Toddler Activities

Generally, I like Montessori-based toddler activities.  With a degree in Outdoor Leadership (previously called Outdoor Experiential Education), I have an intense love for learning through doing.  Montessori combines the best experiential learning with an element I love called practical life.

Most practical life activities are just that: washing dishes, sweeping, pouring water from a teapot, and washing hands are some examples that we’ve done and loved.

But there was one practical life activity that always had me raise my eyebrows:
Flower Arranging.

But then the girls made vases for Mother’s Day at the Children’s museum and daddy taught them how to pick flowers for me.  Next thing I know, the girls are loving a flower arranging afternoon in the back yard.

Maybe it’s not such a crazy activity after all.

And yes… that is my dandelion garden in the backyard.  I think it’s naturally beautiful… or at least very natural :-p

I don’t do a whole lot of structured art around here.  I give them the supplies and let them go at it, usually while cooking dinner. Their current favorite activity is randomly cutting up magazines and sometimes remembering to glue their bits onto the paper I’ve set out and loosely directed them on how to glue down a collage. Ha! 🙂

So this week’s toddler activity was a semi-structured activity based on one of their favorite Noodlebug songs.

And when I say semi-structured, I mean I handed them the objects and told them what colors they should be and what they were making. Ha! Here’s how our version came out.

We had fun playing and singing and coloring no mater what they looked like!

“No one can be uncheered by a balloon.” Winne the Pooh

Saturday my parents wanted to take the girls to see some balloons at a local festival.  They were talking about this sort of balloon.

We didn’t know the balloons weren’t planning to take off (or even fill up) until 6 pm :-/.

But the girls didn’t know better.  Aeralind actually stopped the balloon man and convinced her to give him that balloon before we could untangle the two balloons we’d received for them.

They had their balloons.  They were content.

We’ve chased those balloons all week.

And we even did a fun science experiment where we put some vinegar in a bottle and then wrapped the neck of the balloon over the neck of the bottle to dump baking soda into the bottle and blow the balloon right up.  The girls were in awe.  I’m definitely pulling that out again.

I’m still kind of feeling simplistic: so never underestimate the joy of a toddler over a simple helium filled balloon.  🙂

I’m learning more and more that while Cloud Dough is a blast and the Good Night Moon Game is a favorite,  the girls’ favorite activities are the simplest ones.

All I have to say about my own pedicure: I’m glad that was peel off sparkly polish.   I had very glittery toes and nails for 18 hours :-p

There’s something magic that occurs when you toss a toddler in the kitchen.

Some might call that magic mess.  :-p

I think the mess and the wonder creates beauty.  Beauty that’s edible.

Last week the girls and I made a carrot cake together (Gluten-free even!)

They helped me stir sauteing mushrooms.

They picked and cut up strawberries.

There’s something beautiful about including them in daily activities like dinner.

Something in my heart that says “I need help.”  and something in their hearts that says “I can be helpful.  God can use me.”  Both of these so very simply affirming for all parties involved.