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.

Fast forward the following video to 5 mins 43 secs. Michael McIntyre sums it up so well. It’s so true and so funny. The clip is from Live at the Apollo.

Going to playschool for the first time, I did feel like that. It almost felt like my son was communicating very little – but the little girls were sat in the corner doing the Times crossword (and the cryptic one at that). OK, so every child is different. Some grow up faster than others regardless of whether they are a boy or girl. So many things influence their development. It just seems to be the boys following the girls in developing language, and communicating what they want.

Maybe as a mother, you just notice the differences in children. Some kids are more advanced, and that worries you. Some kids are less able, that makes you feel all superior. But all kids are good at some things and worse at others. I really don’t see that there is right and wrong.

Going to playgroup, preschool and then nursery certainly improved my son’s language skills. He quickly progressed from a few words and many tears, to communicating sentences, role playing and becoming an amazingly funny little boy.

It still leaves me with questions though…

Do you have boy/girl twins?

Do you have boys and girls?

Have you noticed a difference between their rates of development?

It is probably impossible for children today to imagine only 3 TV channels and no kids TV on a Sunday. Black Beauty was the best Sunday TV had to offer in my day.

Before my baby was born, I was looking forward to the joys of CBeebies. I think I may have been crazy. Yes some of the programmes are brilliant, but when you have seen the same one 3 times in one day, you start to go slightly bonkers. I will admit some programmes I could watch endlessly. Timmy Time and Pingu are my favourites. Luckily for me, they are favourites of 3yo too! It is slightly disturbing though that he has a fondness for Waybuloo. Just what is that show about? I just don’t get it. Maybe you have to be under 5 to appreciate these things. I hate the dubbed voices, I hate the freaky floating creatures. I hate the fact that pretty much nothing happens.

I like kids TV programmes to be fun, bright and educational. Justin Fletcher seems to get it right. Mr Tumble is genius, Gigglebiz IS funny, Something Special teaches us sign language in a way that I and 3yo actually remember. I love the shows that give me ideas for what I can do with 3yo. I Can Cook – Katy cooks things that are healthy and fun to make. Kids cooking doesn’t have to be just Crispie Crackles. Mister Maker and Doodle Do have fun arts and crafts ideas that keep me and 3yo entertained. (Maybe they just keep the inner Blue Peter presenter in me satisfied.)

It is easy to let CBeebies become your babysitter though. The off button on the TV is hard to press, even when you are going nuts at the thought of watching Balamory AGAIN! Some experts say that you shouldn’t let your young child watch TV. Some say limit it. I agree that if your child is doing something else, don’t have it on in the background. It is a distraction that doesn’t help young minds concentrate on something else, and let’s face it, it can send mum potty! The CBeebies babysitter is useful when you are busy. It has it’s drawbacks though. The songs and theme tunes wafting in from the living room to the kitchen while you are making dinner, can have the effect of getting inside your head for hours. Anyone been humming the tune to Timmy Time – ALL THE TIME?

What do you think is the best and worst of kids TV?

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

You can either buy ‘toy’ household cleaning items, or what seems to be much more fun, is helping Mummy by using hers. Kids love to copy and help, all the more when they are praised for their help.

I have a dustpan and brush that just my toddler uses, this way I know it is clean, and he just loves brushing up crumbs when he’s eaten a biscuit, or thrown cereal all over the floor. This ‘game’ also helps him understand that you have to clean up if you’ve made a mess.

Of course your little helper will probably be more of a hindrance than a help, but it is fun to a toddler and does help them learn about chores around the house that have to be done,

Other chores that work well with kids ‘helping’:

• Sweeping up leaves outside. The ‘big brush’ seems too big for my ‘helper’ but he manages quite well, and insists on brushing up, even when there is nothing to sweep.
• Filling and emptying the washing machine. Folding and putting away clothes follows on from this, and can include pairing up socks, sorting clothes into a pile for each member of the family.
• Washing up. My son loves washing up his dishes after meals. OK, so I let him do this more in the summer – outside. Plastic crockery is a must as it means no breakages!
• Window cleaning. A soft cloth with no cleaner on is perfect for your little one to help keep the windows clean. With lots of praise, they will be really pleased that they have been such a big help. Do make sure the window is secure, firmly locked shut, and at ground level – shut doors are great.

• Washing the car. A favourite with my son. He just loves the bubbles, the water, ‘being grown up’ an d getting very very wet!

Never leave your child unattended while they are ‘helping’ you with chores.
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Children’s preschool games – shopping with your toddler

Shopping with young kids can be split into 3 parts.

Making your shopping list

Get a piece of paper and a pen and walk around the kitchen with your toddler.

Saying, “Do we need some more carrots?” and looking to see. If you do, put them on the list. Soon enough you will have a list to go shopping with.

My advice would be to stick to items in the fridge, freezer, store cupboard and fruit and veg. It’s not a good idea to discuss bleach and where it is kept with your toddler!

At the shops

Ask your toddler if carrots were put on the list, and where they are in the shop. You can ask how many carrots you need, and they can help put them in a bag.

While in the fruit and veg section you can see how many items they recognise or can find.

The same can be done to find ‘their favourite cereal’ or ‘which milk do you drink?’

Putting away the shopping

Once at home with the shopping you can ask where different items go. I was surprised that my son knew better than me where all the different food went.

Of course this is a game best saved for those smaller shopping trips – it could easily take hours if applied to a big shop, as well as your youngster will simply get bored lose interest if the game takes too long.

The shopping game helps with their vocabulary, memory, planning skills, and gets them more involved in shopping and makes it more fun.

You of course can reminise about when shopping didn’t take even half as long to do!

Other related articles
Children’s preschool games – household chores with your toddler