Toddler Activities

Leaf Shape Collage for Toddlers and Preschoolers

September 19, 2018 By Trisha

Is it feeling like fall where you are?

Fall is a great time to explore leaves. Add this leaf shape collage for toddlers and preschoolers to your autumn leaf theme.

It’s perfect for working on fine motor skills and learning shapes.

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Leaf Shape Collage for Toddlers and Preschoolers

This leaf activity can easily be modified to different ages and abilities.

For toddlers, you’ll want to prep everything ahead of time. They’ll be simply adding shapes to their contact paper leaves.

You can allow preschoolers to complete more of the steps on their own. Let them trace the leaves or cut out the paper shapes.

Materials Needed for the Leaf Shape Collage

Contact paper (find this near the shelf liners in the kitchen department)

Leaves (can use real, artificial, or printed on paper)

White paper (for tracing leaves)

Writing utensil (for tracing leaves)

Colored paper (can be printer paper, construction paper, scrapbook paper, recycled paper, etc.)

Scissors

Masking tape or painter’s tape

How to Make a Leaf Shape Collage

Start by tracing your leaves onto white paper.

Cut out the leaves and trace them onto contact paper.

I chose to trace them onto paper first because the paper is easier to work with than the leaves.

If you are tracing multiples of the same leaf onto contact paper, it will make it easier to use a paper template.

Cut the leaf shape out of your contact paper. Remove the backing and lay the sticky side up.

Use masking tape or painter’s tape to keep the contact paper leaf from moving around.

Next, cut small shapes from your colored paper.

You can use small paper punches or hole punches. Under supervision, this is a job for an older preschooler. Teach them how to use the punch safely and correctly.

Talk to your children about the paper shapes they see. Can they name the shapes? Now is a great time to introduce any shape names they are not familiar with.

What shape does he want to use first?

My toddler is currently in love with the color yellow, so he wanted a lot of yellow shapes on his sticky leaf.

He enjoyed placing each shape onto the contact paper.

Picking up those tiny shapes is awesome fine motor practice.

Once the leaves are finished, add another layer of contact paper sticky side down.

Then, cut out your leaf shapes.

While my toddler was busy adding more and more circles to his leaf shape collage, my 4 year old worked on punching stars and created two leaves. The bottom two leaves in the picture above were created by her.

My toddler was super proud of what he created, too.

If you had fun with this activity, you can find more fun and simple crafts for toddlers here. Have fun together!

More Leaf Themed Activities for Toddlers and Preschoolers

Leaf Name Sticky Wall – work on name recognition with a contact paper sticky wall

Go Leaf Collecting – make a bag to collect your nature finds

Make some Leaf Man Art – take your leaf collection and create some art

Make pretty autumn leaves and learn shapes with this fun fine motor craft for toddlers and preschoolers, a simple Leaf Shape Collage.

Fun Shape Toys for Toddlers

September 4, 2018 By Terri Thompson

Toddlers are like sponges, aren’t they?

They’re learning all the time. And, the best way for them to learn is through play.

So, when you’re looking for fun toys, it’s always great to buy a few educational toys that are also fun. These great shape toys for toddlers are all great learning tools and are also tons of fun.

Help your toddler learn while playing with one of these fun shape toys for toddlers. These puzzles and toys are all so much fun to play with.

If you’re looking for a fun toy for a toddler, check out one of these great choices. They’re all high-quality and safe for toddlers.

It’s time to play and learn!

Fun Shape Toys for Toddlers

Sometimes simple is best and this Classic Wooden Shape Sorter from Melissa and Doug is a great way to help toddlers learn shapes.

My daughter had a similar version of this Fisher Price Baby’s First Blocks Playset for her first shape toy. It’s fun and the carrying handle makes it easy to bring on the go.

This Shape Sorter from Green Toys is also a simple choice. I love the way this company always uses 100% recycled plastic in their toys.

Match shapes with these fun Shape Sorting Cupcakes from Learning Resources. This would also be a fun addition to a toy kitchen!

Also, these Shape Matching Cookies from Learning Resources are great for learning and for the toy kitchen.

Kids who love trucks will love this fun Shape Sorting Wooden Dump Truck from Melissa and Doug.

Or, they would also love this great Shape Sorting Concrete Mixer from TOP BRIGHT.

Make music while you learn shapes (and colors and numbers!) with this fun Learning Drum Set from Learning Resources.

Learn shapes and sorting with this Shape & Color Sorter from PlayMonster. Placing the shapes on the pegs is also great for fine motor skills.

This Geometric Shape Stacking Blocks from Revanak is also great for sorting, fine motor, and learning shapes.

The large shapes in this Shape Wooden Block Sorter from Hape is great for little hands and is the perfect simple learning toy.

Shape Puzzles for Toddlers

The knobs on this Shape Puzzle from Melissa and Doug make it easy for little hands and the house shape just makes it fun. This would be a great first puzzle for any child.

This simple shape puzzle from Melissa and Doug also has knobs and features eight different shapes.

These Single Insests shape puzzles are common in Montessori classrooms and would be great for home too.

This fun shape puzzle from Melissa and Doug has pegs instead of knobs which makes it perfect for older toddlers and fine motor skills.

Which of these shape toys for toddlers do you think your kids will like?

Backyard Color Match Game for Toddlers

August 17, 2018 By Trisha

Looking for a fun toddler activity to get them moving and learning?

