Fun Holiday Activities for Toddlers

With holidays just around the corner you may be looking for some activities to do with your toddler. Taking your toddler to the beach, park, play centre, movies etc is always great but sometimes the weather may not be on your side and these venues can often get crowded and expensive. Bubs Baby Shops has compiled 10 GREAT HOLIDAY activities for you to do with your little one around the house - these fun activities will be enjoyed by both you and your toddler.

1. Cling Wrap Painting

Materials
• White paper
• Paint
• Spoons
• Plastic cling wrap

Directions
1. Using a spoon, dribble paint onto the paper, using several different colours
2. Place a sheet of plastic cling wrap over the paint (make sure the cling wrap covers the whole surface)
3. Use your hands to smooth the cling wrap over the paper and then carefully peel it off 4. Allow the painting to dry

2. Shadow Tracing

Materials
• chalk

Directions
Go outside with your child on a sunny day. If your child will stand still long enough, trace his shadow on the sidewalk or driveway. Have him change positions and then trace his shadow again. Make several tracings and then see if your child can fit his shadow back inside the tracings
For a fun alternative, trace his shadow on a big sheet of newsprint or other suitably sized paper and let him finger paint his shadow or colour it with crayons or markers

3. Bubble Fun

Materials
• Plastic drinking straws
• Store-bought or homemade bubble solution
• Scissors
• Tape

Directions
1. Make a bubble wand by cutting two plastic drinking straws in half, and then tape the four pieces together
2. Blowing through the straws will send lots of tiny bubbles in many directions

4. Care for a Plant

Time
• 5 to 10 minutes

Materials
• Empty jar
• Toothpicks
• Water
• An avocado seed

Directions
1. Caring for a plant is a way to teach responsibility for things we love. Firstly, you can enjoy the avocado for lunch!
2. Afterwards, poke 3 or 4 toothpicks around the middle of the avocado seed to support it over a jar
3. Fill the jar with water until it covers the bottom half of the seed
4. Place on a sunny windowsill and replenish water daily. The seed will sprout in several days and continue to vine out into a beautiful plant if it is cared for

Extensions
• Sprout several seeds and give them as beautiful, natural gifts
• Make a daily watering chart and let your child check off each time that he cares for his plant

5. Large and Small

Materials
• 5-6 pairs of objects that are similar in every way except size (adult/child socks, long/short pencils, dinner/lunch plates)

Directions
1. Holding up the two matching items, ask your child which one is smaller
2. Be sure to use items such as bigger, smaller, shorter, and longer in your everyday conversation to draw attention to the size of objects around you

6. Picture Sort

If the cutting and gluing aspect of preparing this activity will take more time than you have, use two sets of matching stickers instead.

Materials
• Metal lids from frozen-juice cans
• Double set of pictures (either photographs or from a magazine)
• Glue
• Clear contact paper
• Magnets (optional)
• Plastic container, shoebox, or diaper-wipe container

Directions
1. Cut a double set of pictures of family and friends (or pictures from two identical magazines) into a round shape that will fit the lid of a frozen-juice can
2. Glue the pictures onto the lids and cover with clear contact paper (You should have two sets of lids exactly the same.)
3. Have your child sort the lids into pairs by matching the two pictures that are the same
4. If you like, glue magnets to the backs of the lids and make this a refrigerator or cookie-sheet activity
Store the lids in a plastic container, shoebox, or diaper-wipe container with a slit cut in the top. Your toddler will enjoy dropping the lids into the opening to put the game

7. Short and Tall

Materials
• Paper towel rolls
• Scissors
• Colourful contact paper or gift-wrap (optional)

Directions
1. Cut paper towel rolls into several different sizes
2. If you like, cover them with colourful contact paper
3. Encourage your child to stand the rolls up in order from shortest to tallest
4. Ask questions like which is the smallest? Which is the tallest?
5. Pick one and ask your toddler to find one that is smaller and/or bigger
6. Store the rolls in an empty coffee can, shoebox, or diaper-wipe container when not in use

Extension
Decorate the rolls with pencil drawings, stickers or anything you like

8. Gift-Wrap Memory Game

This is a great way to recycle gift-wrap. You can also make this a seasonal activity by using gift-wrap in holiday patterns or cutting the cards into shapes such as winter mittens, hearts, or Easter eggs.

Materials
• Gift-wrap in a variety of patterns and colours
• 3-inch by 5-inch index cards (7.6cm by 12.7cms
• Glue
• Scissors
• Clear contact paper
• Clothespins (optional)

Directions
1. Cut gift-wrap into 3-inch by 5-inch rectangles (7.6cm by 12.7cms), making two rectangles from each pattern or colour of paper
2. Glue each rectangle to a small index card
3. Cover both sides of the index card with clear contact paper and trim the edges
4. Make five to ten pairs of cards (more for older children)
5. Very young children will enjoy simply handling and looking at the cards. Gradually encourage them to lay the cards out face up and try to clip the matching pairs together with clothespins
6. Older toddlers and preschoolers will enjoy playing a game of Memory, where all cards are laid out face down and each player takes a turn trying to turn over a matching pair
7. Store the cards in a Ziploc bag
8. If you use clothespins with this game, store both clothespins and cards in a shoebox or diaper-wipe container (that your toddler has decorated) when not in use

9. Colour Cards

Materials
• Cardboard paper
• Coloured pencils/texters
• Black marker
• Scissors
• Clear contact paper

Directions
1. Cut the cardboard into 18 squares approximately 7cm x 7cm
2. Colour 2 of them red, 2 x green, 2 x blue, 2 x brown, 2 x yellow, 2 x orange, 2 x purple, 2 x black, and 2 x white
3. Write the names of each colour on the card
4. Cover the cards with clear contact paper
5. Spread the cards out on a table and begin by picking up one of the cards and saying, "I have a red card. Can you hand me the other red card?"
6. After a while, your child will enjoy matching the cards all by himself
7. Store the cards in a small Ziploc bag when not in use

10. Practical Math

Directions
1. Give your child the opportunity to develop math skills in his everyday world
2. Count everything with your child - steps as you climb them, toys as you pick them up, cups as you set the table
3. Take your child on household counting assignments
4. You can count the number of doors in your house (including closets)
5. Count out loud with your child as you match napkins to place mats, forks to spoons, and so on 

Related Articles: Toy Safety-  Travelling With Children - Baby Sun Safety

 To stay up to date with more great specials and competitions Join the Bubs Baby Shop group on Facebook and follow us on Twitter .

Until next time,
The Team at bubs.