7 Fun Activities For Toddlers 18 Months
Besides the obvious “baby snuggles with mama” and “eating pureed peas,” there are plenty of fun activities to share with your 18-month-old. In fact, you can still have fun while parenting!
One of these activities is enjoying the outdoors together, which improves our toddler’s health and gives us all a chance to breathe some fresh air—and it doesn’t hurt that most toddlers love being outside.
Here are some other ways to enjoy each other’s company when we’re not playing blocks or trying to spoon-feed oatmeal.
Pounding in a toy piano
This activity is great for toddlers who love to bang on things, and it’s fun for you too. If you don’t have a toy piano or real piano in your home, use other musical instruments like drums.
Your toddler will enjoy pounding different notes in different rhythms to create music!
You can even try singing with your child as they pound away on their instrument of choice. You’ll both be developing language skills while having fun together!
Dumping out boxes of macaroni
Dumping out boxes of macaroni is one of the most fun activities for toddlers. Toddlers love to do this because it’s fun and free.
Toddlers also love eating macaroni. So if you’re going to go through the trouble of buying a box, be sure not to open it before you start dumping it out on the floor!
Toddlers will love this activity because they get to eat some delicious macaroni while playing with their friends who have also been invited over by their parents so they can all participate in this game together (which is called “dumping out boxes,” although technically there’s no real objective other than getting it done as fast as possible).
Reading books with flaps for peeking
I love the suspense of not knowing what is underneath the flap, and it is always a fun surprise. I also love how interactive it is, and it makes reading more fun.
Reading books with flaps for peeking is a great activity for toddlers. It helps them develop their concentration, imagination, social skills, language skills, problem-solving skills, and memory.
It’s also good for their fine motor skills and gross motor skills.
Stacking cups (without the toddler-tantrum aftermath)
Stacking cups is one of the most popular toddler activities. In fact, it’s sort of a rite of passage for little ones to learn how to stack these colorful cups and knock them down again.
But if you’re like me and have been frustrated by your child’s inability to understand the rules of this game (namely. don’t knock down other people’s towers), here are some tips for making stacking cups more fun for everyone involved.
Safety first! Stacking cups can be incredibly dangerous—I’ve seen kids get hurt by them before—so make sure that yours comes with some kind of protective lid or shelf that prevents little fingers from going under the cup when it falls down.
How do you stack them? I’m assuming you’ve already tried this at least once with no luck whatsoever, so let me help out: The safest way is probably on top of something sturdy like a table or chair so there will be no chance they’ll shatter on the floor later on; otherwise, go ahead and try it without any safety precautions in case they decide they don’t want their tower anymore anyway.
Make it fun! Add some music while they build their towers; give them stickers or markers so they can decorate each individual cup as well as themselves afterward. What happens when something goes wrong? Don’t worry about being embarrassed—if one falls over just pick up all those pieces together with your toddler helper using gloves if necessary and start over again until everyone gets tired out enough so everyone’s happy!
Make it into a game! Set up some sort of obstacle course where each contestant has only one chance per turn (no cheating allowed!) such as jumping through hula hoops placed strategically throughout an obstacle course consisting entirely out
Putting shapes through the right holes
Let him put shapes through the right holes. It’s a fun way to teach your toddler shapes and colors, as well as patterning and fine motor skills.
You can use any shape or object that fits through the hole, but if you have them around, try using shapes that your toddler already knows (like round pegs for circles).
This activity also helps with understanding cause and effect: when you put a shape in a hole, it comes out on the other side!
Taking the dog for a walk
Taking the dog for a walk is always fun, especially when you stop and play with him every few feet.
If it’s too cold to go outside, take the dog to the park or the beach or even just around the block inside your neighborhood. because he’s not a big help on his own yet.
And if it’s too hot, then get an ice cream cone and take him to the river (if there is one nearby).
Mowing the lawn with his toy lawnmower
First things first: the toy lawnmower should be one that your toddler can push around on his own. If you don’t have one, ask your local toy store or catalog to recommend something durable and appropriate for a toddler.
That way, he can get some experience with pushing himself in a forward motion without anybody else involved—and if he’s old enough for preschool or daycare, this will also help him practice walking skills.
Next, let’s talk about what kind of help you want from your child. It’s important not only that your child is safe from any danger (no running into the street during mowing) but also that he feels like he has an active role in the process of cutting the grass so he doesn’t feel left out by watching Daddy do all the work! Keep an eye on him at all times when using power tools such as lawn mowers and weed eaters; keep him nearby if possible so that if anything happens quickly enough (like running into traffic), you’ll be able to grab him before any harm comes to him.”
You can still have fun while parenting!
It’s important to remember that you can still have fun while parenting. And it is important to ask for help when you need it!
You’ll find that the more time you spend doing things your children are interested in, the easier they will be to parent and the better their behavior will be.
Conclusion
So, while these seven activities are a great way to get you started and fill up your day with playtime, that doesn’t mean this is the only way to have fun with your kids! What can we say? Parenting is about getting creative and finding new ways to spend time with your kids every day. And when you’re not playing, don’t forget that letting them be independent from time to time (and washing some toys in hot soapy water) can go a long way toward keeping their minds active and healthy.
