What grandparents can resist a set of framed handprints? Head off to a craft store with your toddler to buy some supplies – paint, paper, and a frame. Find a poem about cherishing a child’s handprints on the internet. Print the poem, help your toddler leave his prints around it, and place it in a frame. Take a trip to the post office to mail the gift off to grandma and grandpa.
Completing this art project will teach your child to communicate – with words and gestures – about what he is doing with you. He will learn to express his feelings about the project and his grandparents. He will learn that painting is a way to express himself too! He will participate in play activities while using tools for a specific purpose. He will develop his gross and fine motor skills.
Take your toddler to a children’s museum. Many of them have great places to explore, such as a child-sized grocery store or a television studio. Let your child decide where to explore, as you provide the vocabulary for his actions. Encourage him to work with – or next to – other children. On the way home, talk about all of the adventures you had at the museum.
On this trip to the museum, your child will learn to communicate with you using his words and gestures. He will learn to express his feelings and tell you what he likes and dislikes. He will engage with other children and begin to feel empathy for them. He will participate in play activities while using tools for a specific purpose. He will develop his gross and fine motor skills.
A beach is a wonderful place for your toddler to explore. Let him use his feet and hands to feel and sift through the sand. Show him how to fill a bucket with sand and water and then dump it out. Go hunting for seashells and talk about how lovely they are. Let him feel the water and talk about how the waves come in and go out.
While exploring the beach, your toddler will be learning about his emotions, what he likes, and how to control himself. He will build his bond with you as the two of you communicate about what you see and what you are doing. He will use his senses to solve problems and enjoy playing with different objects. He will learn how to better his movements and to develop his muscles.