Perceptual Activities for Toddlers

Toys

• Shape sorters promote perceptual skills by challenging children to match and push shapes through corresponding holes. Toddlers must recognize and identify different shapes to put all of the blocks inside. Jigsaw puzzles also promote visual processing abilities, encouraging toddlers to fit puzzle pieces together to create a recognizable image. Building blocks enable toddlers to discover the concepts of size and dimension, while xylophones, drums and other age-appropriate musical instruments promote eye-hand coordination -- an important perceptual skill.

Games

• Matching games reinforce pattern recognition and classification, both of which foster perceptual skill development. Encourage your toddler to match picture cards, or have her make a game out of cleanup time. Challenge her to gather up toys from around the room and sort them into separate piles by category, such as ̶0;stuffed animals̶1; or ̶0;blue building blocks.̶1; On warm, spring days, put a blanket down on the lawn and encourage your toddler to catch bubbles as you sway a soapy wand through the air.

Arts and Crafts

• Arts and crafts naturally promote visual motor skills, which comprise a toddler̵7;s ability to integrate visual perception with motor control. Recalling and representing visual images by drawing and coloring with finger paint or crayons targets both developmental objectives at the same time. Encourage your toddler to form familiar shapes, letters and numbers with clay. Or, challenge him to trace large, simple stencils or objects onto plain paper, which reinforces visual tracking and fine motor skills.

Other Ways to Promote Visual Perception

• Promote and reinforce visual perception skills through daily tasks and on-the-go activities. Put your toddler in front of a mirror and encourage her to try and brush her own hair. Have her give you a hand matching pairs of clean socks. While on a long drive, encourage your toddler to shout out all of the blue cars, field cows or red stop signs that she sees.

Activities for Auditory Perceptual Skills

• Auditory perception is a child's ability to interpret sounds, which is an essential component of language and literacy development. Playing with musical instruments can help your toddler distinguish pitches and rhythm. Sing action songs with him to help him integrate sounds and words with motor abilities. Rhyming songs can also help him develop auditory memory skills, as can simple clapping games. Clap your hands in different rhythms and patterns and encourage your toddler to imitate the sounds you made with his own hands.