Summer Activities for Babies and Toddlers

Even though babies and toddlers do not have the long break between school years and they don't suffer from the "I'm bored" condition of older kids, they still want to have fun during the hot summer months.

Here, you will find appropriate activities for babies and toddlers to enhance all areas of their development. Including, motor, language, social, and cognition. The areas are divided into active play, arts and crafts, outdoor fun, and early learning.

Please always remember to supervise your children as they participate in these activities.

Active Play:
Let your baby swim and splash in a baby pool. Give your child a variety of water toys, buckets and bowls, spoons and shovels to explore with. Babies and toddlers all love to explore in a sand box. Run and play in a sprinkler. Teach your little one some new dance tmoves and an appreciation for all types of music. Mirror play is great for self-awareness and for practicing making silly faces. Play with balls, practice kicking, catching, and rolling. Blow bubbles and encourage your toddler to chase and try to catch them. Have a pillow fight. Play hide and seek or Ring Around the Rosie. Go to the park. Have a puppet show to entertain the kids.

Arts and Crafts:
Try sidewalk chalk, but beware, babies will try to eat it. Make tie dye T-shirts. Allow your toddler to paint outside or use spray bottles to paint. Make play dough and then let your little one use his imagination to create all kinds of new things. Try handprint art, fingerpainting, or watercolor. Use stamps to create new pictures. Make streamers with ribbons, scarves, and crepe paper then dance the night away.

Outdoor Fun:
Plant flowers or a vegetable garden, your toddler will enjoy playing in the dirt and helping with watering. Even better, make mud pies. Have a picnic in the backyard or the park, try flying a kite. Lay in the grass and cloud or bird watch. Have a water fight. Give your child the job of pulling weeds. Go on a nature walk.

Early Learning:
Read books and take a trip to the library, or try books on CD or tape. Sensory play in water, cooked noodles, rice, and/or beans. Make sure to provide pots and spoons, too. Make sensory bottles with colored water and sink/float items (hint: use a hot glue gun to seal the cap). Tissue box discovery box - empty a tissue box and fill with a variety of toys/objects, baby can feel and discover what's inside.

If you're still looking for more ideas, try these informational sites.
Family Education.com, fun.familyeducation.com/activities/baby/37265.html, Fun & Educational Activities for Babies

Parenting.com, www.parenting.com/article/Baby/Activities/Play-List-Quick--Easy-Fun-21335373, Activities for Babies, Toddlers, and Preschoolers

The Bub Hub, www.bubhub.com.au/infoactivities.php, Games to Play with Babies and Children