Toddler Games:
For Ages 2 - 3

Toddler Games for ages 2 - 3 can increasingly involve more complex skills. Here's some ideas for you to try at home.

The games below will also be suitable for younger toddlers. Every child is unique and so adapt each game according to the skills of your own child.

Toddler Games: Role Play

Toddlers often love to dress up and pretend to be mummies, daddies, princesses, pirates, power rangers, spiderman, etc. Try having a dressing up box with a few costumes and perhaps a little pushchair, dolls, a pretend cooker, shop and your child will be able to choose what he likes to do.

Some children will choose a particular character and will want to be that character most of the day! Your toddler is developing his imagination and by pretending to be someone else, he is stretching his own capabilities. Let him play, and join in, perhaps by buying something from his shop.

Toddler Games: Sticking and Gluing

As your toddler becomes more able to use glue and scissors, you could make a collage with your toddler. Choose pretty pictures to cut out, perhaps flowers, animals, trains, aeroplanes - whatever your child is interested in - and make some pictures. You can then make them into cards, or put them on the wall, make photo-frames, all sorts.

Whilst your child is making pictures he is developing his fine motor skills and developing his creative nature.

Toddler Games: Puzzles

Toddlers will begin to enjoy puzzles now and will be able to make simple jigsaw puzzles. There are lovely puzzles to choose from and you could choose a puzzle with a subject that your toddler is interested in. You can also buy puzzles that are made from photos - which is a fun and very personal way to make jigsaw puzzles fun and interesting.

Jigsaw puzzles will help your toddler develop problem solving skills, fine motor skills and will encourage your child to look carefully at what he is seeing so that he can match up the pieces correctly.

Toddler Games: Books

Children of all ages love books. Nowadays you have such a variety of books ranging from fabric and tactile books, books with music and noises, mirror books, pop up books, picture books, action books, and by the time your toddler is aged 2 - 3 he'll love being read to.

Take the time to sit down with your toddler and look and read books together. This will help your child develop a love of books which will really help with his own ability to learn to read, and by reading, he'll be able to enter into the wonderful world of both make-believe and fact.

Have a little bookcase is his bedroom so that he can pick a book to look at whenever he likes. Take your toddler to the library and choose lots of books to sit down and read through together.

Toddler Games: Beading

Children love to bead and make pretty necklaces. You can buy cheap sets of strings and colourful beads and your child can sit down and be absorbed whilst making a necklace for you. Beading helps develop find motor skills, concentration, and gives your child the opportunity to choose whatever colours he likes to make a masterpiece. Instead of beads you could also use pasta tubes or coloured straws which have been cut into different lengths.

Playdough and Modelling

Toddlers will love to make things with playdough. You can make your own (there's plenty of recipes online) or you can buy some. Alternatively use air-drying clay and your toddler will easily be able to make a little pot to keep little things in, or a candle holder. If you use clay you can decorate with it glitter or little plastic jewels. These make great presents for grandparents!

There are so many games and fun activities that you can do with your toddler or that you can provide for your toddler to do on their own or with alongside other children. Games and activities are there to be enjoyed. On some days your toddler will not want to do a certain game and when this is the case, offer other activities and try the game another day.