Activities for toddlers and babies
This theme explores various activities babies and toddlers may experience during summer vacation, for example when they are camping, at the beach, or on family bicycle rides. Note: Ask parents about their summer vacation plans and use them as inspiration.
Display pictures of different summer vacation activities on the walls of your daycare. Ask parents to share summer vacation pictures from previous years with your group and use them to create a special poster that can be hung at children's eye level.
ROUTINES AND TRANSITIONS
Applying sunscreen represents an important summertime routine that can become a fun activity for little ones. Use sunscreen to draw a smiley face on children's skin and encourage toddlers to help you rub it into their skin.
Provide tiny buckets or gift bags that toddlers will enjoy filling with items found in nature. Let them bring their findings inside (with supervision) and encourage them to empty the contents of their bucket or bag in a large bin to create a nature-themed treasure chest. Together, observe the branches, pinecones, flowers, blades of grass, and leaves they collected. Store the bin out of children's reach at the end of the activity.
SENSORY ACTIVITIES (look)
Insert several tiny items associated with summer vacations in empty plastic water bottles. If you wish, you may ask parents to provide items they have collected while on vacation (seashells, sand, pebbles, pressed flowers, etc.). Seal the caps with hot glue and let children manipulate the bottles so they can admire the different items.
SENSORY ACTIVITIES (taste)
Set colourful beach towels on the ground in your yard. Deposit a bowl filled with fruit or other snack items on each one. Invite children to sit on the beach towels to enjoy their snack.
ARTS & CRAFTS
At the farm
Encourage babies and toddlers to manipulate modeling dough. Add farm animal figurines. Have fun hiding the figurines in the modeling dough and pressing them in the modeling dough to create different impressions. With your group, make the corresponding animal sounds.
MORAL AND SOCIAL ACTIVITIES
Summer hat bin
Fill a large bin with a variety of summer hats: baseball caps, straw hats, bandanas, etc. Add sunglasses for older toddlers. Set your bin next to a mirror and invite babies and toddlers to explore the different accessories, try them on, and look at their reflection in the mirror.
Tents to explore
For this activity, you will need several small play tents. Set them up in your daycare or yard. Place different items in each tent. For example, one tent may contain books, another one can offer musical instruments, yet another one can hide different types of balls, while another one can be filled with stuffed animals. Let babies and toddlers go from one tent to the next to discover the items. Let them play with the items for as long as they wish.
PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND MOTOR SKILLS
Riding a bicycle
Many parents enjoy going on long bike rides with their child. Place babies and toddlers on their back on the floor and move their legs to represent a pedaling motion.
Inflatable pool toys
On a rainy day, inflate several toys that are normally used in pools and let children manipulate them indoors. Think of buoys, balls, swim aids, etc. Constant supervision is required throughout this activity.
Swimming pool reading activity
This activity requires a kiddie pool and several plastic-coated foam books. Simply deposit the books in your pool and let them float on the water. Let babies and toddlers discover and explore the books while sitting inside your kiddie pool (supervision required). Name the items on each page for little ones.
Early childhood educator
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