3.20.2014

16 Tot School Activities {14-16 months}



Here is a compiled list of activities that Luke and I have done during the past two months.  I would love to hear any ideas you have...please share below!


Balls on Bubble Wrap

Skills:
Gross motor development
Sensory development

Activity:
Give your child a few balls and let your little one move the balls around on the bubble wrap.  Discuss how it sounds and feels.

Sensory Baskets

Skills:
Sensory development

Activity:
Sensory baskets can be made around a number of themes.  A winter basket, color basket, shape basket, or holiday basket are all ways to help your little one learn about the environment.



Magnets on the Whiteboard

Skills:
Fine motor development
Number recognition
Letter recognition

Activity:
Have your child practice placing magnets on and off the whiteboard. You can use numbers, letters, animal magnets.  Not only is this good for letter and number recognition, it's great for fine motor development.

Exploring Lids

Skills:
Sensory development
Shapes: circle

Activity:
Give your little one different sized lids you have lying around the house.  Talk about how they feel and make sure to slip in the word 'circle' a lot.


Straws in and out

Skills:
Fine motor

Activity:
Use an empty Parmesan container and give your child some straws (I stuck with five straws).  Practice putting the straws in and out of the container.  Your child will probably want to take them out more than put the straws in.


Animal Puzzles

Skills:
Animal identification
Fine motor development
Problem solving
Spatial awareness

Activity:
Puzzles are so good for the brain!  I love them for this reason and also because they are just plain fun (especially when there's animal noises involved).  These Melissa and Doug puzzles that we have are perfect for little hands.

Poms 

Skills:
Sensory development
Color identification 
Fine motor development

Activity:
Poms are such fun, little, fuzzy, round all-purpose poofs.  Just place a container of poms in from of your child and let them go to town.  For older tots, you could have them move the poms from one container on the left to another container on the right and work on directionality.  


 Play Food Mix-Up

Skills:
Fine motor development
Sensory development

Activity:
Grab some play food and a mixing bowl and spoon.  Show your child how to mix the food around in the bowl.  You can also work on food vocabulary.



Poms in a Toilet Paper Roll

Skills:
Fine motor development
Sensory development

Activity:
Tape a toilet paper roll or paper towel roll to a cupboard or your refrigerator.  Put a container of poms in front of your child and demonstrate how to put the poms through the tube.  


Chalkboard

Skills:
Fine motor development
Pre-writing

Activity:
Super simple: give your child a piece of chalk and a chalkboard.  Chalk is so great for kids who are still working on their fine motor skills.  The chalk allows the child to make lots of marks because there isn't just one end that does this.  Lots of positive reinforcement for writing.


 

Making a Fort

Skills:
Gross motor development

Activity:
Pretty self explanatory...and so much fun!



Sensory Bottles

Skills:
Sensory development

Activity:
Grab some old 4 ounce bottles or any small container and put beads, clothespins, anything will make noise.  They are fun little shakers, perfect for little hands!



Dominos

Skills:
Fine motor development
Number recognition

Activity:
Dominos are great for kiddos.  Count the dots on each side with your child and make piles, towers, and trains.




Muffin Tin Sorting

Skills:
Fine motor development

Activity:
Use a muffin tin and have your child sort caps, balls, cut up toilet paper rolls, or anything that you have sitting around.



Yogurt Painting

Skills:
Art
Fine motor development
Pre-writing

Activity:
If you're worried about your little one putting paint in his mouth, this is the perfect way to introduce finger painting.  As you can see, Luke put piles of it into his mouth before painting a little.



Balloons

Skills:
Gross motor development
Sensory development

Activity:
Balloons are so much fun for little ones. If you try this and a balloon pops, be sure to take away from baby ASAP, as it can be a choking hazard.



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