The top 5
Natural Toys for Older Toddlers (2 to 3 year olds)
Older toddlers are ready to explore their dexterity and creativity. They love to design one of a kind imaginative worlds–and do what we do with their own sized toys.
The pretend play is all day long!
1. Playsilks. We keep three or more of these colorful silks folded in a basket ready for imaginative play. Silks can be blankets for dolls, tied on a child for costumes, wrapped around an arm for a bandage or sling.
Sometimes we lay a silk on the floor to create a forest for wood animals or we climb aboard for a magical story time.
2. Wooden Animals, Stables and Barns. Many children love to play with horses in a stable or walk animals through the doorways of a barn.
A farm theme gift has been popular with our older toddlers. They create their own stories with the figures.
3. Kitchens and House Play. Wood ovens make the most amazing meals. Apple pie with spaghetti on the side, pizza with bananas, and our favorite milk and honey. More kitchen toy ideas.
Cleaning–mopping, sweeping and ironing are also fun.
4. Dolls and Strollers. Boys and girls enjoy caring for dolls, and pushing them on walks through the neighborhood (the real one, and the backyard or living room one).
5. Blocks. We have a set of colored blocks that is still a favorite toy in the house. Children build on their own or together. The blocks may become cars, food, people or blocks.
For serious building, try these big maple blocks–like the block sets we love in preschools.
One last great inexpensive idea: Lyndsey spends days creating a box town with her older toddler. They use boxes of all sizes, toilet paper and paper towel rolls, paint and glue to make garages, towers, garbage stations and more.
The town is ready for trucks, cars, trains, dolls, whoever wants to explore!
Comments
Post a Comment