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In this competitive world, it can often seem like you should be cramming every moment of your toddler’s life with educational classes such as pre-pre-pre-pre-calculus. There are so many programs geared to even 2-year-olds that it feels as if we’ve forgotten how to play simple and fun games with our babies. If you’re worried about a wasted learning opportunity, many times, these easy activities are also educational by teaching our toddlers how to share and love music.
Playing games is important for toddlers
Though it may not seem as if your toddler is doing anything important when they play, developmentally speaking, it is the most important thing they could possibly do.
“Playing is a child’s job,” explained Nancy Buck, developmental psychologist with Peaceful Parenting in Denver, Colo. It also helps our young children build vital skills. “On every level — physical, emotional, intellectual or social — a child is learning,” Buck said.
Depending on the kind of games, they learn how to solve problems and explore their world in a safe and nurturing environment. “Spending engaged playtime together is the best way to show a child that she is valued and loved,” said Dr. John Hutton, pediatrician with Cincinnati Children’s Hospital and author of Baby Unplugged.
Easy games to play with your 2-year-old
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Engaging our children doesn’t always have to involve a lot of props and expensive toys. Peekaboo is a fun game, even for 2-year-olds. You can mix things up by adding scarves or hats instead of using your hands. Or, instead of covering your face, you can hide small toys and ask your child to find them. You can even play tug-of-war as you sing silly songs!
Other low-key activities can be done with household items. Despite buying a fancy kitchen playset full of fake food for my kids, my 2-1/2-year-old prefers to pull out all my pots and pans and cook his cars. It’s a good thing my kitchenware is cheap! He also loves to collect potholders and even considers putting away the clean dishes and utensils fun. If that’s not a useful life skill, I don’t know what is.
Though it may seem as if your 2-year-old may be too young for hide-and-seek or Simon Says, they should be able to follow simple directions and understand the concept of hiding or finding someone. You can always try tiny modifications so it is easier for your baby to play, too. For example, instead of your child hiding, they help you find the other kids or instead of “Simon says,” you substitute with “Mommy says.”
Also, don’t underestimate how much joy chasing a toddler around the house can cause. That is at least 10 to 15 minutes of fun and you can squeeze in some cardio, too. Add to that other physical activities like piggyback rides, hoisting your child onto your shoulders, and good old-fashioned tickle-fights and you not only burn off your kid’s energy, you also build lasting memories.
Educational games you can play
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If you insist on actual learning, a good set of wooden blocks can offer hours of fun. Blocks are versatile and can accommodate so many STEM activities while developing manual dexterity and other cognitive skills. Pediatrician Dr. Sandy Chung told Mom.com that stacking blocks is an important milestone for children, and advised that at 24 months, your child should be able to stack 4 or more blocks.
Playdough is another adaptable resource you can use. You can use it to teach your child textures, strengthen their hands and fingers, as well as how to use tools and molds to create new shapes. For the overachievers amongst us, you can use the playdough to teach your toddler letters, numbers, shapes, animals — whatever you can make. The more senses you engage in your child, the more likely things will stick.
Music is another entertaining and educational way to play with your toddler. So many songs and nursery rhymes teach body parts, animals, feelings, numbers, and even have cautionary tales. If you have access to musical instruments for kids, they can play along with songs on the CD or just enjoy making music with you as they improvise. You can dance and sing along with the music or teach age-appropriate moves for your child to copy.
“Listening to music opened up a whole new world to my mostly nonverbal toddler,” a mom of four, Whitney Cornelison, told Mom.com. “While he would only say maybe five words, he sang and danced to the theme songs of his favorite shows and movies.”
Ultimately, however you enjoy and spend time with your toddler can be fun and engaging. It can be so lonely to be a parent but the smiles and laughter on our babies’ faces make it all worth it.
