The long summer time can be unbearable when the toddler is bored and seeks attention. From busy schedules of preschool or daycare absences, summer presents an opportunity for parents to be more active in their children’s education by organizing educational summer activities. The bright side is that there are many great activities that will keep your child interested in learning, excited about discovering new things which will eventually also prepare them to be successful in school.
This article is going to look at some creative ways for your toddler to have a learning summer, and stay active and busy too. Whether it is science experiments, art projects, scavenger hunts or baking activities, these over 20 summer activities for 1-3 year-old toddlers can be just what you need.
The Benefits of Summer Learning:
Before highlighting specific activities, let’s look at some of the benefits summer learning provides:
- Maintains classroom gains:
- Builds confidence:
- Promotes curiosity:
- Improves social skills:
- Prevents summer slide:
Toddlers begin learning basic numbers, letters, colors and more in preschool or daycare. Interactive summer learning helps reinforce these academic concepts so they don’t regress over the break.
Hands-on summer activities allow toddlers to flex their independence and make choices which builds self-confidence and self-esteem.
Toddlers are naturally inquisitive about the world around them. Summer learning nurtures curiosity which leads to better problem solving skills down the road.
Many summer learning activities allow for interaction with parents, siblings or friends which aids in the development of social skills like sharing and cooperation.
Studies show kids can lose up to two months of academic gains over summer break – especially in math and literacy. Proactive summer learning prevents this “summer slide”.
With the benefits explained, let’s explore these educational summer activities perfect for keeping your curious toddler engaged!
Fun Science Experiments:
At around age 2, toddlers start showing interest in cause and effect relationships. Simple science experiments are perfect for nurturing early interests in STEM:
- Color Mixing:
- Candy Rainbows:
Gather primary color paints or food coloring and have your toddler predict what will happen when colors are mixed. Introduce concepts like red and yellow make orange or blue and red make purple.
Fill a glass with water and add in colored candy like Skittles or M&Ms. Talk about solubility and saturation as the candy coats dissolve and mix.
Hands-On Math Activities:
- Playing fun math games over summer helps reinforce essential preschool math concepts like shapes, patterns, sorting, counting and numbers:
- Shape Hunt Cut out basic shapes – circles, squares, triangles etc. Hide shapes around the house and have your toddler hunt for them. Glue the shapes onto paper to make colorful collages.
- Shape Sorters Encourage sorting by putting different sized/colored shapes into egg cartons or a muffin tin. You can also sort buttons, beads, blocks or pom poms.
- Pattern Necklaces Make simple beaded necklaces using patterns like red-blue-red-blue or big bead-small bead-big bead repeating. This teaches ABAB patterns.
- Counting Games Practice rote counting and number recognition with games like hide and seek where your toddler counts to 10 while you hide. Also identify numbers on license plates, house numbers or price tags at the store.
- Measurement: Cook or bake together and introduce concepts like volume and weight. Show how a 1 cup measure gets filled to the top or compare the heaviness of a flour bag vs. an orange.
Imaginative Play Time:
Unstructured imaginative play allows toddlers to strengthen creativity, problem-solving and emotional intelligence:
- Drama Center Set up a box filled with old clothes, costumes, hats and accessories. Add in a mirror and props like handbags, jewelry or scarves. Open-ended dramatic play nurtures self-expression and role playing.
- Restaurant Between ages 2-3 kids start participating in make believe games. Use cardboard boxes to make a play oven and let them take orders, prepare pretend food and serve it to stuffed animals or family members.
- Puppet Show – Craft sock or paper bag puppets and put on a show acting out stories or scenarios. Make stages from a large box and let their imagination run wild.
- Art Center: Cover a table or area with butcher paper and set out non-toxic paint, crayons, markers, stickers, glue etc. Let them create freely which builds confidence and problem solving skills.
Language and Literacy Activities:
Encouraging early reading and writing skills is imperative to future academic success. Try these toddler-friendly literacy ideas:
- Sound Experiments:
- Story Re-Telling:
- Name Practice:
- Sensory Bins:
- Write and Illustrate:
Practice letter sounds and phonics awareness with simple activities like having them sort pictures on sound (bat, ball, book) or identify objects around the house starting with a certain letter sound.
After reading a book, invite your toddler to retell main story elements like characters, setting and plot. Use props or pictures to prompt details if needed.
Reinforce letter and name recognition by creating name puzzles with cardboard or foam letters for them to assemble. Also identify names on mail, food containers etc.
Fill bins and baskets with letter/word manipulatives like alphabet pasta, magnetic letters, foam letters, letter stamps or stickers. Tactile exposure reinforces early literacy concepts.
On blank paper or notebook, have your toddler “author” stories by drawing pictures and dictating ideas for you to label or write out. Bind pages together to make personalized books.
Nature Exploration:
Outdoor summer activities connect toddlers to nature and invite discovery plus physical movement:
- Nature Walks:
- Leaf/Bark Rubbings:
- Garden Play:
Go on letter, color or shape scavenger hunts and have your toddler collect natural items that correspond with categories (things that are green, start with B, cylinder-shaped etc).
Place paper over tree bark or leaves and rub side of crayon over it to make imprints and patterns – great for sensory and science observation.
If possible, designate a toddler garden space and provide plastic shovels, buckets, watering cans etc. Talk about where vegetables come from, dig for worms, observe bees pollinating.
Additional Summer Learning Ideas:
- Bake or cook together reading recipes and measuring ingredients
- Put on music and have spontaneous dance parties
- Play “I Spy” for color and letter recognition
- Set up obstacle courses, relay races or hopscotch patterns
- Make crafts like bird feeders or paper plate tambourines
- Play matching games with playing cards or Memory/Concentration
The most important component is making activities playful and keeping your toddler engaged. Modify for their age, attention span and individual interests. While structured learning is important, unstructured creative play time is also essential for development so aim for a balance of activities.
The long summer break may seem daunting when it comes to keeping a toddler entertained and preventing “summer slide”. However, with some strategic planning you can actively promote learning all summer long with fun, engaging activities perfect for curious young minds.
Focus on incorporating different types of hands-on learning – science experiments, math games, literacy activities, dramatic play, arts and crafts, nature exploration and more. Toddlers have short attention spans so vary the types of summer learning opportunities you provide. Most importantly, make it playful and participate alongside your toddler. By turning activities into quality bonding time, your toddler will build confidence, independence and other foundational skills while having fun!
Implementing regular educational summertime activities takes a bit more effort than just letting the television babysit, however the long term benefits make it well worth it. Use the ideas and recommendations provided to keep your toddler happily learning and exploring their world this summer!
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