Games Archives - Nannies and Mommies

Puzzles for Kids

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Puzzles for kids aren’t just a fun pastime; they are powerful tools for cognitive growth in children. From toddlers mastering their first simple jigsaw to older children tackling intricate 3D puzzles, this engaging activity offers many benefits.

12 – 24 Months Old

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Use around 3-10 pieces puzzles for babies. These chunky, colorful pieces are easy for little hands to grasp and manipulate, helping to develop fine motor skills. Use puzzles with a different, easily recognizable shape, such as a circle, square, or star, making them perfect for learning about shapes and colors. A great way to introduce young children to the world of learning and play.

Enhanced Cognitive Skills, puzzles sharpen problem-solving, critical thinking, and spatial reasoning abilities.

2 – 4 Years Old

Introduce more complicated puzzles that help develop fine motor coordination, hand-eye coordination, and problem-solving. Many puzzles also encourage language development by introducing colors, shapes, and animal names, while sparking imaginative play as children create stories around the completed scenes.

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Improved Fine Motor Skills: The intricate movements required to manipulate puzzle pieces refine dexterity and hand-eye coordination.

4 -6 Years Old

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As children grow, their cognitive abilities expand, and they are ready for more challenging puzzles. Puzzles for 4-6 year olds typically range from 12 to 48 pieces, offering a greater level of difficulty and complexity. These puzzles often incorporate educational elements, such as the alphabet, numbers, and simple words. They may also feature themes like animals, vehicles, or everyday objects, making learning fun and engaging. Puzzles at this age continue to develop fine motor skills, problem-solving abilities, and spatial reasoning. They also foster a sense of accomplishment as children successfully complete more challenging tasks.

Boosted Confidence: Completing a puzzle, especially a challenging one, fosters a sense of accomplishment and boosts self-esteem.

6-8 Years Old

By age 6-8, children are ready for a significant increase in puzzle complexity. Puzzles at this stage typically range from 48 to 200 pieces, demanding greater focus and spatial reasoning skills. Themes may include geography, history, or more intricate scenes from nature or everyday life. These challenges not only enhance cognitive development but also foster a sense of accomplishment and pride as children successfully complete these more demanding puzzles.

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Increased Patience and Persistence: Puzzles teach children the value of perseverance and the importance of staying focused on a task.

8+ Years Old

For children aged 8 and above, puzzles can become a captivating and intellectually stimulating activity. These puzzles 200+ , and more challenging puzzles. Stimulate their mind with advanced difficulty.

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Teen and Adults

Teen and adult puzzles for a mental escape. From detailed landscapes to complex 3D models, these puzzles demand focus, strategy, and attention to detail. Puzzles offers benefits like reduces stress, and sharpens cognitive skills.

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Thanksgiving Art Activities for Preschoolers

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Thanksgiving is a time for gratitude, family, and delicious food. It’s also a great opportunity to introduce to fun through thanksgiving art activities for preschoolers. Let’s explore some of our favorite ideas that you can do at home.

“Thankful Chain”

Create a meaningful Thanksgiving tradition with your child by making a thankful chain. Each day leading up to Thanksgiving, have them write something they’re grateful for on a strip of construction paper. Connect the strips to form a chain and share the heartfelt responses with your family on Thanksgiving Day. This simple yet impactful activity will foster gratitude and create lasting memories.

Material: Construction paper, Pen, Glue, Scissors

Dot Book

Introduce dot Art for Thanksgiving. From cheerful turkeys and mouthwatering apple pies to vibrant autumn leaves, pumpkins, and more, this coloring book will provide your little ones with hours of entertainment and focus!

Turkey Coffee Filters

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Materials: Coffee filters, Markers, Spray bottle filled with water, Toilet paper tube, Glue, Scissors
Instructions: Let your child decorate the coffee filter with markers and spray the filter with water to watch the colors blend and spread.
While the filter is drying, cut the toilet paper tube into the desired length and draw turkey’s face (eyes, beak, and wattle) .
Assemble the turkey by glueing the bottom of the toilet paper tube to the center of the colored coffee filter.

Your child will love watching the colors magically transform and creating a unique and colorful turkey craft

Decorate Corn

This simple and fun craft is perfect for preschoolers. Cut out a corn stripes from a yellow and orange construction paper and leaf shapes from green paper. Glue the leaves to the top of the corn and fill it with O’s – use appropriate colors (add as many as you wish) to create a Thanksgiving decoration. This activity helps develop fine motor skills.

Thankful Tree

Paint your child’s hands in beautiful fall colors like red, orange, and yellow. Press their handprints onto paper to create colorful leaves. Draw a tree trunk on the paper, and then glue the handprint leaves to the branches. Once the paint dries, write heartfelt messages of gratitude on each leaf. This heartwarming project is a perfect way to celebrate Thanksgiving and express thanks.

Thanksgiving art activities for preschoolers

Window Art

Create stunning sun catchers with our translucent leaf templates! Customize them with vibrant acrylic paints and add colorful beads for a dazzling effect. A fun and educational craft for kids! This kit encourages creativity, fine motor skills, and color recognition. Find it on Amazon

Wind chime

Create a beautiful fall windchime with your child! Paint beads (or include items that makes noise with wind blowing) in autumn colors like red, orange, yellow, and brown. String the painted beads onto a sturdy piece of twine or yarn, and tie the ends to a stick or branch. Hang your windchime outdoors to enjoy its calming sounds and vibrant colors.

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Sensory Toys for Kids

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Sensory toys for kids are more than just fun, they can be a supporting tool for a child’s development. They stimulate the senses, promoting learning, exploration, and calm. Whether your child is seeking sensory input or simply looking for a new way to play, sensory toys offer endless possibilities for fun and growth. Let’s dive into the world of sensory play!

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TOUCH:

Focusing on touch, using materials like sand, water, slime, or play dough. Or for little ones any fabric, surfaces with different texture. Think about anything that children can feel with their hands and explore through various textures. Get creative by mixing materials like rice into slime or freezing small toys in ice cubes. The possibilities are endless! Our favorite is kinetic sand – children can play hours with it!

SEE:

Think of the world of color and light. Explore the transformative effects of lighting and color as they shift and change. This experience promotes relaxation and focus, making it ideal for calming the mind or stimulating learning for children. Engage in playful exploration of light and color and support creativity and imagination. Our suggestion touch led lights for easier good night sleep. And for babies, explore Black and White baby books or flashcards.

Hear:

Let’s listen the sounds and music and create a powerful way to for calming and stimulating environment. This can include meditative music, guided sounds of nature, or even breathing exercises. While often used with babies, these auditory experiences can benefit children of all ages. Our recommendation, sensory toys for kids with auditory support: Use a breathing bear to help children with deep breathing techniques.

Smell:

You might need to do a little exploring with aromatic materials like herbs, spices, or essential oils is to engage the sense of smell. Not everyone likes them all but start with lavender, a popular choice for its calming scent. You can find lavender in many products but we also discovered a charming lavender-filled sloth that releases its soothing fragrance for children.

Chew and Taste:

For children who struggle with nail-biting, chewing on items, or clothing, sensory chew toys can provide a satisfying alternative. These chew toys can provide a safe and satisfying outlet for children who experience anxiety or stress. Explore chocolate chew sticks offers engaging option for oral stimulation, helping to redirect the urge to bite.

Mind

Mind sensory tools designed to teach children self-soothing techniques and promote emotional regulation. When mind is busy it is helping children manage anxiety and stress in very calming way. With their focus children are able to shift their mind in something that helps them cope. Our suggestion Mindful Maze Boards that help support children’s emotional well-being.

Also, check all fidget toys for children that improve children’s focus.

Movement and Balance

All activities that stimulate the vestibular system, such as swinging, spinning, and jumping, are excellent for improving balance and coordination. These movements also help develop spatial awareness and overall motor skills. Explore with us those balancing stones for sensory play – indoor or outdoor.

Body Awareness

Help children to engage in activities that require muscle control and body awareness, such as squeezing, pushing, or pulling to help children improve focus. These activities can also reduce anxiety, enhance sensory integration, and strengthen fine motor skills. You can try sensory squishy balls that are easy to release a pressure.

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Preschool Books Every Child Should Read

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Reading to your child is one of the most important things you can do to foster their development. It builds a strong bond, stimulates their imagination, and lays the foundation for a lifelong love of learning. While every child is unique and will enjoy different books, we created a guide of preschool books that every child should experience.

Why Reading to Your Preschooler Matters

Before diving into book recommendations of preschool books, let’s explore the benefits of reading aloud to your child:

Cognitive development: Stories help children understand the world around them, develop critical thinking, and problem-solving abilities. Imagination: Reading sparks creativity and allows children to explore different worlds and possibilities.

Language development: Exposure to new words and sentence structures expands vocabulary and grammar skills. Emotional development: Books can help children identify and express their emotions, building empathy and resilience. Bonding: Shared reading time creates a special connection between parent and child.

Preschool Books Every Child Should Read

Classic Tales:

Here are some beloved books that offer a solid foundation for young minds:

The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle: Introduces colors, days of the week, and the life cycle of a butterfly in a captivating way. Kids love naming all the food that the caterpillar eats and you can use it in very interactive way asking questions about what your child likes to eat or what healthy choices caterpillar makes.

Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown: A soothing bedtime story with gentle rhymes and capturing illustrations. Kids love to explore this book and find all little details in the room. Help them to notice different things in the room but very soon your child will tell you their favorite things from this book.

The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein: A poignant tale about unconditional love and friendship. Great book for children to learn about gifts and life lesson of unconditional love. It is also book that shows sadness with a lot of hope.

Funny and Engaging:

The Cat in the Hat by Dr. Seuss: A playful and rhyming adventure that introduces new words and sounds. Great for kids’ imagination and all the mischief adventures that cat will take you on. Allow kids to have them good laugh and recognize what behavior is right and what is wrong.

Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? by Bill Martin Jr.: Interactive and colorful, this book encourages participation and observation. Interactive and funny way how to have children recognize colors and animals. What colors the real animals are?

Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! by Mo Willems: A hilarious and relatable story that captures the preschooler mindset. Your children will have a lot of laughs and engaging moments with this book. Just don’t let that silly pigeon drive, you know he is sneaky!

Learning and Growing:

The Wheels on the Bus by Raffi: is more than just a catchy tune; it’s a supercharged learning tool! This vibrant book turns bath time, car rides, or quiet moments into fun-filled language lessons. Your little one will be clapping, singing, and learning in no time!

Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak: A fantastical journey that explores emotions and imagination. When dress up game turns into adventure and imagination. Max is the king of wild things and your child can share same adventure from their room.

The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats: A beautiful picture book that captures the magic of winter and wonder. With simple text that matches the bright pictures, it’s easy for kids to follow along and remember. Even the busiest toddlers can enjoy.

Remember: The best books are the ones that you and your child enjoy together. Explore different genres, authors, and topics to find stories that spark your child’s interest. Most importantly, make reading a fun and enjoyable experience!

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Indoor Birthday Party Activities for Kids

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Planning a birthday party indoors can be a challenge, but it doesn’t have to be boring! With a little creativity, you can transform your space into a fun-filled party zone. Whether you’re dealing with unpredictable weather or simply prefer a cozy indoor setting, this guide is packed with exciting ideas to keep your little guests entertained and happy. Get ready to unleash your inner party planner and create a memorable celebration. Get inspired with Indoor Birthday Party Activities for Kids.

Photo Booth

A photo booth is a great way to capture all the fun and laughter of your child’s birthday party. It’s also a great way to get kids to interact with each other and create some lasting memories.

Here are some tips for creating a photo booth for your kids’ party:

Choose a theme. This will help you narrow down your props and decorations. Focus on your kid’s interest – superhero, flowers, animals, trucks, dinosaurs, fairy, bakers, candy, etc.
Set up a backdrop. You can use a sheet, white wall a poster, or even a piece of fabric – avoid crazy patterns that do not photograph well.
Gather some props. This can include anything from hats and glasses to masks and signs.

Party Props

Encourage creativity. Let kids get creative with their poses and expressions. You can play a music and allow kids to move
Morden Trends: Get inspired by modern photo trends and create a personalized photo keepsake! Provide a simple paper box (you can put it sideway) or bucket and have each child climb in. Capture each photo and at the end combine all the photos together to create a unique and unforgettable party collage.

Create Obstacle Course

Use masking tape to create stations (you can use stepping stones) by setting out different challenges. For example, have kids hop over pillows, crawl under a table, or balance on a piece of cardboard. You can also set up a “target” for them to throw beanbags or stuffed animals. Don’t forget to add a fun twist, like requiring them to sing a song or tell a joke while completing a specific obstacle.

