If you are looking for some activities to do at home during the day with your two year old child, then look no further. These activities are designed to help your child learn and to take away some of that stress that the “terrible two’s” bring along.
Social activities are becoming increasingly more important at this stage, so if other children are around this is a good thing. If the child is an only child, get together with friends who have children to let your child explore.
The ability to form short sentences and to follow simple direction makes conversation and playtime much more enjoyable for the adult and the child. Children this age love to imitate things they see adults do, so toys that help do this like play food sets, play tool sets, etc. will help.
Hand eye coordination is becoming more refined so arts and crafts with large pencils and crayons are a great way to keep the child entertained while helping them learn. Sit them down and let them draw freely. The skills they learn here will help with handwriting in the years to come.
Introduce them to the computer with your assistance. Noggin, NickJr., and Sesame Street all have websites with games for young children. Fisher-Price also has some great online activities for children. One suggestion is the Elmo Keyboard O Rama game, which allows children to push a button on the keyboard to hear a letter, a word that starts with that letter, and a picture. Any non-alphanumeric characters prompt Elmo to laugh as though the child tickled him.
Review things that the child knows, such as colors, body parts, animal sounds, etc. to ensure that the child does not forget anything you have learned with them so far. Repetition is key, and making it fun is important. Do not simply quiz the child.
Continue reading to the child, introducing books on potty training and things of that sort so that the child may learn what is coming next. Read the same book many times, and the child will begin to able to tell you the story themselves.
Look online for coloring sheets and simple crafts for you and your child to do together. Celebrate all accomplishments, and be sure to let the child place his or her artwork on display for all the household members to see. NickJr.com is a wonderful place for activities to do with your child. You can choose things based on the characters that your child loves.
Do not feel bad for having to place the child in front of the television for brief periods so that you can get work done. Do not let it babysit the child, but if placed in front of the right programming such as Noggin (now a 24-hour network), Nick Jr. or PBS, it will actually help you and the child rather than rotting their brains. Games like hide and seek and rolling or throwing a small ball are great for physical activity.
Next in my series, see activities for your three-year old. Also, be sure to check out activities for your one year old if you missed it!