Head to the backyard for an active color match game for toddlers. It’s a great way to learn colors while practicing gross motor skills.

Backyard Color Match Game for Toddlers

This toddler game is all about running around and having fun, so you’ll need quite a bit of space. We played the game in our backyard. It will also work inside as long as you have enough room to move around safely.

Supplies Needed

Colored place markers (one for each color you want to practice). We used large balls, buckets, and a cone.

Objects/toys of different colors. Make sure the color of these objects match the place markers. We had 2 of each color (one for each child). We used small balls, toy ducks, cups, etc.

How to this color matching game for toddlers

Spread the colored place markers (balls, buckets, cones, etc) around your playing area. The farther they are away from each other, the more running your kids will do.

Start by practicing the names of the colors.

Call out a color and have your child run to it.

Can you find the orange cone?

If more than one child is playing be sure to talk to them about how to touch the place markers. (My toddler wanted to pick everything up.)

Say: “Run to the green bucket and touch it with your hand.”

Once you have named all of the colors, it’s time to introduce the color matching.

Ask your child to choose a small toy. Then, ask him its color. “What color is the duck?”

Have your child take the toy to the matching colored place marker. “Can you take the yellow duck to the yellow ball?”

Get your little ones moving with this fun Backyard Color Match Movement Game for Toddlers. They'll run, have fun, and learn a lot!

Continue matching the small objects to the place markers.

Be sure to say the colors each time.

Backyard Match Game for Toddlers #2

Ready to mix it up a little? Our second game practices colors and following directions. Once you’ve finished the color match game, try this one. Leave all of the toys matched up.

The goal of game 2 is to move the toys around.

Call out a color and a toy. Then name a colored place marker. “Can you place the green frog on the pink bucket?”

The game practices colors and following directions.

You can also use it to practice positional words like on, in, next to, etc. “Can you place the blue duck next to the orange cone?” “Put the pink ball inside the green bucket.”

My recommended toddler activity resource

t’s so beneficial to have fun activities to do with your toddler. My friend Jamie from Hands On As We Grow has got a great free 7-Day Toddler Activity Challenge. You’ll have fun and make memories with these age-appropriate and simple activities. They’re the best! You can follow this link to sign up for the FREE 7-Day Toddler Challenge.

Join our community for fun family activities

Join our fun Facebook community, Creative Family Fun for Busy Families, for daily activities that are great for kids and families. We’ll chat, share, and have fun. It’s a safe and private place to share ideas for family and kids activities.

I’d love for you to join me! Just click the link below, request to join, and answer the questions (they’re easy, I promise). Come join the fun! Join the Creative Family Fun for Busy Families community here.

Outdoor Shape Activities for Kids

June 2, 2018 By Terri Thompson

Whenever the weather is nice, it’s always so much fun to take your learning outside.

You can play, explore, and learn all at the same time.

These fun outdoor shape activities for kids are great ways to play and learn with your toddlers and preschoolers.

Your ides will be having so much fun, they won’t even realize how much they are learning.

Toddlers and preschoolers will love learning outside with these simple and fun Outdoor Shape Activities for Kids. Learning can be so much fun!

Get moving, explore nature, and get creative with all of these fun ideas.

They’re perfect for anytime of the year and a great excuse to get outside and learn with play.

Fun Outdoor Shape Activities

Learn shapes with a fun sidewalk game when you play our version of Shape Hopscotch.

Find your way through our Driveway Shape Maze and learn all about shapes as you go.

Grab a camera and hunt for shapes when you go on our fun Outdoor Shape Hunt.

Get your wiggles out by Running Circles and other shapes with our fun driveway game.

Explore big shapes by measuring, walking, and creating them with your body with this geometry game from Simple Play Ideas.

Create shapes with rocks with this fun idea from Mrs. Plemons’ Kindergarten. (You’ll find several other cool rock ideas in this post too!)

Play in bubbles with this bubbly water shape sorting game from Fantastic Fun and Learning.

Find and erase shapes with water with this fun activity from Hands On As We Grow.

Build shapes with acorns with this simple idea from Creative Little Explorers.

Use nature treasures to create shapes with this fun activity from NurtureStore.

I don’t know about you, but I’d love to do all of these outdoor shape activities! Which ones do you think you’re going to try with your kids?

You may also enjoy one of these other fun outdoor activities:

10 Fun Walk Ideas for Families

Driveway ABC Game

Silly Races

You can find all of our toddler activities at this link.

My recommended shape resources

It’s so much fun to learn shapes through play. You can play these fun outside games or try one of these great shape toys for toddlers. Here are a few more playful ways to learn shapes:

Do more fun activities with your kids

Simple and Fun Activities for Toddlers

May 24, 2018 By Terri Thompson

What can you do with your toddler? There are so many things!

Over the years, we posted about many fun activities for toddlers. We’ve got crafts, sensory play, outdoor play, and holiday ideas. You’ll definitely find many fun ways to play with your little ones.

Have fun with your little one with these fun activities for toddlers. You'll find crafts, sensory play, outdoor play, holiday fun, and lots of great toddler play ideas.

If you’re looking for simple fun, I’ve got you covered. These activities are all easy to set-up and easy to do. You’ll love them as much as your kids do.

Keep scrolling for all the activities or jump ahead to your favorite category: