| There is a lot of time to be spent with your toddler | | | | you have a custom painted and built playhouse that |
| this summer. Make it memorable, fun and a quality | | | | your toddler can enjoy for days to come. |
| learning experience with these simple activities. Each | | | | Another fun summer project is learning with water. |
| activity will foster different areas of your toddler's | | | | This is fun, simple and practically free. Go into the |
| developmental needs. | | | | yard with a bunch of containers from your kitchen. |
| Activities do not need to be expensive or time | | | | Bring a tea kettle, flower vase, colander, watering |
| consuming. As long as they are fun, then your | | | | can, plastic soda bottles and other items that will be |
| toddler will greatly benefit. Not only will they benefit | | | | interesting to pour from. Pots or buckets can be |
| from the skills they learn, but also from spending | | | | used and you can even place targets, such as toys, |
| quality time with a parent. This boosts their | | | | into the buckets. Teach your toddler how to pour |
| self-esteem and can set the pattern for a life-long | | | | water from each container into the pots and buckets. |
| love of learning. | | | | When they all have water, talk about what sinks and |
| The first activity is really fun and messy. This can be | | | | what floats. Divide items into separate pots. You can |
| done outdoors or on a hard floor. Get washable | | | | sort by color, size, texture or whether or not the |
| paints and a big cardboard box. Collapse the box | | | | items sink or float. Use paint brushes, water guns and |
| down to a flat floor of cardboard. You and your | | | | sponges to paint the fence or side of the house with |
| toddler can get paint on your feet and hands and | | | | water. You can have lots of safe water fun in the |
| decorate the box. Dance in the paint to music to | | | | yard while spending quality learning time with your |
| make it more fun! | | | | child. |
| It is also fun to teach your toddler about how | | | | Spend the summer doing similar activities outdoors. |
| different things have tracks. Use push cars and | | | | While indoors, take advantage of household chores |
| trucks to make different tracks of paint all over the | | | | to spend even more time together. Use stools so |
| box. Get creative and use other things around the | | | | that your toddler can throw clothes into the washer |
| house to make prints. Different fruits and vegetables | | | | or help you mix ingredients while cooking. Teach your |
| can be used, as well as things such as potato | | | | toddler how to fold wash cloths and hang their own |
| mashers, sponges and paintbrushes. When your | | | | clothes on childrens clothes hangers. Mimicking adult |
| artwork is done, have fun playing in the sprinkler | | | | behaviors helps your toddler to develop a healthy |
| together to get clean. When the cardboard is dry, | | | | high self-esteem. |
| tape the edges and cut out a door and window. Now | | | | |