Toddler play doesn’t have to be complicated
This was such a great reminder of how toddlers play and “work”. From Rethinking Toddler Craft Time:
It really is all about the JOURNEY, and enjoying the process. It’s NOT about the finished product, but about the fun and learning involved in the process. This makes “projects” like she did yesterday make perfect sense. It also makes me a lot less dismissive of project, activity and craft ideas that don’t result in a fantastic “end product”.
I have to admit that I am sometimes tempted to feel overwhelmed and very inadequate when I see all of the fabulous ideas out there that moms are doing with their children. I’m just not naturally artsy craftsy in that way. So I am always looking for simple things I can do with Caroline that don’t overwhelm me with their complexity.
Yesterday I used Jackie’s idea and put out bowls of shell pasta, dried peas, rice and bowtie pasta. I gave Caroline another empty bowl, a set of measuring cups, some measuring spoons, a ladle, a wooden spoon and something else. I think she thought she had died and gone to heaven. She had a ball!
January 12th, 2009 at 4:18 am
When my son was that age, he played for an hour at a baby shower with tongs and ice and glasses. Everyone had a blast watching him, too. The soon to be grandma said that she knew what to buy the baby when he was 2–tongs!
January 18th, 2009 at 8:49 am
I love reading about the things that keep your little one busy. My 27 month old grandaughter lives with me, I watch her all day while her mom, my daughter, works. Some days it’s a challenge trying to keep her busy but we think up all kinds of fun things to do.
Here’s one I thought you may like. When it’s too cold to go out and she wants to play in the snow, I grab a shovel and fill the kitchen sink with it. You’d be surprised at how long it takes to melt and she has a BLAST standing on a stool filling cups and making little snow people. It’s fun, it’s easy and there’s no clean up required. It just melts away down the drain. Give it a try!:D
January 19th, 2009 at 10:38 pm
Elizabeth and Janice – Those are both fun ideas!