Meet a friend at the playground. Allow your toddler and his friend to explore and play on their own, but stay close for safety and comfort. Let him and his friend decide what they want to do but have some toys and materials available for them to play with such as: sand toys, bags (to collect things in), a ball, etc.
This activity will allow your child to play cooperatively with another child, and begin to understand the feelings of others. It will also help her develop conversation skills, explore, and move her body with more balance.
Ask your toddler where she would like to play on the playground. Allow her to lead you to that location. Use positional words to discuss what she is doing by saying, “Good job! You went over the bridge and through the tunnel.”
This activity will allow your toddler to express his feelings more freely and demonstrate more independence. It will also help him begin to understand abstract concepts, expand his vocabulary, think ahead, explore ideas, and move his body with more balance and control.
Play games with your toddler that promote movements such as running, skipping, hopping, and galloping. Encourage siblings and friends to join in the fun. Play games like “Hide and Seek” or “Simon Says.” If he does not know how to play the games, give him verbal directions and demonstrate the movements.
Playing these games with your toddler will help her to play cooperatively with other children. It will also help her understand and respond to directions, use mathematical thinking in daily situations, and move her body with more balance and control.