Fun ideas to keep your toddler entertained

We've put together some exciting activities that you can do with your little one!

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If you’re stuck for ideas to keep your tot busy, take a leaf out of Deborah Alter-Rasche’s book.

The primary school teacher and mum-of-two from Learn With Play At Home shares her top activities based on simple household objects…

Contact paper…

…makes an excellent, mess-free surface for creative fun. Cut off a piece and stick it (with the sticky-side facing out) to a table, window, door or easel.

Once it’s in place, peel off the protective backing and provide your child with a range of items to stick on it. Materials such as bottle tops, craft sticks, string, leaves, puzzle pieces, pompoms, matchsticks, paper, foil and cupcake cases work well.

Mix and match the materials to provide your tot with a new experience each time.

Rocks…

…are an inexpensive and tactile play item for children.

We love the large river rocks that you can buy by the kilo in the garden section of many shops. Store them in a large plastic tub and pull them out alongside dump trucks, little shovels and lots of containers.

They also make great additions to buildings and play scapes with toy animals. You can even paint them or add googly eyes to make pet rocks!

Zip-lock bag painting…

…is a fun and easy way to paint, create and mix colours without the mess.

Squeeze paint into a large zip-lock bag, with or without a piece of paper inside it. Seal it up and add some extra tape along the top for good measure.

Place it on a table or stick to a window and let your child swirl and move the paint inside the bag around into different patterns and shapes.

Maria Van Carter