Stepping Stones

Freeze dance

Add a fun twist to the classic freeze dance game. Give each child a colorful scarf to dance with. As the music plays, kids can twirl, sway, and dance freely with their scarves. When the music stops, they must freeze in place, holding their scarves in a creative pose. For an extra challenge, try changing the music tempo from fast to slow, or give specific dance directions like “dance like a robot” or “be a ballerina.”

Treasure Hunt

Turn your living room into a treasure hunt. Create a map filled with clues that lead adventurers to hidden treasures throughout your space. Don’t forget for a treasure box! For an extra dose of excitement you can use backyard at night or just a small balcony (always think safety). Incorporate glow-in-the-dark elements or use flashlights to illuminate the path.

What’s in the Box?

Get ready for a sensory adventure with cardboard box, various textured items (like cotton balls, sandpaper, feathers, slime, or anything children will have fun touching.

Cut several small holes in the top of the cardboard box. Place a different item inside each hole, ensuring your child can’t see what’s inside. Have children to guess the items. Have fun and you can even create prize for a winner.

Decorate Own Cupcake

Set up a cupcake decorating station. Bake a variety of cupcakes in advance and arrange a spread of colorful frosting in different piping bags or bowls. Provide a selection of toppings like sprinkles, edible glitter, mini marshmallows, chocolate chips, fruits, or edible butterflies or other edible decoration. Let the kids unleash their creativity.

Donut on String

Tie donuts (Consider gluten free donuts as children have a lot of allergies) with a hole to a same length strings and hung them on a stick. The challenge? Eat your donut without using your hands! Watch as children twist and turn, trying to get to the donut off the string. Let’s see who has the skills (and the stomach) to be crowned the Donut Champion!

Hide and Seek

Let’s spice up the classic game of hide and seek! Once a hider is found they become a team seeker. Instead of being out, they team up with the original seeker to find the remaining players. Think of it as a growing search party! The last person found becomes the next seeker, starting a new round with a fresh team of helpers.

Or Try find and seek game and select cards that can be accomplished to find inside of the house.

Candy Race

A candy race is a fun and exciting activity for a kids’ party. The race can be set up with different stations, each with a unique candy-related activity. For example, one station could have kids create their own bracelets using colorful candy beads. Another station could have a giant jar of M&Ms, and kids could try to guess how many are inside. The winner of the race is the one who completes all the stations the fastest or with best guesses.

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Best Fidget Toys for Focus and Calm

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Fidget toys have become increasingly popular as tools to help people improve focus, reduce stress, and manage anxiety. These small devices provide an outlet for nervous energy, allowing the mind to concentrate better. Let’s explore some of the best options available.

Types of Fidget Toys

Fidget toys come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and textures. Here are a few popular categories:

Handheld fidgets:

These are small objects designed to be manipulated with the hands. Examples include stress balls, fidget cubes, and spinners. Fidgets provide tactile sensory experiences for children. These small, portable toys offer a calming and engaging outlet for young minds. By manipulating various textures and shapes, kids can focus attention, reduce anxiety, and enhance fine motor skills.

Press Bubble

Cubes

Spinner

Sensory fidgets:

These toys focus on providing sensory stimulation. Think slime, putty, or textured balls. Fidgets offer a fun and calming experience for kids. Designed to engage the senses, these toys can help children focus, reduce anxiety, and develop fine motor skills. Whether it’s the squishy feel of slime, the bright colors of a fidget spinner, or the calming sounds of a liquid timer, sensory fidgets provide a stimulating and enjoyable way to stay engaged.

Fidget Balls

Stringy Balls

Stress Balls

Other fidgets:

Any other sensory fidgets that you should know about. Other fidget toys offer a diverse range of options for kids. From desk-sized distractions like pop-its and infinity cubes to wearable fidgets like bracelets and necklaces, these toys provide endless entertainment and sensory stimulation. These options often incorporate educational elements, such as number or letter puzzles, making them both fun and beneficial for child development.

Tangles Sensory

Kinetic Spring

Spiral

Top Fidget Toy Picks

Fidget Cubes: With multiple sides offering different sensory experiences, from clicking buttons to rolling spheres, fidget cubes are a versatile choice.
Stress Balls: Squeezing a stress ball can help release tension and reduce anxiety.
Infinity Cubes: These mesmerizing toys offer endless twisting and turning possibilities.
Pop-its: The satisfying popping sensation can be incredibly calming and focus-inducing.
Sensory Putty: This malleable material provides tactile stimulation and can help reduce stress.

