Playing and having playtime activities for toddlers is really important. Within this article, we will look at why they are important and the type of playtime activities that you can get your toddler doing.
Playtime activities for toddlers are really important as they aid their emotional and physical development. Encouraging and being a part of your toddlers playtime activities will also help to strengthen the bond you have with your toddler.
Within this article, we will look into why playtime activities for toddlers are important and give you some ideas for playtime activities that you can enjoy doing together.
Why Are Playtime Activities For Toddlers Important?
Playtime activities for toddlers are really important as it will help them to develop emotionally, help them with their communication skills, along with supporting learning and their overall wellbeing.
Playtime activities provide your toddler with a way to express themselves and use their own voice. It helps to stimulate their cognitive development, enhancing their creativity and pattern recognition.
Playtime activities will support the development of a variety of skills, alongside cognitive development, such as motor skills, physical development and help them to develop their imagination.
Play will also provide them with a safe space in which they can explore and learn to manage their feelings, helping them to build resilience and develop empathy towards others.
Playtime Activities For Toddlers
There are a variety of playtime activities for toddlers that you can do at home, in the garden or at your local park. Within this section, we will guide you through some of our favourite playtime activities for toddlers.
At Home Playtime Activities For Toddlers
There are many playtime activities that can be done from the comfort of your home. You can play a game of hide and seek or put on some music and have a dance together.
If you have a garden, you could set up an obstacle course or you could get a small football and have a fun, little game of football. This would be a great way to get the whole family involved.
If you need some inspiration, there are also many fun playtime activities on the BBC website.
Play At The Park
If you don’t have a garden or you want more space for playtime activities, heading to your local park is an excellent idea. You can take your small football and have a larger scale game of football (still keeping it age appropriate) or you could practise throwing and catching.
Simple playtime activities like these will teach your toddlers skills like co-ordination, balance and agility.
Sensory Playtime Activities For Toddlers
Many toddlers love sensory playtime activities. Sensory playtime activities are anything that stimulates their senses through touch, smell, taste, seeing and hearing.
This includes sensory playtime activities like finger painting, playing with playdough , playing with or in water, blowing bubbles, making and playing with slime or having fun with a mud kitchen.
Head Out On A Walk
Once your toddler has mastered walking, it is a good idea to try to encourage walking as much as possible.
You could head out on an actual walk but you will want to stick to short walks or make sure to take breaks. You could break to have some lunch or to play some games where you name the things you can see or play Ispy.
You could also add walking to your daily life by walking to the park. If your toddler is still quite young, you will want to be ready with a pushchair or be ready to carry them some of the way.
Try Out Some Sport Classes
An excellent form of playtime activities for toddlers in a sports class. There are many sports that are excellent for children to start at a young age – swimming, dancing, gymnastics and football to name a few.
With a sports class, your toddler will have fun but it will also start them with a love of physical activity from a young age which will set them up for a healthy life.
It is important that you allow your toddler to try a variety of sport classes so they can see what they truly enjoy.
How Much Activity Does Your Toddler Need?
A toddler needs to be active for at least 180 minutes (3 hours) each day. This, of course, does not need to happen all at once and it is actually recommended that you break it down into manageable chunks, such as 10 minutes, 20 minutes or 30 minutes.
It does not matter what the activity is, whether it is indoors or outdoors, what is important is that your toddler gets moving.
How Playtime Activities Will Help Your Relationship With Your Toddler
As we already briefly mentioned, being a part of your toddler’s playtime activities will help to strengthen the bond you share.
Every moment you spend with your toddler makes a difference to the bond you share but it is really important that they know you are a place where they can play, have fun and feel happy.
Play games with them and join in if they invite you into a game they are already playing. Sharing this quality time together will help build your connection and your toddler’s confidence.
Playtime Activities For Toddlers
Playtime activities for toddlers are really important because they help your toddler to develop in a multitude of ways. Playtime will help their physical development, their emotional development, their cognitive skills, their motor skills and their overall wellbeing.
There are many ways to introduce playtime activities into your toddlers life that can be done at home, in the garden or at your local park. You may also want to consider taking them to a taster session of sports class as they are a lot of fun and a great way to keep your toddler active.
Playtime activities for toddlers will also help to strengthen your bond with your toddler as you play with them and join in on the fun.
We hope you have found our article helpful. If you would like to try your toddler at a football class, we have taster sessions available at all our classes. Click here to find your local class.