Sit with her and look through old magazines for numbers. Ask her to point out numbers when she sees them, the bigger the number the better (I don’t mean high numbers, but numbers that take up a lot of room!)

When you find a number, get her to cut it out carefully with child’s scissors.

When you have a pile of numbers, arrange them on a piece of paper and glue them down.

Count the numbers, see which ones you have missing. Which numbers are which? Talk about which numbers you can see.

More number fun

You can download these numbers here. Please print them out.

Your child can colour them in, cut them out or practice their numbers with them.

You can download this clown here Please print him out.

Your child can colour him in, count the balls, write numbers in the balls, or colour them in.

This list below was sent to me by my health visitor. My son can do much better than some of them, and struggles with others. It is a good quideline though…  

Stages of Development of a 3 year old

Posture and large movements

• Can walk up and down the stairs, jumps from bottom step
• Climbs easily
• Turns round obstacles and corners while running
• Walks forwards, backwards and sideways
• Rides a tricycle using the pedals
• Can stand and walk on tiptoe
• Can throw a ball overhand, catches a large ball on or between extended arms
• Kicks a ball

Vision and Fine Movements

• Builds a tower of 9-10 bricks high
• Threads large wooden beads onto shoelaces
• Holds a pencil in preferred hand, copies a circle and a cross.
• Can draw a man with a head and one or two features
• Names and matches 2 or 3 primary colours
• Cuts with children’s scissors

Hearing and Speech

• Gives full name, sex and sometimes age
• Carries on simple conversation,
• Able to briefly describe present and past experiences
• Asks questions – Who?, Where? What?
• Listens eagerly to stories and demands favourites
• Knows several nursery rhymes to repeat and sometimes sing
• Counts up to 10 or more

Social behaviour and Play

• Eats with a fork or spoon
• Washes hands but needs adult supervision in drying
• Can pull pants and knickers up and down, but needs help with buttons and other fastenings
• Toilet trained through the day, sometimes has accidents
• Likes to help adults with domestic activities
• Enjoys floor play, with bricks, boxes, toy trains, dolls, prams
• Make believes alone or with other children
• Understands sharing
• Shows affection for younger siblings
• Shows some understanding between past present and future, ie yesterday, today and tomorrow

Great value books on toddler and infant development

This is a really quick and easy craft idea. 3yo loves making this crown. It is really versatile as it can be made for a special occasion like Christmas, or just for fun with any odd bits of paper or card. Cutting out pictures from magazines looks good. As does painting the crown all different colours.

Here is a step by step guide to making the paper plate crown – which we made here as a festive Christmas Crown.   You will need:

1. Paper plate
2. Scissors

Then for decoration, either paint, or coloured paper/card and glue.

Glitter, tinsel, feathers, or leaves, could be used as well.

First start off by making your crown…

Now you are ready to start decorating!

1. Take a normal paper plate
2. Fold it in half
3. Cut from the middle of the folded part towards the edge, like pizza pieces.
4. Fold the pieces back to make a crown
5. Try it on for size!
6. Start sticking coloured paper, leaves, glitter, anything – onto the triangles
7. Add as much or a little onto your crown
8. You should now have a colourful crown

All it needs…  is little more bling – as it is Christmas we added some tinsel.

I am already imagining everyone sitting down to Christmas dinner, wearing these hats!  I like making this crown, as the variations are almost endless. Toddlers love making things and they can do almost all of this themselves. Cutting the paper plate with scissors, is the only bit I take total control of!

Great crafty idea from Ang at www.amumssurvivalguide.co.uk Thanks Ang!

If you enjoy art and craft ideas for kids try:

Remember, it is never too early to start reading to your child.

You can view and print the PDF ebook for FREE
A-Z Popular Nursery Rhymes

Nursery Rhymes in our FREE PDF ebook are:

• The Alphabet Song
• Baa, baa, black sheep
• The big ship
• Bobby Shaftoe
• Christmas is coming
• Dance to your Daddy
• Doctor Foster
• Five little speckled frogs
• Frère Jacques
• Georgie Porgie

• Good night, sleep tight
• Goosey, goosey, gander
• Grand Old Duke of York
• Here we go ’round the mulberry bush
• Hickory, dickory, dock
• Higglety Pigglety, my black hen
• The Hokey Cokey
• The house that Jack built
• Humpty Dumpty
• Hush-a-bye, baby

• Hot cross buns!
• I Hear Thunder
• If You’re Happy and You Know It
• I’m a Little Teapot
• I was going to St. Ives
• Incy Wincy Spider
• I had a little nut tree
• I see the moon and the moon sees me
• It’s raining, it’s pouring
• Jack and Jill
• Jack be nimble

• Jack Sprat
• Knick, knack, paddy whack
• Ladybird! Ladybird!
• Little Boy Blue
• Little Jack Horner
• Little Miss Muffet
• Little Polly Flinders
• London Bridge
• Lucy Locket
• Mama’s gonna buy you a mockin’bird
• Mary had a little lamb

• Mary, Mary, quite contrary
• Monday’s child
• The North wind doth blow
• Old King Cole was a merry old soul
• Old Macdonald had a farm
• Old Mother Hubbard
• One for sorrow
• One, two, buckle my shoe
• One, Two, Three, Four, Five
• Oranges and Lemons