Tips for Choosing the Right Fidget Toy

Spring

Consider the Child’s needs: Are you looking for a fidget toy to improve focus, reduce anxiety, or provide sensory stimulation? Different toys cater to different needs.
Prioritize safety: Ensure the fidget toy is age-appropriate and free from choking hazards.
Experiment with different options: There’s no one-size-fits-all fidget toy. Try various types to find what works best.

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Easter Kids Activities

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Easter is a time for joy, family, and of course, excitement for the little ones! So, let’s get them hopping with fun and engaging Ester Kids activities that will make this Easter one to remember!

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The Classic: Egg-cellent Egg Decorating

This timeless activity sparks creativity and allows kids to personalize Easter eggs. Get messy with traditional dyes, paints, markers, or even glitter! You can also explore natural options like using onion skins or beet juice for vibrant colors.

This Easter try decorating eggs with:

Let’s Get Crafty

Craft time is a fantastic way to unleash your child’s inner artist.

Paper Plate Bunnies: Cut out bunny ears from construction paper and attach them to decorated paper plates for adorable bunny faces.

Sock Bunnies: Upcycle old socks into cuddly bunny friends! Fill them with rice or cotton, tie a ribbon around the “neck,” and add felt ears and googly eyes.

Egg Carton Chicks: Transform empty egg cartons into a charming chick family. Paint them yellow, glue on construction paper beaks and eyes, and add fluffy cotton tails for extra cuteness.

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Get Active: Easter Egg Hunt Extravaganza – Easter Kids Activities

An Easter egg hunt is a guaranteed crowd-pleaser! Hide eggs around the house, garden, or local park, and let the hunt begin.

Some fun ideas you might like

Add an educational twist by writing clues on the eggs leading to the next hidden one.

Create a bunny map with all hidden eggs

Count all the eggs and make your little ones count while they collect the eggs

Sensory Play: Exploring the Easter Basket

Fill a sensory bin with shredded paper, Easter-themed toys, plastic eggs, and colorful beans. Encourage your child to explore the textures, hide and find objects, and use their imagination to create Easter-themed stories. What a great Easter Kids Activities!

Bake & Decorate: Bunny-Shaped Treats

Bonding over baking is a perfect way to celebrate Easter. Use cookie cutters to make bunny-shaped cookies or cupcakes, and let your kids unleash their creativity with frosting and sprinkles.

Planting Seeds: Growing Joy

Get your kids excited about spring by planting seeds! Choose vegetables, herbs, or flowers, and let them experience the joy of nurturing life. This activity teaches responsibility and connects them to nature’s cycle.

Remember, the key is to have fun and create joyful memories with your little ones.

Happy Easter!

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Top Educational Toys for 2 Year Olds

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Educational toys for 2-year-olds can help them learn and develop in a fun and engaging way. When choosing educational toys for this age group, it is important to look for toys that are safe, durable, and appropriate for their developmental level. Toys that encourage exploration, problem-solving, and creativity are ideal.

Here are some of the top educational toys for 2-year-olds:

Learnabee – educational KIT

This complete learning kit engages 2-year-old boys and girls. It contains: Two durable, tear-resistant board books that teach concepts like manners, the alphabet, numbers, colors, and more. Flashcards that reinforce learning of colors, sounds, numbers, and letters. A fun, interactive matching game that develops logical thinking skills through gameplay.

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Stacking Cups

This colorful stacking tower provides visual stimulation for babies. Assembling the pieces helps develop organizational and motor skills.

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Lego Blocks

This toy has 85 colorful bricks with fun pieces like windows, cars, and numbered bricks. The variety stimulates kids’ imagination so they engage in continuous play and learning.

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Sensory Toys – Montessori

This toy develops alphabet knowledge to improve cognitive and communication abilities. It teaches dressing skills like using latches, clips, shoelaces and zippers. Kids build fine motor skills, finger dexterity and cognitive capabilities.

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Busy Board

This busy board lets toddlers play with latches, Velcro, gears, locks, zippers and more. They can explore fun, sensory activities in different colors. It helps cultivate cognitive skills, attention span, and learning abilities.

