Unique Toddler Play Ideas You've Never Heard Of
The great thing about toddlers is that they are easily entertained with just about anything they can get their hands on. Wouldn't your toddler have a field day peeling apart a box of tissues one-by-one? The same toddler play activities you do day after day are fun for your toddler; however, it can start getting repetitive and tiresome for us as parents. If you're looking for a new way to play with your toddler, keep reading for some awesomely unique toddler play ideas you've never heard of, including how soap dough is going to be your child's new go-to!
Bubble Play They Can Do Themselves
As a toddler parent, chances are pretty high that you have a bubble jug and wand sitting on your porch, balcony, or backyard at this present moment. Chances are also pretty high that you get slightly aggravated every time your toddler wants to play with it! Here's why: It's messy, it's sticky, the parents get stuck with bubble duty, and while they love every second, it's just not fun for us.
What if there was a bubble wand that your toddler could use all by themselves?
The Spike Sensory Bubble Blower is toddler-friendly, meaning your little one can dip, twirl, and blow their very own bubbles. They will not only get so excited at the fact that they can finally do this all by themselves, but they will also gain confidence, independence, and speech skills along the way.
You can take it up another notch by setting up a canvas, dropping some food coloring or paint in the solution tray, and letting your child create some really awesome bubble art!
Chalk Play in a New Way
Toddlers and chalk go together like peanut butter and jelly! As parents, we love it because it can be great independent play, fine motor skill building, and super easy to clean up. However, you and your toddler might be getting sick of the same ol' same ol'.
A great way to take chalk play to new levels is to just add water, cornstarch, and a paintbrush!
Here's how to do it:
Grab some regular sidewalk chalk, a cheese grater, a few small containers (or a muffin tin), and some paint brushes. Grate about 1 inch of chalk off each large stick and add 1 Tablespoon of water to the now-powdered chalk. Tip: The large sticks are easier to grate than the small thin ones. (Source: Busy Toddler)
Once you've done this to a few colors, give your toddler a paintbrush and watch as they happily paint the fence, the house, the ground, and everywhere in between! And when you're done? Simply hose it all down.
Other ways you can enjoy chalk play are to create roads for your child's Hot Wheels, targets for your child's Nerf toys or simple balls, and to set up a hopscotch course for more fun!
Soap Dough Play
If your child loves dough play, you are well aware of how messy and unhinged it can get. Dough lodged in the rug? Check. Dried up dough sprinkled throughout the house? Check. Dough stuck under their fingernails? Check!
As fun as dough play can be for both toddlers and adults (admit it, you know it's fun!), it can be messy, smelly, and tough to deal with once playtime is over.
One of our favorite unique toddler play ideas is something you definitely have never heard of: Soap dough!
Imagine the same fun your regular dough play has, but once you add water, it becomes actual usable soap!
The perfect bath toy, the perfect sensory toy, the perfect water table toy, and the perfect independent play toy for toddlers is here. Soap Bubble Dough gives kids the squishy, creative play they love - then adds water and turns the fun into bubbly soap.
Play it dry for soft, moldable sensory play or bring a portion into the bath for a wetter, slipperier, bubblier experience. Kids can sculpt freely or press and pop cute soap shapes with the three spring-loaded EZ Soap Stamps.
Because it is soap dough, it is designed to lather and rinse with water after play. Wipe or gently work remaining residue as needed!