by If you have a toddler at home, life’s never dull. Keeping up with your little ball of energy isn’t easy, but knowing how to keep them occupied makes a world of difference. Kids aged two to five have a lot of energy and crave plenty of physical activity. It can help them grow stronger, healthier, and more agile. Plus, it keeps them entertained and develops personality traits like resourcefulness and courage.
There are many options to try out when you want to encourage your precious little boy or girl to exercise. Read on to find out some of the best games that engage your toddler both physically and mentally, as recommended by the experts at Uptown Jungle North Las Vegas.
Animal movements
Moving around and learning about animals are two things toddlers love, so why not combine them in one easy-to-understand game. Tell your child to walk like a penguin, crawl like a snake, hop like a bunny, and run like a horse. To make it even more fun, they could also try making animal sounds as they do so.
Simon says
This is a timeless classic that never fails to entertain kids. It’s both simple to play and very versatile. You can give any commands you want to add a new flavor to the game every time. You can make it as funny or as challenging as you wish, depending on your and your child’s mood.
Hopscotch
Here’s another popular game that never gets old. Depending on whether you’re playing it indoors or outdoors, use chalk or painter’s tape to draw the grid for the kids to use. After they learn the basic rules, you can get creative with them and change them up a bit to keep the game fresh. For example, you could time them to see who completes the game first.
Scavenger hunt
Hide the treasure around the house and let your little ones look for it. Plan everything out beforehand, draw pictures for every clue, and of course, don’t forget to prepare prizes that will make them even more excited to play.
Dance-off and freeze
Have a nice family dancing session to your favorite tunes and spice it up with a cool game. In it, children dance while the music’s on. When you stop the music, they have to stop moving (“freeze”) and stay in this position until you play it again. Doing cool things like these together from an early age will establish an excellent foundation for your parent-child bond.
Ball games
There’s a huge variety of things you can do with a ball, from bouncing it off the ground or a wall to throwing it through a hoop or bowling with empty soda cans and water bottles. Other ideas include playing goalie, throwing or rolling the ball to each other, or trying to get it into a basket. The options are endless and you can adjust them to your child’s specific preferences.
Chased by a monster
Kids love monsters, especially if they’re sure they’re benevolent and friendly ones. In this game, you’ll be the monster who chases them and they have to run and hide. Make sure your monster isn’t scary – it could be running after them just to give them a hug and a kiss. You can switch the roles later for a bit of extra fun!
Egg-and-spoon relay races
This game is a great way for your toddler to practice precision, balance, and dexterity. Since a real egg could easily break and make a mess, get a plastic one instead. Put it in a spoon and let them carry it to the finish line as fast as they can.
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