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Wooden Building Blocks

This set of 48 stacking rocks comes in a variety of colors, shapes, and sizes. This makes it a fun Montessori toy that helps kids learn about colors, shapes, balance, and stimulates creativity. It’s a great sensory toy for toddlers ages 1-3 that is easy to use but still challenging.

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Drawing Tablet

This is a great writing and drawing toy for keeping girls entertained. It’s portable so it’s handy in the car or at home. It helps grow kids’ creative abilities.

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Flash Cards

Children love learning with these 101 double-sided first words flash cards from Learnworx. The set includes animals, foods, household and outdoor objects, places, and more. The cards come in a high quality gift box.

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Speech Development Game

This interactive toy facilitates parent-child learning. Parents can use it to teach words, colors, fruits, which builds language skills and hand-eye coordination. It has adjustable volume levels. It’s a great sensory stimulation toy for autistic children.

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Top Educational Toys for 2 Year Olds

Wooden Tool Set

Kids tool set is a great way for children to develop their fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, and problem-solving skills. The fact that it is easy to assemble and disassemble means that kids can learn to use real tools in a safe and supervised environment.

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Musical Instruments

Playing musical instruments is a great way for babies to learn and grow in a variety of ways. It is also a fun and engaging activity that they will enjoy. There are a variety of different instruments available, so you can find one that is appropriate for your baby’s age and skill level.

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Color and Shape Sorting

Motor skills: The act of sorting the objects requires kids to use their fine motor skills, such as hand-eye coordination and dexterity.
Patterns: By following the patterns on the cards, kids can learn to identify and recreate different patterns.

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Express Emotions

Identifying and expressing emotions: The toy can help toddlers learn to identify and express different emotions, such as joy, anger, sadness, and happiness. This is an important skill for toddlers to develop, as it helps them to communicate their feelings to others and to regulate their own emotions.

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I hope you find the perfect educational toy for your 2-year-old. There are so many great options available, so you’re sure to find something that your child will love and learn from.

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Easter Art for Kids

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Happy Spring! I love this time of year! The weather, the blooms, the baby animals. It’s such a happy season! Spring always means that Easter is around the corner. Easter art for kids is always so colorful and adorable. Here are some top picks of Easter art for kids.

Easy Easter Art for kids

Eastern Eggs

Not every parent is a craft! These ideas are perfect for the busy parent who doesn’t have a lot of bandwidth to craft with their child. An added bonus– these Easter art ideas use materials that you likely already have in your home!

Easter Egg Pom Pom paint

Grab some construction paper and cut in an egg shape. Get out some paints and some little pom poms and let your little little Picasso get to work! If your little one doesn’t like messy fingers, you can use clothespins to hold onto the pom poms. This activity is great for building fine motor skills for younger children! credits: sassydealz.com

Pom Poms

Easter Bunny Craft

Goggly Eyes

For this craft you need a paper plate, some cotton balls, glue, and some white and pink paper for the bunny ears! First, have your child cover the paper plate in cotton balls.Then, cut out two ear shapes and tape to the back of the plate. Finally, brainstorm together some materials from around the house that you could use for whiskers and eyes. (Think:pipe cleaners, cotton swabs, yarn, goggly eyes, buttons, etc.). It’s always fun to see what our kids think up! This Easter art could also turn into a mask for kids! credits: simplytodaylife.com

Handprint Bunny

This handprint bunny is a super easy Easter craft for kids! And it’s also a great keepsake! Simply trace your child’s hand on construction paper, then cut out. Fold down two fingers to create the bunny arms, cut off the middle finger and voila – you have your bunny! Older kids will enjoy creating their own bunny faces, while younger children may need a little help. credits: www.onelittleprojectatatime.com

Footprint Carrot

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This footprint carrot is also a great keepsake! Kids love to look back at their art projects, especially ones where they can see just how much they have grown. For the footprint carrot you need paper orange, green, and white paper and orange paint. Have your child step in paint, or “paint” the bottom of their foot, then have them carefully step on the white piece of paper. Cut out the footprint and glue to orange construction paper in a carrot shape. Add some greenery on top. An adorable and easy Easter craft for kids! credits: craftymorning.com

Easter Art Projects

The following are Easter art ideas for kids that may be a little more time consuming, or require a two step process.

