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It is hard to entertain indoor your child during cold, winter days. Here are some interesting ideas for educational but fun activities that you can do with your little one at home. They are suitable either for group or only the two of you. The hardest thing with the 2 years old toddlers is to capture their attention, to try make them concentrating on the learning process without killing the fun. Of course when you read them you may think it is too early for your toddler to know doing this, but you have to be patient, and to understand that he will develop the certain skills with reiteration. I explain the game, using pictures, but you can use animal figures, plastic fruits, etc., what you have in hand, the most important rule though is that in helping the development of your toddler you have to stay calm and have fun, exploring together.

I. My first suggestion for development fun game for 2 -3 years old toddlers is called “Time to bed”.

The educational target of the game: is to practice the toddlers’ knowledge of animals (birds). To learn what the different animals prefer to eat.

What you need: Pictures of different foodstuffs, put in front of the animals “lodges” (you can define them in a different way – with hoop, tent etc., disc with a song, which your toddler like to listen before sleep and connects with going to bed. Cut pictures of the different animals (we will use them as labels on the children).

The rules of the game: The toddler has to pick what animal he want to be; the toddler has to find the lodge of that certain animal, using as an landmark the picture of the foodstuffs in front of every lodge; the toddler has to go to sleep in his “lodge” when he hears the “going to bed” song.

Preliminary preparation: look around every lodge with your toddler and find out which one is his, explaining which animal eats the food picture in front of every one.

Your part in the game: Cut pictures of different animals, put them into a bowl, let the toddler pick his favorite and put it on his chest. In this way it is easier for toddlers to assume the role of that certain animal. That helps their motivation to find their own “lodge”. For example: you say: Now you are a bunny, you have to jump like bunnies. I will play some music and let us jump around. When I play our “going to bed” song you have to find your “lodge” and sleep. You can use variants on this game – changing the places of the lodges, mixing the foodstuffs pictures, etc.

II. The second game for entertaining and learning with your 2 years old toddler is called “What does the bunny have?”

The educational target of the game: is to introduce to toddlers the different parts from the body of the bunny; to learn the different parts of the body.

What you need: Picture of a bunny (for you); picture of different parts of the bunny and the thing the bunny likes to eat (for your toddler)

The rules of the game: together with your toddler you have to look the different parts of the bunny, learning him to show on the picture the part you ask for; if he can – to name the part you show.

Preliminary preparation: to find in the bowl in front of the toddler and name the part of the bunny you ask for

Your part in the game: Put in a bowl in front of your toddler pictures of different parts of the bunny – ears, eyes, tail, etc.; In your picture show a certain part of the bunny and say “What does the bunny have?”. Your toddler has to find that same part in his bowl and name it.

Second variant: it is called “The bunny does not have … What?” The differences here are in: What you need: several pictures of a bunny, one without ears, one without carrot in its hand, tail, etc. Your part in the game: Show the picture of a bunny without the ears, and ask: The bunny does not have … What? Your toddler has to find the part in his bowl and put it in the right place on your picture.

III. The third game with which you can introduce the world around us to your 2 years old toddler is called “Sparrows”

The educational target of the game: is to introduce to toddlers sparrows and its character as a bird.

What you need: You need to tell a story with main character – the little sparrow bird, so to fascinate your toddler and capture his attention.

The rules of the game: to teach him to listen with patience; to imitate the movement of the sparrow bird and trying to pronounce them.

Preliminary preparation: when you ask a question, the toddler has to show what the sparrow bird do and try to pronounce it.

Your part in the game: Tell the story for the little sparrow bird and try the toddler to guess what the animal you are talking about is. At first he will not be familiar with, but later he will remember that this story if fir that certain animal. Then the toddler “become” the little bird and has to sing, dance, fly, eat, and drink, etc. like it. You will say: How does the little sparrow fly with its wings? And you both start to fly around. It is a lot a fun. If your toddler can speak already, you can “sound track” the certain animal activity with the proper noise.

IV. This game is called “What does he want to eat?” and it is a good for teaching and amusing your 2 years old toddler for animal, their food.

The educational target of the game: to teach the toddler the different animals and bird, what they eat, and to try to show him that people need to care for them, that they are our friends, with which we can play and with which we have to be careful.

What you need: picture of animals and what they eat; riddle for every animal.

The rules of the game: trying to organize the different pictures – each animal with its food, reading the riddles

Preliminary preparation: when the toddler hears the riddle to find the picture of the animal. And to “give” the animal the certain food.

Your part in the game: For example: you say a riddle for the squirrel. The toddler has to find the picture of it and the then thing it eats – walnut, hazelnut, mushroom, etc.

PART II ON ITS WAY