Toddler Play

“Again! Again!”

If you’re caring for a toddler, you’re probably hearing that a lot. Kids crave repetition, especially since their brains are growing so fast and in this stage, they’re developing stuff like problem solving and muscle memory.

Play is crucial for this development, and it’s actually super important in growing the skills kids will need later in life, for learning to read and succeeding at school. And it can happen in lots of different ways!

Play pretend: This is a natural for toddlers, who are starting to imitate behaviors they see around them--including yours. As they pretend to cook a meal, or put a baby doll to sleep, talk through what they’re doing with them--it’s great for their vocabulary!

Blocks: If you’ve got some blocks around, build towers together and knock them down! Or try matching: your child builds something, and you try to copy it.

Hide and seek: Even if your hiding place is obvious, under a blanket or behind a coffee table, kids will love going through the sequence of hiding and finding.

Chasing: Toddlers are on the move now, and it’s a safe thrill for them to play chase with their grownup. Chasing can be at any pace that’s comfortable, crawling, walking or running--just remember to keep it safe of course, in a protected area free from hazards.

Simple rules: Young kids actually like rules when they’re fun, low-pressure, and age-appropriate. Think basic games like Simon Says and hopscotch.

Books can be play, too! You don’t even have to read them cover to cover, word for word: just have fun with it.

This is also a prime age for kids’ personalities and temperament to start really becoming visible, so follow their lead, and if they like a particular game or a book, you know what to do: Again! Again!

Press Here: A magical book to read aloud and play along with. Starting with a simple, vibrant yellow paint dot, the book's text tells you and your child just what to do, layering on complexity, whimsy and an ingenious action/reaction each time you flip the page. And playing with the yellow, red and blue dots lets your kid practice listening and following directions.

Shake the Tree!: Another game-in-a-book that starts out simple. A mouse just wants to get a delicious nut down from the top of a tree. But surprise! Out comes a fox, who's also hungry. Tilt, shake and jiggle the book itself to move forward the story, as more and more animals appear, they go down the tree and up the tree, and it all ends with a terrific punchline finale that will keep you rereading over and over.

Chicka Chicka Boom Boom: All the lowercase letters of the alphabet (the kids!) climb up the tree, but when they fall down and hurt themselves, the capital letters (the grownups!) come to comfort them. The story is written with such a jaunty rhythm, it's impossible to read without putting a little boogie in it, so don't hold back! Jump, dance, stomp your feet, and tumble to the ground when the letters fall.

Wiggle: Who says you have to sit still for a read aloud? Follow along and get those wiggles out. It doesn't even have to end when the book does--make up your own ways to wiggle, turn it into a wiggling game. Who can be the silliest?

Not A Box: An unseen commentator keeps asking silly things like, "What are you doing with that box?" And of course, our bunny character repeatedly insists: "It's not a box." When you're playing make believe, as every child knows, your imagination can turn a box into... a race car! A burning building! A robot! This story is a perfect invitation to find an empty box and let your own imagination go wild.