Easy Play Ideas
It’s been a tricky week at our house. I’ve still been recovering from some surgery at the same time we all came down with a sickness bug – not a good combination! So, this week’s idea involved no preparation. We finally started to feel a little better and when we eventually made it downstairs Floss was excited to see a parcel had been delivered in a HUGE tube, I was pretty excited too. Time for simple toddler play ideas.
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I’m not kidding, this tube is bigger than me. If you don’t have a tube you could use an old cardboard box to have a go at making your own tube with a bit of tape. These ideas were great as I could sit down and not have to move, but kept little one entertained for ages. We’ll be keeping the tube out for a while! UPDATE – one year on and we still have the tube – brilliant!
Ball Run
We collected up some of the balls in the house and had a go at putting them down the tube while one end was resting on the sofa. She was really intrigued by the noise and there was genuine surprise when it popped out the other end and a look of sheer delight filled her face! Some balls were too big to go down so it was a great opportunity to talk about size comparisons.
Older children could use a stop watch and time how long it took the balls to come out or measure how far they travelled out of the tube. Which type of ball goes fastest? Which one goes furthest? Why? What would happen to the speed or distance if you changed the angle of the tube? These would all be good starting prompts.
Car Ramp
We sent some cars down the tube. It took Floss a couple of goes to realise that the cars only travelled if they were the right way up. DadDad then got involved and decided that a ramp would be fun! So then the cars would take off as they got to the end. Oh yes, it was lots of fun. Again the prompts from the ball run could be used as an investigation for older children.
Climbing Frame
Floss came up with this one while the tube was still resting on the sofa. She started to have a go at stepping over the tube at different heights and the further up she got the trickier it was. She then had a go at trying to pull herself up the tube, slide down the tube and crawl underneath. Great gross motor skill development going on there.
Echo Listening Tunnel
The sound our voices made when we talked into the tunnel made us all giggle. We made animal noises down the tube, which Floss loved. She really enjoyed listening and found it strange that Moma and DadDad’s voices sounded like they were coming from somewhere else. We sang songs and said favourite words.
Telescope
A different view is always exciting. It may not magnify, but for a little one it’s still magical looking through a tube that gives them a different view than they are used too.
Floss loved looking at our faces through the tube. She then went off and came back with a little tube that she started looking around the room with herself. I think we might have a go at decorating her little tube next week and read ‘Shark in the Park‘ by Nick Sharratt – Timothy Pope and his telescope.
Check out this toddler fine motor play ideas post here.
As always, I would recommend adult supervision with activities and take care to ensure the items you are using are suitable for your child in both age and development. The views expressed are my own. If I have been sent a product for review then I will state this is the case; my review will be my honest opinion.