Play Activities and Toy Ideas for 1-2 Year Old Toddlers

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Play Activities and Toy Ideas for 1-2 Year Old Toddlers

Kids between age 1 and 2 have got a significant change in thinking and acting. They are always curious about the outside world. Much usual stuff in our daily life may be great toys for them. Thus, it is not recommended to limit your little one with what can play and how to play with our adult thinking. All we need to do is to keep an eye on kids, ensure their safety, and try not to limit them. All safe things can be played (of course, except electricity and fire) and something not very safe for little toddlers but safe under supervision and safety precautions can also be tried. Toddlers will explore and understand the world in their own way, so at some point, we just need to give them space and freedom and help them grow. 

“Toys” for Motion Development

Crawl/Climb: In addition to crawling on mats, toddlers at 1-2 years old are motivated to challenge difficult ways of moving, like crawling up/climbing stairs. We can use storage bins and beds to create a one-step staircase for toddlers to crawl up safely. Also, we can challenge kids’ climbing ability and courage by playing slides and crawling activity set in an early learning centre.
From crawl to stand: Toddlers at these ages can pull themselves up in many ways, such as by holding your hands or the edges of furniture. What we need to do is to make sure the furniture does not tip over and decorate it with bumper strips to prevent injuries.

Toddle: When toddlers start to cruise with their powerless feet, it is easy for parents to constantly worry about kids getting hurt (especially a head injury), which has given rise to baby walking harnesses, toddler helmets, and other safeguard products. But as parents, we’d better not help children maintain their balance with hands or walking harnesses, or it might interfere with their balance learning. Tumbling is a necessary stage for toddlers. So to protect your little ones from serious injuries from walking learning, we can make a large space in the living room or children room first and then use corner protectors on all the furniture, add mats on the floor, and put some cushions in the wall corners. We can also learn to walk outside. Find a grassland and encourage your toddlers to walk from dad to mom at a proper distance. If they can only take 2 steps right now, don’t sit 3 feet away. Gradually increase the distance as they get more confident.

More Challenges: Toddlers have big “ambition”. They are eager to conquer stairs, grass, gravel roads, slopes, and more even if they still don’t have strong feet. Though toddlers don’t have the ability to challenge these terrains, we can hold the kids’ hands and lead them to have a different experience.

Daily Supplies as Toys

Paper: Some toddlers prefer to play with paper, like drawing paper, tearing paper, and folding paper. Making paper airplanes or other paper toys with creative ideas is a good way to promote children’s thinking development and exercise practical ability. It is said that finger activities are good for stimulating intelligence while releasing the energy to destroy things. 

Various Containers for Daily Use: Boxes, cans, and bottles are one of the favorites of many children. They always like to open containers to see what’s inside, and then try to put them back in their original states. They may make a mess at first, but they will eventually learn how to collect.

Let’s do an experiment: If there is something in the box, it will make sounds after you shake the box; if it’s empty, shake it and it will make no sound. Many children will be very anxious when shaking without sounds and confused about this phenomenon. Try it a few times and the children will understand the reason.

Brooms and Mops: If your kids are enthusiastic about helping you around the house, please do not turn them away. Give them a chance to join in, especially for children who are already walking steadily. When leaves or snow need to be swept in the yard, we might as well ask kids to help, which lets kids get close to nature and have a deeper feel on environmental change while doing, helping them build the sense of protecting nature.

Tableware: When feeding toddlers, they always like to scramble for spoons and plates. Sometimes they even like to leave food all over the place on purpose. A wise parent will put some easy-to-clean food (like toast) with less amount on the baby plate for them to play with. When they get tired, they will start to learn to feed themselves. For children, the use of tableware is also learned in playing.

Conclusion

All in all, toddlers aged 1-2 years old do not have to buy a pile of toys. Instead, some daily items at home can satisfy their curiosity, meet their needs for various games, and help them acquire knowledge.

Of course, if your children grow older and need more development, you can come to TOBBI and choose a satisfying kids car that will accompany your children along the way and give them a memorable childhood.

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