Toddlers love to learn new things. They are in a constant state of information absorption which makes entertaining them reasonably easy. When the weather permits it is worth getting outdoors with your toddler to add variety to their experiences. Outdoor toddler activities do not need to be complicated. The most important thing to your child is that they are spending time with you. Here are some outdoor activity ideas for toddlers which you can do at home, in your own backyard.
Giant Newspaper Ball
You will need:
- Large soft plastic bag
- Newspaper
Stuff old newspaper into a large plastic bag (old supermarket bags are great if you have them). Tie the handles of the bag closed. These balls are light and easy for young children to throw and kick.
Gardening
You will need:
- Container to plant into (can be basket or old bucket...or even an old shoe)
- Small stones or gravel
or
- Patch of soil to plant into
-Soil
- Sunflower seeds
- Stakes
Sunflowers make a great introduction to gardening for little ones - they are such a bold, happy statement. Ensure that your container has drainage holes. Get your child to put a thin layer of gravel into the bottom of the container, then fill with soil to near the top. Moisten the soil then push a sunflower seed approx 1cm into the soil and cover with a bit more soil. Water again and place in a sunny spot. Teach your child about nurturing the plant by watering it regularly and staking it for support as it grows taller.
If you have more than one child, it can be fun to make a competition out of the sunflower growing - whose flower is the tallest (sunflowers can exceed 2m in height!)
Icy Fun
You will need:
- Some freezer safe containers, including ice cube trays
- Water
- Food coloring
- 2 x large buckets or tubs
Plan this activity in advance so that you have time to get everything frozen. I usually time it with a nap or a trip out of the house so that I can get my son involved in the set up (ice making) as well as the fun at the end.
Make up ice cubes and ice shapes in the various containers, eg. round bowl, square container - add a few drops of food coloring to some of the containers if you have it. Put in the freezer for a couple of hours.
When the ice is ready, put some tepid water into a large bucket or tub and take this outside along with the containers of ice. Let your child work out how to get the ice free from the containers and then transfer the ice shapes into the second tub. Young children love to watch the ice melting into new shapes.
Insect Hunt
Take your toddler out into your backyard, crawl round on the ground, lift up leaves and open your compost bin. Show your little one where insects live, call them by actual name (if you know them) and let your toddler pick them up. If you live somewhere where there are dangerous insects, use this time to teach your toddler which are safe and which are not.
Mud Pies
You will need:
- water
- dirt
- large plastic tub or paddling pool
- swim suit or clothing that is ok to get dirty in
Mud pies are an age-old favorite with the kids...but not so popular with parent due to the obvious messiness. I suggest that we be brave and be prepared. Try to confine the pie-making to a large plastic tub or a paddling pool, and wait for a really sunny day so that you can just spray the dirt off them when they are finished.
The recipe is pretty simple. Take dirt and add water...get as mucky as possible!!
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