Easter Egg Rocks

This is a great art project that can keep giving and giving. First, go on a nature walk with your kids, looking specifically for egg shaped rocks. Then, it is time for some water play! Give your rocks a bath to make sure they are clean. While they are drying, pick out pastel colored paints. Choose a color to paint each rock entirely. Once the base color has dried, add designs in other colors! Use q-tips and small paint brushes to create fun and unique designs for each rock. Once the rocks are dry, they can be used as decoration, or can be hidden for an Easter Rock hunt! credits: www.projectswithkids.com

Rock Painting

Salt painted Easter Eggs

Egg Race

For this art project you need card stock, Elmer’s glue, salt, and watercolors. Draw an egg shape on card stock, including different designs on each egg. Trace over everything with glue, then add a liberal amount of salt, fully covering all of the glue. Allow to dry and gently dump off excess salt. Then dab on watercolor paint to color your eggs! The outcome is a beautiful, puffy looking art piece- a perfect addition to Easter decor for the season! credits: atteslilacsandlullabies.com

Egg Carton Hatching Chick

These cute little egg carton chick’s are super simple to make, plus a fun way to recycle egg cartons. Put goggly eyes on pom poms, add beak and feet. Cut egg carton for nest or chicken hat. Stretch this activity by filling these cute chicks with jelly beans or pastel colored m&m’s. Deliver the chicks to neighbors or friends in the area to get them in the spring mood. credit: craftymorning.com

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Egg Carton Chick Gift

Another cute little egg carton chick’s idea. Cut egg carton into small shells and glue two together and create cute chicks. Add beak, feet and fill with pastel colored m&m’s. Share the Easter love with the little cute carton Chick. Easy to make and fun to share. credits: practicallyfunctional.com

Edible Easter Art

The following are Easter art ideas for kids that may be a little more time consuming, or require a two step process.

Easter Bunny – Marshmallow craft

Draw a bunny on a paper. Trace a bunny drawing with glue and add marshmallows! A cute, easy, and yummy way to celebrate Easter with kids! Placing the marshmallows along the line is great fine motor skill practice for young kids, and you can guarantee they will be enthusiastic participants in this craft! credit: classymommy.com

Easter Bunny House

Easter House

We’ve all heard of gingerbread houses, right? This is an Easter version! Use Easter inspired ingredients to make a wonderful house for a peeps bunny! So fun and yummy too! credit: www.itsalwaysautumn.com

Easter Egg Rice Krispie Treats

Fun idea to make rice krispie treats and form them into an egg shape using a plastic easter egg coated with cooking spray! Hollow out the middle and add yummy treats in the middle of the egg krispie treat. credits: makelifespecial.com

Frosted Krispies

Bunny Lollipop

Lolly Pops

This is a super simple Easter craft turned treat for kids! First, grab a package of lollipops. Then simply wrap two together to look like bunny ears and add a bow and fluffy white cottontail (via a pom pom). Such a cute treat to pass to friends or share with classmates at Easter time! credit: www.smartschoolhouse.com

Religious Easter Art

Easter is an important holiday for those who are religious. A great way to help kids grapple with the Easter story is by engaging them in a tactile way. Easter art for kids that reflect the Easter story can be really powerful.

He is Risen

Materials needed for this craft are mainly paper, glue, scissors, a hole punch, and paper fastener. This is a craft that will likely need some parent support as it can be a little tricky to get just right. Find template: nontoygifts.com

Resurrection Garden

This Easter art project for kids recreates Christ’s tomb using some basic garden supplies and grass seeds. It’s a tangible and tactile way to discuss new life and growth. credits: sweettmakesthree.com

Easter Art for Kids and Parents too

Easter Egg Dye

(with natural dye colors made with everyday ingredients)

The ultimate Easter art activity for kids is dyeing eggs! Yes, there are tons of egg dyeing kits out there. And sometimes just buying the box kit is enough! But, if you have a few hours to kill, these Easter eggs dyed with natural ingredients like beet,onion, turmeric, hibiscus, cabbage, ad beet kvass are incredibly gorgeous. Plus- just think of all the learning your kids will get– food exposure, color mixing, etc. credits: mommypotamus.com

Egg Dye

Easter Egg Dye with Stencils

Spring Stencils

(Natural ingredients and flower stencils)

These Easter eggs dyed with natural ingredients and stenciled with flowers and plants are beautiful! Using flower stencils is perfect for the spring season. This is a great way to get our kids outside, in and interacting with the natural world. Enjoy! credit: nourishingmyscholar.com

Take what is useful, and leave the rest

Well-there’s the roundup of fun, different, easy, tasty Easter art for kids! Remember that these are suggestions for activities to set up for your child, but if this isn’t your thing, skip it! There are so many suggestions for ways we can “best” mother, and no one has time/energy/interest for it all!

