Monday, May 11, 2015

Games & Activities To Amuse A Two Year Old ♥


 As most parents know, there really is such a thing as the terrible twos, I've spoken about it recently on the blog and it really can be a shock to the system to see your baby transform into a tantrum-throwing toddler - I know it certainly has been for me. During this stage of development it can be hard to know how to calm and amuse your little one. Being a stay at home mum it can be a struggle to come up with new activities to entertain my little one day in and day out, he's such an active little boy that he can get bored so easily! To help your toddler settle – and to help maintain your sanity! – here are some fun games and activities to keep your two year old entertained and happy.

 Go on a Treasure Hunt
Hunting for chocolate eggs at Easter is a great family activity, it's something we did a lot of this Easter, in the woods and on Easter Sunday itself, but it's something you can recreate any time of the year, in the home, if it's raining or the garden. Use this as an opportunity to help them learn, too. Hide plastic animals from their toy collection, hunt for numbers or shapes, or search for coloured objects. Two year olds will love the novelty of finding things that are hidden and will love repeating the colour, words, numbers you have hidden too.

  Share Time
Sit in a circle with your partner and your child's toys, then create a game out of sharing crayons, food or toys. Say things like 'one for you, one for mummy/daddy' and offer encouragement. This is an important skill as it teaches them how to interact with other children and introduces them to numbers.

Play with Bubbles
Let's admit it, bubbles are fun at any age, but this form of sensory stimulating play is especially great for toddlers. Blow bubbles and watch as your child tries to touch, catch and chase them, and teach your child how to do it themselves. Alternatively, buy a bubble blowing machine, these are great for bath time or to have in the garden and enjoy them together. I know I still love popping bubbles and I'm twenty-five!

Water Painting
Most toddlers love to use crayons or paint but it can be messy – we've probably all found coloured spots on the wall, floor or sofa (my poor couch is ruined!). Instead, make the most of the sunshine and paint with water. Fill pots, grab paint brushes and draw shapes or swirls on your decking or path. Little ones will love being able to paint on things they're usually not allowed to be creative on and it's a great outdoor activity for them to enjoy too.

 Start Gardening and Explore
Gardening is a term that should definitely be used loosely with two year olds! While a toddler probably won't appreciate planting seedlings and watching them grow, they can have fun digging in the mud with a trowel, playing with leaves, picking up bugs and watering plants. We recently planted some seedlings with our son and his favourite part was watering them and all the other plants in the garden. Oh the fun a two year old can have with a €3 watering can and some water!

Older Activities
If you have older children, your toddler probably wants to copy what they're doing, which can be difficult. If they want to use a skateboard, then sit and hold your toddler as you gently roll them back and forth. Or if your other children enjoy football or ballet, help them kick a ball into the goal, or have fun and dance. My little one loves dancing and as he has no older siblings it's his daddy and I who have to be the dance partners - at least we all get a great work out!

Do you do any of these activites with your two year old? Would you try any of these things to amuse them?

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29 comments

  1. Oh my gosh! What a sweetheart! I love all this little activities you included... :D Even I would enjoy it! Hahaha.

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    1. Thank you so much! I think I'd enjoy them all too :)

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  2. These sound like great activities for the terrible twos (or threes)--I lived through my friends children at that stage and found that chalk is great fun and very easily washed off--sidewalks are great--the rain will wash it off for you! In desperation I actually made an embroidery sampler (and I am no good at this) with her name numbers etc. She sat entranced for hours learning to spell and count and laughing as I kept pricking my finger!!

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    1. Thank you! My little guy gets bored with chalk after two minutes, so sad because I'd love to see his little drawings :( Oh that was a lovely idea, how great of you to do that for her :)

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  3. I found it pretty easy to entertain my boys when they were toddlers. Play Doh, bubbles and sidewalk chalk always seemed to do the trick.

