Looking for Montessori activities for 1-2 year olds? These activities encourage early literacy, educational games and practical life skills! For many of us, the idea of young toddlers doing Montessori activities feels all but impossible. They'll eat the paint, can't sit still, and have zero concept of following directions. But rest assured, toddlers as young as 1-2 year olds can still participate in Montessori activities. After all, these activities aren't a set curriculum, but are rather based on a philosophy by Maria Montessori. She believed that activities should be free-based with … [Read more...]

Tired of cleaning up after play time? Take a look at these easy, mess free activities for 2 year olds you can do at home, from crafts to educational games toddlers love! Finger painting, sensory bins, living room furniture morphed into a fort. For many parents, it's not about finding activities to do with kids, but feeling less compelled to do because of the mess. After all, 10 minutes of dabbing with paint can mean 45 cleaning it up. Sensory bins can be fun, but not so much when you step on dried rice later in the day. And let's not even get into the homemade slime that's now … [Read more...]

Looking for EASY activities for 2 year olds? Take a look at these things to do with your toddler, from arts and crafts to sensory and learning fun! I could barely walk from my bedroom to the dining room, much less take my son on outings. Toward the end of my twin pregnancy, the discomfort was so unreal, I thought it a cruel joke that I also had a toddler to care for. At the same time, I didn't want to deny him the attention or activities he needed while he was home with me. As tempting as it was to plop him in front of the television all day, I knew I couldn't resort to that, either. I … [Read more...]

Looking for things to teach a 1 year old? Get ideas for educational games, sensory activities and places to go with your toddler, at home and out and about! I'll admit, I'm the mom who wants to make sure her kids are learning all they can, even at a young age. After all, we've heard that kids are primed to learn about the world, and that giving them a head start can make a huge difference in how well they do in school. That said, I'm the last mom who'll stress about milestones or rely solely on apps and enrichment classes. I truly believe we can give toddlers all they need to learn using … [Read more...]

Want ideas for weekday evening activities for toddlers? These fun ideas offer quality time with your child during after work hours. Includes a free printable! For many parents, our time in the evenings can be pretty limited, especially during the week. Working parents might only have an hour or so to play before we need to cook dinner or pack for the next day. Lengthy bedtime routines or early bedtimes could cut our time shorter than usual. And even our go-to activities can get stale and repetitive, and we end up stuck in a rut. Here's the thing: For the most part, doing the same … [Read more...]

Discover fun 2 year old development activities! From educational to outdoor to craft activities, get a list of ideas to do with your toddler. I'll be upfront: I'm not your typical crafty mom. I don't stock sensory bins or organize trays of card stock at home. I also don't like how many activities seemed to focus on the parents' crafting skills, not necessarily the child's. And I'm more interested in child-directed learning, not necessarily the "final product." It's not so much about creating a beautiful item as it is about allowing kids to be curious and ask questions. Still, even … [Read more...]

Looking for fun places to take a 1 year old? Check out these ideas for things to do and where to take your toddler to play, both indoors and outdoors.   "I can't wait until my baby is a little older, maybe when he turns a year old," I confessed to a coworker. "That way, I don't have to carry him around so much. He could just walk anywhere he wants!" He tilted his head and smiled as he said, "I don't know about that. Things actually got more complicated when my kids learned to walk because they wanted to walk everywhere! Restaurants were the worst—we could never just sit down and … [Read more...]