I've been racking my brain trying to come up with some indoor activities to do with DS who is now 13 mo. The weather is getting warmer but it's been very windy or rainy or just plain yucky outside, so I haven't ventured out yet (plus, I'm getting closer to the very pregnant stage and can't lug him around as much). I found some ideas on the Web and thought I'd post them on here for others. If any parents have comments on these (positive or negative) or additional suggestions, please feel free to post.
* Hide-N-Go-Seek: Your toddler will not only have fun playing with you and testing out their new found walking legs (works just fine with crawlers, too) but they will also learn that, just because they can't see you, it doesn't mean you're not coming back for them.
* Point and Name: Help your toddler's eventual verbal skills as well as their exploration of the world around them by pointing to objects and then naming them. Eventually, your toddler will be able to point to the object when you name it.
* Pudding Paint (you can do something similar with flavored gelatin)
Materials: Instant pudding, food coloring, small containers for pudding, long sheet of bulletin board paper or heavy craft paper,
soap and water.
Description: Prepare pudding and tape paper to a table. Give each child their own container of pudding, then let them use
their fingers to do the rest. Talk about how it feels between their fingers, about the taste, and the smell.
* Bowling
Materials: Empty 2 liter soda bottles and balls.
Description: Set up plastic bottles like bowling pins, have toddlers use a lightweight plastic ball to roll from a short distance
to knock the bottles down. This will be best accomplished by showing them, the first time, what you want them
to do. The bottles do not have to be set up in a specific way so try to get the toddlers to help set up as well as bowl.
* Feelings and Emotions
Materials: Felt circle for face, eyes, nose and different mouths for feelings (mad, happy, sad, etc.),
eyebrows for mad = straight lines at angle, sad etc.
Description: Create a face board and use the different faces to show toddlers; happy, sad, mad, scared, etc. Felt works really
great because it sticks and is easy to get off and on quickly.
* Color Glove
Materials: White work gloves; red, yellow, green, blue and orange paint.
Description: Take the white gloves and paint the fingers only of both hands. Paint them red, yellow, blue, green,
orange, so that you have two of each color. Then, sing this song.
Tune: "Where is thumbkin" or "Are you sleeping?"
Where is red? (bring one hand up with all fingers showing)
Where is red? (repeat with other hand.)
Here I am, (wave one hand)
Here I am (wave other hand)
Show me if you can, (Hold hands up)
Show me if you can.
Where is red?
Where is red?
Repeat this with all the colors allowing the toddlers to show you the colors.