creative play for toddlers

At what age did you let your DC paint (either water colors or finger paint)? Also what creative activities do you do with your toddler?

DD is almost 16 months. So far we color with crayons, chalk, color wonder markers, magna doodle...we play with babies (feed and push in stroller), play with a kitchen, dance and dress up.

What else can I play with her? She loves pretending.

Re: creative play for toddlers

lol...when we are outside, we make believe we are farmers in a barn...

go around and feed different imaginary animals...like I will say "oh time to feed the horses"

The I say here's a carrot...make a neigh...then I say oh he likes carrots...

we do that with different animals.

I like in apts, my neighbors must think I am a nut.

I have an ottoman...we make believe its a train. I ask for his ticket, he gets on...then we go up the mountains, in the forest...you get it.
tell him hold on, we are going down the mountain, then he gets scared and screams...

finger painting was maybe 14 mos old. More work then it was worth.

We are really into making faces now with pipe cleaners, googly eyes, pom poms...

Re: creative play for toddlers

great ideas!

Re: creative play for toddlers

We started doing art stuff at around 18 months. Mostly crayons and chalk, but I think we did paint once.

We also do music time. I put music on and we play with her box of instuments, have parades and dance. If you don't have instruments, you could make them out of anything. My DD likes to do anything that shakes.

Re: creative play for toddlers

DS is 16mos...we haven't done paint yet and I just bought crayons so we'll be trying those soon.

we dance (he has a little toy mp3 player that I put some music on) and he loves to dance & sing!

we play horse (i'm the horse )

we chase around the house

he is pretty good at throwing the ball so we'll go back & forth

he loves the telephone so we pretend we're talking

flash cards, hes really getting into these, and staying interested. He has learned all kinds of animal noises from those..along w/some other words like "car" and "truck"

thats all I can think of for right now!

Re: creative play for toddlers

Finger painting was a big old waste - it took much longer to set it up then for him to play with. I think I did it around 16 months or so.

I'll try again at 2!

It does make for a great photo-op though!

Image Attachment(s):

Re: creative play for toddlers

Diana...those pics of Jack will forever CRACK ME UP!!

Re: creative play for toddlers

Manipulatives are STILL big in our house - and have been forever. Play-Doh, Model Magic, etc.. MAKING your own play dough is creative and fun for the littles.

We also did cooking with them - they got to put the "RED" things in the salad. Then "FIVE" Cucumbers... it's a good way to incorporate learning.

Puppets are fun too. I still have a dozen or so sock puppets that the boys and I made together when they were little.

Re: creative play for toddlers

We make messes all the time - we glue, we paint, we color...

As for pretend play, he has his own set of real keys, his own bag, and loves pretending to get ready for work and say goodbye to me!

He loves putting toys in a bowl, blowing on them like they are hot, and he is ready to eat them

We pretend sleep and wake up. Pretend cry. Pretend he's a baby (I love this one - he curls up in my arms and everything!!!!! )

Pretend with animals. We pretend to make their real sounds, and then pretend to mix up the sounds (cow saying ribbit, and then go "NOOOOOOooo! Siwwy!!!! (silly!)"

We have been pretending to skidoo all day!!!

Re: creative play for toddlers

Love those pics!!!!!