Health, Safety & Nutrition Activities for Toddlers

Spot &Stop

• The Spot & Stop activity teaches toddlers what things around the house are dangerous. Make a list of things in your home that are potentially dangerous to toddlers. Tell the toddler she is going on a danger hunt to find things she is not to touch, play with, or put in her mouth. Play the game by hunting around the house and stopping abruptly when you go by something you want the toddler to learn is dangerous. Say, "I spot an electrical outlet" and "I need to stop and not go near it." Go hunting for other dangerous things until you see her attention is dwindling. The next day, play the game again and see how many of the dangerous items the toddler can stop and spot. Add new things to the hunt until all safety issues have been spotted.

Fun &Healthy Baths

• Some toddlers have a strong resistance to bath time. To help toddlers feel better about their bath time read the online story," I Will Not Take a Bath." After the toddler watches and listens to the story, talk about why bathing is an important and healthy activity, why using soap and a sponge is healthy, the safe way to take a bath and what kinds of fun things can done in the tub.

Dora's Animal Dance

• Teaching toddlers about the importance of exercise and physical activity is easy with Dora's Animals Dance game. To get ready to play, print out the Dora Dance Spinner (see Resources) and glue it to a piece of card stock or a cereal box. Put animal stickers in the triangle sections of the spinner. Use a pair of scissors to poke a hole in the middle and attach a spinner made from a drinking straw and a brad fastener. Take turns spinning and landing on an animal picture. Play peppy music and have fun dancing like the different animals.

Healthy Body Pizzas

• Talk to toddlers about fruit, which is good for them to eat because it has vitamins to keeps them healthy. Ask the toddler what fruits would be good to put on a pizza they are going to help make. Be sure to have several fruits ready such as bananas, strawberries, peaches, apples and blueberries. Give the toddler a refrigerated roll to flatter for the pizza crust. Prepare ahead of time a container of softened cream cheese and containers of sliced fruit. Let the toddler spread cream cheese on the pizza crust and put fruit on top. Place individual pizzas on a greased cookie sheet and bake for the time defined on the refrigerated biscuit package.