Activities to do with your tiny toddler 

Have a Tiny Toddler?

What the heck is a “tiny toddler” you ask?? I’m talking about a toddler that is between 12-18 months old, when they are walking and exploring but still very new to their world. Indoor and outdoor. The outdoors is still very new to them and this is where you can really allow them to take it all in. Your backyard, or the park, there is enough in just a small space for them to hear, smell, touch and see. The best thing with this age is that you have been waiting all year for your baby to be able to do their own thing, and now they can! Isabella is walking, she has her own pair of shoes, and she’s able to get out there and have new experiences. 

Outdoor

1. Nature walk: Whether it’s in the stroller or walking side by side, going out for a nature walk can be so much fun for your tiny toddler. They get to feel independent but still safe with you. And any kind of outdoor time means fresh air for both of you. Point out the trees, flowers, and birds that you encounter on your walk to help with vocabulary! There’s lots to see and talk about out there. 
2. Park: watching your tiny toddler discover a playground is one of the cutest things! Everything is so exciting to climb on and jump on, swings are always a hit, and getting to run around in a wide open space gives them freedom to burn off energy. Just be there to show them that they’re safe while climbing with you there and they will get a chance to learn how the jungle gym works. As your tiny toddler explores climbing, learning to trust themselves is a big milestone.
3. Backyard hose fun: On a nice warm day, cool water with the garden hose can be the best way to cool off and discover fun with water. The tickles of the spray on their arms and legs is like a whole new world for a tiny toddler. They usually only touch water at bath time. So play around with the different settings on your nozzle and let your child have some cold water fun. As they get older they like to be in control of the water as well. Jackson used to just spray down his toys and fill buckets, which would keep him busy for about an hour. 
4. Bubble chasing: Grabbing a big container of bubbles from the dollar store and blowing bubbles in the backyard make a great chase game. Trying to catch bubbles or pop them in the air is a fun way to burn energy and use play time outdoors. Every child loves bubbles! Even from the tiny toddler age. 
5. Water table: one of the best memories to make in the summer weather with your sweet tiny toddler is how they discover the fun of water that isn’t the bath tub. Playing with a water table and a bunch of toys that bob, sink and pour. Water tables can keep your child busy for a long time while spending time outside (in the shade preferably) so you can both play or you can watch your tiny toddler enjoy the water while you sit and read. If your backyard lacks in “high ticket” items, having a water table is all you need. Oh, and a hose! Need the water too! Here is a water table from Amazon, it’s not the most high end, but it’s the more affordable option: https://amzn.to/3yDGxNr

Indoor

1. Baby puzzles: your tiny toddler is learning to “put 2 and 2 together”. Not mathematically of course. I’m talking puzzles! Wooden puzzles are great, I love Melissa and Doug animal puzzles. They are easy to grab, colourful, and place easily into their spot. They even make animal sounds! It’s a learning trifecta, fine motor skills, animal names, animal sounds. Show your child how to put things where they go, and quickly you’ll see that they can do it themselves when they have independent play. Here’s my link to the Farm animal puzzle: https://amzn.to/3rM95QY. Here’s my link to the Wild animals puzzle: https://amzn.to/3BvhmfL
2. Stacking games: do you ever stack blocks for a tiny toddler and their immediate response to this is to knock it down? It’s every time.  But this is a good thing! It’s “cause and effect” and your child is learning this and realizing that the things they do have consequence. Very important life skill. But this is also super fun to bring blocks crashing down to the floor. Stacking any objects to find out how high they go, and how many things you can stack is a fun game for any child. Here’s my link for our favourite block set: https://amzn.to/3FZPz9h
3. Bath tub play: Get ready to be splashed! Tiny toddlers LOVE making splashes in the bath, and learning what all their tub toys do. Toys that pour, swim, squirt water, and light up give your child a new perspective on play. Let them explore these bath toys while you wash their hair, and then join in the fun by showing your tiny toddler what everything can do. Isabella loves the toys that let water fall out of different holes, creating a shower effect. Here’s my link for some bath toys: https://amzn.to/37QLsQe
4. Reading books: I’ve been reading to Isabella almost right from the newborn stage, so she welcomes any book that’s introduced to her. You tiny toddler loves to explore turning pages, and seeing the pictures on the book, just make sure these are board books. Isabella has ripped some paper pages in some of our books already. They can get massacred. We read books at nap time and bedtime, but many times during the day we grab a book to look at, and it keeps her interested for a few minutes. You’ll obtain many books in the first few years of your child’s life but check out the amazing resource of your Local Library for an endless book supply. Jackson and I used to walk to our library every week to check-out new books and it was a real part of our “to do list” all year round. It helped us find new books and not be bored with the ones we have at home. Once Isabella came along, we put the library visits on hold because it just got too busy and we resulted to our tablet for “stories read aloud” videos for Jackson’s bedtime. Check out Awnie’s House on YouTube if you want to try some books online. Now that Isabella is old enough to enjoy books with us, we’ve reintroduced the tradition of walking to the library and stocking up for the week. Also, find out the book limit your library offers and the amount of check-out time you have. Our library offers unlimited books for 3 week check-out, so we usually grab about 10 books to last us. 
5. Cleaning: yes. I said cleaning. That chore we all hate. But hear me out! Your tiny toddler is watching. Watching us in the kitchen, watching us on the toilet, and watching us clean. Isabella loves wiping things. She always manages to take out her wipes from her change table and I’ll catch her “wiping” the coffee table, the floor, her play kitchen, everything. That’s when I realized the most, I clean a lot! But no regrets! Cleaning is important of course, but it’s training our tiny toddlers that this is necessary and learning to clean up after themselves is apart of responsibility. Looking back, Jackson enjoyed the Swiffer, and the Swiffer duster. He would definitely use them the right way too! It becomes a fun activity and helps you out at the same time. Most importantly, your tiny toddler KNOWS they are helping you and that’s a big deal. It makes them feel important and useful. Plus, they want to be just like mama and daddy! Here’s my link for the Swiffer Dry+Wet sweeper starter kit: https://amzn.to/3FUSUpW

In conclusion, just have fun!