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    1. Oh you were lucky with them so Robin, my little guy wretches at the texture of Play Doh and the sidewalk chalk kept him entertained for all of two minutes :(

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  4. I agree wholeheartedly-that you can never go wrong with bubbles. Was with my 2 year old nephew yesterday and they kept him amused and happy for quite a long time. We love to paint with water on the sidewalk too. We also have an easel set up so that we can paint the chalk board after we chalk. I like your idea about a treasure hunt--very cute! thanks for sharing!

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  5. These suggestions bring back such great memories of when my son was little. We did many of them and had so much fun. His favorite was always playing with bubbles.

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  6. These are great ways to keep your children busy and active outdoors. The photos looks like he is having so much fun discovering new adventures. All parents should have the opportunity to take their kids outdoors for fresh air and fun activities.

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  7. Oh my God what a cute baby :) i dnt have kids i my house but i love to read posts by mother sharing thier routin life and experiences.It will be definatly usefull one day when i will have kids. (brook)

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  8. These are such great ideas to do with your toddler. They are so curious and active at that age and all of these things are great ways to engage them in their surroundings. Bubbles are a huge deal at our house!

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  9. I remember the terrible twos. It was definitely a very challenging time for our family, as our daughter had a very strong personality, but at the same time, they are so darn cute at that age...enjoy it, it files by!

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  10. First off I just wanna squeeze his cheeks and there is NO WAY that baby is ever having tantrums...LOL! These are awesome ways to keep little ones entertained and I just LOVE that first pic of him running for hills! <3

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  11. We used to do water painting all the time! Our yard is surrounded by a wooden fence, so I would give the kids buckets of water and paint brushes and let them go to town. No worries if they spilled it!

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  12. Going on a Treasure Hunt is such a great idea! I used to love going on them as a kid but I recently went on two in my twenties and found that it's just as fun now as it was then <3

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  13. Fun ideas. My kids are eight and nine years old and they still love to play with bubbles and treasure hunt. LOL!

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  14. To be fair, bubbles can keep anyone entertained no matter what the age! Or is that just me? LOL! Seriously, you have an awesome kid :)

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  15. I love the idea of share time. Kids today can be so focused on me, it is a good idea to teach them about "us" at an early age.

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  16. Thanks for the great article! I read it with my 12 year old because he loves working with kids at church this summer. I don't have young ones anymore but he got some great ideas for the kids at VBS! Thanks!

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  17. I wonder how I was when I was two. My parents had always been strict and they did not tolerate tantrums. They did not want to hear or see us crying. One look and we would get their thought. We also did not have toys we liked to buy but had books and their own written guides to learn and "play" with. Your kid is so fortunate to have you! :)

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  18. Aww these things are truly going to excite and intrigued them. Awesome. It's nice to experience such while young.

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  19. I do not yet have kids but I do love all these ideas you have shared, maybe at my age I can do skateboarding but I still love me a good treasure hunt.

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  20. These are such adorable pictures indeed and great activities for a two year old. I love playing with the bubbles with the kids. I will be doing that this weekend with my niece's little ones. Thanks for sharing.

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  21. This little guy is just too too cute. You sure have many cute things to keep him busy. I usually rely on Disney for my grandbabies, but also I use to love coloring with them.

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  22. What an absolutely cutie your little one is! You have so many fun things to keep him busy! Well done and think it all would appeal to children of all ages!

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  23. Those are wonderful activities for a toddler and even a little bit older! I love that your son is starting to garden! I wish I got my daughter into that much earlier! She did like it for awhile but enjoyed playing in the sand box even more! I love the activities you shared...children should really engage in activities that sharpen their senses instead of video games and such! :)

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  24. My son is almost three so he likes most of those! HE is really into stacking blocks and fingerpainting. HE also loves to help me cook in the kitchen. He will get up in the morning and help me make the eggs by whisking them together in a bowl and watching them cook!

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  25. it sure is no easy task to keep a toddler entertained. i had my fair share of worries, headaches + tantrums when my little man was at the terrific two phase. those tips sure will come handy for mums who are hard up on ideas to entertain their little ones.

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  26. BUBBLES! Whenever we're having a bad day, I always go to the bubbles. It works every single time! I'm going to try the treasure hunt game, that's a great idea! Thanks for the suggestions!

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