Happy Spring, Happy Easter!

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Bolster Their Imagination with These 8 Indoor Play Games

CHILD, GAMES

Here are 8 indoor play ideas that you can try with almost any age. A few of them are classic games or activities you might have done as a kid yourself, but some are probably new. As you transform your home into a land of fun and imagination, they’ll practice their creativity and their motor skills.

Indoor play:

Freeze Dance

ECHO DOT for kids

You might have played this classic dance before! Play a song and stop the music every now and then. The kids must “freeze” in place whenever the music stops. You can have them freeze in silly poses or with funky faces.

Older kids might find this a little childish, and if so, you can put them in charge of music while you play with the younger ones. Play their favorite songs and together you can have a dance party!

Scavenger Hunt

Turn your house into a wonderland of hidden treasures. Choose something to hunt for, like a pattern, color or word around the house. Mark each item off on a list as they find them.

To add a little extra fun, you can have your kids pretend they’re a pirate, an adventurer or a princess stuck in a castle. You can even hide specific items around the house. Remind them of their favorite storybook with a secret letter or candy gold coins. Let theirs (and your!) imagination run wild!

Chocolate Coins

Yoga for Kids

Yoga for kids

You might think of yoga as something only adults can do, but yoga for kids is a great indoor play activity. It’s healthy for them to stretch, use their muscles, and practice calming breaths. You can find many great resources online, such as Yoga with Adrienne. Some online sites have yoga especially made with kids in mind.

Or you can do it on your own! Have them stretch out on a mat and practice some good poses, like downward dog or warrior. They’ll burn off some energy and hopefully feel relaxed and at ease.

Charades

Charades is fun for the entire family, no matter what age. There are many variations, but the classic way to play is to have one person go up front and pantomime a book, song, celebrity or activity. You can choose specific categories like sports or Disney.

The others must guess what the word is. First person to guess gets one point! For added fun, you can split players into teams and the first team to guess gets the point. Or you can set a timer and take turns. The possibilities for this indoor playtime are endless!

Charade for kids

Who Am I? Game

Headbanz

Similar to charades, this classic game can be played many ways. The most common way is to have each person write down a famous person on a post-it note. You can set a category like singers or Disney characters. For very small children who can’t yet read, you can also use pictures instead of names.

Then, have each person pass the post-it to the next player. Remember, it’s a secret! So they shouldn’t know what the post-it says. Then, each player will put the post-it on their forehead.

You’ll take turns. The first player will ask yes or no questions to figure out who they are, such as “Am I a boy?” or “Can they sing?” After they ask their question, it’s the next player’s turn. The first person to guess correctly wins!

Blanket Fort

Who doesn’t have good memories with a blanket fort? This is one of the most popular indoor play games and for good reason! Together, you can build a great space for reading, movie-watching or cuddling during your nap.

Choose an area with lots of space. You can build your fort around the couch, table or whatever you can find. To add some extra flair, you can make a theme, such as a pirate ship, spaceship or underwater cave. Add lights, pillows, snacks–and of course, blankets.

Blanket

Puppet Show

Puppets

Puppet shows might sound like a lot of work, but they don’t have to be! Use an old sock or wooden spoon and together you can decorate with paper, felt, googly-eyes and pipe-cleaners to create their very own little puppet. Again, you can choose a theme, like fairies, animals or spooky ghosts.

Then you can set up a puppet theater–two chairs and a blanket will do just fine! Put on a show for the family and let their imagination show on stage.

Mission Impossible Obstacle Course

Test your child’s spy skills by creating an obstacle course in your own hallway. For this indoor play activity, you’ll need crepe paper and tape.

Tape lines of crepe paper from one wall to the other. You can zig and zag them high and low.

Have you tried these indoor activities? Staying indoors doesn’t have to be boring. In fact, with these indoor play ideas, you can make memories that they’ll look fondly on when they’re older.

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