2-3 year old play ideas

[MarissaNicole]

I watch my cousin's little one and I feel like he has out grown the toys we have at our house. Looking for some good (cheap) inside play ideas. He is 2 1/2, he loves to color, help with chores (dishes, laundry, sweeping) and we have blocks. We have a few books, and he is really good at playing, but I feel like I don't have enough to play with him, keep him entertained.

[GreyhoundsRUs]

What about musical instruments? Clay or playdough? Duplos?

[MarissaNicole]

We have a couple of musical instruments (drum, maracas, tambourine) and he isn't too interested in them....

I didn't think of duplos because we have stacking blocks, but they only go one on top of eachother, and he seems to enjoy those, so I think he would like to be able to build more than a tower, I am going to look for some at Target today! I think I'll try the play doh too, but I'm a bit nervous about the messiness factor, but I have to get over it!

[diggitydot]

Might want to look at Moon Sand, too. It's kinda like a sandy play-dough, but doesn't stick to everything. Easy to wipe up.

[MrsK]

Acrylic paint, sidewalk chalk, glue and dried pasta, cars and trains, dress up clothes, balls...

[Michele]

Cars. Every surface becomes part of the terrain. Stack the blocks for tunnels/overpasses. The car can be the bowling ball and the blocks the pins. The blocks can be stacked and books propped up as ramps.

I haven't done it, but I like the idea I saw on pinterest of a gallon ziplock bag with a bit of paint in it, sealed with the air removed. Using a q-tip to draw pictures/shapes. Kai really likes to try to guess what I'm drawing and I remember Daegan being the same at his age (2.5-3y).

[Michele]

Kai only plays with the instruments when we play marching band, or if we try to play along with the music on the radio.

[L.Jane]

Cars. Every surface becomes part of the terrain. Stack the blocks for tunnels/overpasses. The car can be the bowling ball and the blocks the pins. The blocks can be stacked and books propped up as ramps.

This. Also, trains, planes,helicopters, space shuttles, construction vehicles, tractors... anything that goes.

[alison]

M likes to play with a doll. Initially we got her a doll around 15 months of age so that she would learn how to be gentle with our eyes (she always wanted to poke at mine) and get the hang of respecting other people's personal space. It has worked wonders. She loves to pretend that she's feeding her doll, which has given her a healthier relationship with her own eating habits. M also like puzzles, kicking/catching/throwing balls, playing with water, dress-up.

[Chrisada]

Make some homemade play dough with him. I literally just got done doing this with the 4 and 2 yr old, and they will sit at the kitchen table for hours playing. It's worth the extra sweeping under the table.

1 c. of flour
1/2 c. salt
1 tbspn. alum (in the spice section)
1 tblspn of oil
1 c. of water

Boil the water and mix into the other ingredients. Dye with food coloring. Oh and keep in the fridge.

[Vanquisher]

There's edible playdough too:

http://www.makeandtakes.com/edible-p...ll-want-to-eat

http://www.makeplaydough.com/categor...dough-recipes/

[MarissaNicole]

Target didn't have play-doh, only modeling clay? So we'll try making that next week!

I have a car and a motorcycle but he doesn't play too much with them. Maybe I should get a few more and make roads/bridges and see if that sparks his interest.

Outside we keep very busy, but I'm worried about inside with the weather changing. It also doesn't help that he hasn't been napping very well.

I think we just have a bit of an adjustment period since I didn't watch him much over summer.

[ladymoreta]

In our Target, the Play-Doh is in a different section than the modeling clay. Did you check in the toys, near the board games? Here, the modeling clay is around the stationary with the crayons.

[scrub-jay]

In our Target, the Play-Doh is in a different section than the modeling clay. Did you check in the toys, near the board games? Here, the modeling clay is around the stationary with the crayons.

This! It's in the toy section.

[MarissaNicole]

I couldn't find it with the toys, but I found the modeling clay over with the crafts, scrapbooking, school supplies.