
- Object control skills
5. Sidewalk Chalk
This activity can be a fun way to present shapes and colours to your kid.
How to Do:
- Draw a sidewalk with chalk and have your kid colour it.
What Does it Teach?
- Cognitive skills
- Hand-eye coordination
These activities will certainly keep your little one engrossed. However, there can never be enough to please him/her, once your child develops an affinity for art and craft activities! Apart from these fun activities, another great way to ensure that your little one stays away from the screen and engrossed in developmental activities is by getting him an activity box for toddlers. It will offer your child exciting and fun new ways to improve his/her ability to imagine, create and make memories. There is a different box for every month, which packs learning into challenging DIY activities, storybooks, and attractive worksheets!
Learning through play is a delightful way to get your child started off on the journey of gaining knowledge and exploring the world around him. Not only does he/she get to learn something new, your little one gets to have plenty of fun with it as well!