• Pat-a-cake
• Pease pudding hot
• Peter, Peter, pumpkin eater
• Polly, put the kettle on
• Pop Goes the Weasel
• Pussycat, pussycat, where have you been?
• The Queen of Hearts
• Ring-a-ring o’ roses
• Row, row, row your boat
• See, saw, Marjorie Daw

• She’ll be comin’ round the mountain
• Sing a song of sixpence
• Ten Green Bottles
• There was a crooked man
• There was an old woman who lived in a shoe
• This little piggy went to market
• There was an old lady who swallowed a fly
• Three blind mice
• Three little kittens
• Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Sailor

• Tom, Tom, the piper’s son
• Twinkle, twinkle, little star
• Wee Willie Winkie
• What are little boys made of?
• The Wheels On The Bus
• Yankee Doodle

Remember – you can download the PDF for FREE

Download A-Z Popular Nursery Rhyme ebook

All you need to view it is Adobe Reader, if you don’t have this already you can download it for free.

Download Adobe Reader

You’ve forgotten what sleep is like and you’ve ran out of energy – but you toddler is still going…. ideas to keep them occupied.

Toddlers are demanding – there is no way round it! However, they can be an utter joy and being part of their young lives is a privilege and an honour.  Sometimes though, you need a hand thinking of new things to do to keep them entertained.

I know sometimes we all need a hand thinking of new things to do… I have put together a PDF of things you and your baby can enjoy together.

You can view and print the PDF ebook for FREE
Toddler activities – ways to keep your youngster entertained

I have included the following ideas:

Water Games

• Sink or swim
• Washing up
• Bubbles

Indoor fun

• Follow my leader
• Tunnelling fun
• Household help
• Measure this measure that
• Bubbles
• Indoor Olympics – or sports day!
• Puppets
• Indoor Toddler Hopscotch!
• Tickle Wheel!
• Let’s pretend
• Hide and seek
• Cardboard box fun

Music and songs

• Home made orchestra.

Action songs:

• Head, shoulders, knees and toes
• The Hokey Cokey
• Incey Wincey Spider
• Incey Wincey spider went up the waterspout
• The Farmer’s in his Den
• One Finger, One Thumb
• The Wheels on the Bus
• Five Little Fishies
• Five little fishies, swimming in a pool
• If you’re happy and you know it
• Pat-a-cake
• A Ring o’ Roses
• This little piggy went to market
• I’m A Little Teapot
• Two Fat Gentlemen

Cooking

• Fruit Kebabs
• Edible Aquiarium
• Peppermint creams
• Crispy crackles
• Cheesy Dip
• Smiley Toasties

Crafty two’s

• Finger-paint
• Foot painting
• Blow painting
• Pattern painting
• String painting
• Mini-sandbox
• Food necklaces
• Drawing big!

Outdoor fun

• Home Made Kite
• Rainy Day Painting
• Chalk people
• Hopscotch
• Sandpit fun

Remember – you can download the PDF for FREE

You can view and print the PDF ebook for FREE
Toddler activities – ways to keep your youngster entertained

All you need to view it is Adobe Reader, if you don’t have this already you can download it for free.

Adobe Reader download

Keeping your baby entertained in the first few days and weeks can be easy – they spend most of their time asleep anyway! As they get older and more mobile – they become more demanding for attention and stimulation. When they are young, a smile, the sound of your voice, a cuddle, might be all they need.

Sometimes you need a hand thinking of new things to do…

I have put together a PDF of things you and your baby can enjoy together. 

You can view and print the PDF ebook for FREE

Baby activities – ways to keep your baby entertained PDF ebook

We have included the following ideas:

Classes and learning for two

• Baby Massage
• Join or start a play group
• Baby signing
• Join an exercise class
• Mum & baby yoga classes
• Join a music class

The Great Outdoors

• Go for a picnic
• Tree hugging
• Remember your day
• Garden fun

Splish Splash

• Share a bath
• Swim in the bath
• Bath toys
• Patting water
• Make ice cream hair
• Go to the swimming pool

Get creative

• Make a foot or handprint of your baby
• Make a video for friends and family
• Make a mobile
• Make a memory blanket
• Make a weight/height chart
• Be green

Fun fun fun!

• Get messy
• Playing with food
• Blanket rides
• Change the words to her favourite nursery rhymes
• Sing Sing Sing
• Play peek-a-boo with her toys
• Be silly
• Giddy-up
• Play peek a boo
• Little drummer
• Round and round

Nice and quiet now…

• Snuggle time with teddy.
• Window talk.
• Whisper in your baby’s ear.
• Are you tired?
• Talk to your baby
• Rock a bye baby.
• Whisper in your baby’s ear.
• Skin to skin bonding
• Read, read, read!
• “Bonjour, je vous adore!”
• Are we nearly there yet?
• Dust off you CD collection and play some old
• tunes to your baby.
• Photographs of you.
• Know when your baby has reached overload

Remember – You can view and print the PDF for FREE

Baby activities – ways to keep your baby entertained PDF ebook

All you need to view it is Adobe Reader, if you don’t have this already you can download it for free.

Adobe Reader