Toddler Activities: 7 Ways to Have Fun Now with Your Child

When it comes to toddler activities, sometimes you just want to do something a little different. That's why I've put together this list of three fun activities to help your child learn while you both play.

1. Make a Healthy Snack: Find a recipe with simple ingredients. I make "yummy oatmeal bars" from a cookbook I like. My daughter gets to stir all of the dry ingredients and, of course, enjoy the yummy bars when they come out of the oven. If you don't want to find a special recipe, then you could try making pancakes. They are easy to make and allow plenty of opportunities for your little one to help stir (and eat!) the creation.

2. Go Fishing: Create fish out of construction paper. I cut them freehand, and I'm not an artist (it was not hard). After cutting out the fish, I let the 'toddler in charge' decorate them with crayons, stickers and stamps. I taped a "loop" of construction paper onto the fish with tape. Then, I took a paper towel roll and tied string to it to make a fishing pole. I attached a plastic knife to one end of the string to make a hook. Place the fish on the floor and "go fishing" with your toddler. Try and pick up the fish with the hook on your fishing rod. This game was a hit with the kids.

3. Create a Fort: Little children love to have a cozy space to hide and call their own. You can clean out the bottom of their closet and let them use it as a fort. You can also use a table and a comforter to make a cozy hiding place where the two of you can play with animals, do puzzles, read books and tell each other stories. A fort gives a new twist to your regular activities.

4, Create a Paper Plate Snowman: The video to the right will show you how to do this. I let the child artist decorate a white paper plate with googly eyes, pom pons, and markers. We make a hat from black consruction paper and stick it on top. If your child wants the snowman to have five eyes and two noses, my recommendation is to let them explore.

5. Chinese Dragon: In a recent Music Together class, we made a Chinese dragon with bandanas tied to one another. Each person held part of the bandana 'rope' and we walked and danced in a circle to music. One person banged a gong and another used finger chimes to make music.

6. Make Cards: No matter what holiday is close, see if you can create cards related to the holiday. This is a great way to teach about holidays while encouraging artistry and bonding.

7. Create Maracas: To make a maraca, you can cut out egg cartons -- the part where the egg goes -- and place dried corn inside. Glue two of the egg carton cups together. Once they dry, your little artist can decorate with glitter paint, stickers, or whatever strikes their fancy.

Whatever you decide to do with your toddler, remember to laugh, ignore a game's rules if you must and enjoy the time you have together.