7 Great ways to keep your toddler busy

The toddler’s age is such that you need to be with them all the time. They understand very little and are a powerhouse of enthusiasm. Often by the end of the day, mothers feel depressed and drained by the meal-poop-sleep routine. One way to ease this feeling of being restricted by your child is to use our toddler time creatively. You can keep any active toddler busy with these great ideas:

1. Flashcard fun

Flashcards are image cards, one single image in a prominent size, colorful, on a thick paper. As you flash them one after the other in front of your toddler repeatedly, they learn and retain better. Also, because it is an image they can correlate it later on.

2. Better with blocks

Wooden block puzzles of animals, transport, national symbols, fruits, vegetables, shapes and many others. You also get puzzles with a cap on the puzzle piece that the toddler can hold. Once s/he fits it on, you clap and encourage them, or else have them observe as you put it on the board, since their gross motor skills are not that developed yet.

3. Have a ball!

A Ball is a magical toy - you can teach them to catch, to kick, to hit, to throw, to bounce. One ball and there are so many ways of using it to play both indoors and outdoors. It enhances their concentration and leads to a better grip.

4. Greet the outside world

Give them a glimpse of the world outside home and they are very happy. A car, people, dogs, rain, swings, children playing – they love watching all this. In fact unknowingly they feel they are a part of what is going on and are amused by it.

5. Listen and learn

My 2-year-old son loves animals and I have an animal CD that runs for 45min. I play this CD when I am busy and he does not bother me at all, at the same time he observes, listens and learns. Early exposure to this medium makes them take interest in the subject.

6. Keep it simple

Body parts, colors, and items around the house – toddlers are a curious lot so you could start by teaching them about their immediate surroundings. You do not need any material for this, only you and your toddler, and you can playfully engage him/her in learning basic things.

7. Make some music

If you observe a toddler, they bang, they break, they hit hard, why? The sound thrills them. Why not give them a musical instrument like a tabla or a xylophone or a small piano so that they play the instrument and pass their time rather than damaging household items. Also if you are occupied elsewhere, till the time you can hear the sound of the instrument, you can relax knowing that s/he is not upto any mischief!

The child may or may not learn, but as a parent you will feel productive that you fed his/her curiosity in an intelligent way. There is a strong chance that your toddler may develop an interest in a particular activity and that may actually free up some time for you while s/he is occupied.

Did you find Neha’s tips to keep your toddler engaged useful? How do you keep your little one occupied at home? Do share your experiences and learnings with us in the comments section below. We love hearing from you!