Easy Activities for 2-Year-Olds at Day Care

Also known as toddlers, 2-year-old children are at a stage in life when they are beginning to assert their autonomy, actively explore the world around them, and engage in simple problem-solving. According to the PBS Parents website, 2-year-old children are, "laying the groundwork for reading and writing," and are, "just beginning to use logical reasoning to solve everyday problems." Day care providers can actively support the cognitive and physical growth of 2-year-old children by providing easy and educational activities in a day care setting.

  1. Fill and Spill

    • The National Network for Child Care suggests a simple activity that allows toddlers to indulge their newfound interest in filling up a container, and then dumping it out. Get an empty coffee can, and cut a hole in the lid. Give the 2-year-old a number of medium-sized objects, such as clothespins or thread spools. Let the child fill the coffee can and then spill its contents out onto the floor as many times as they like.

    Water Play

    • Allow the 2-year-old children in your day care to exercise their motor skills while cooling off on a hot day. In the backyard, fill a kiddie pool with water and put empty containers, sponges, measuring cups and spoons into the water. Have kids get into their swimsuits and let them splash around and experiment with the objects you have provided them. Make sure to have towels handy for when the kids get out of the water.

    Nature Hunt

    • Give 2-year-old children a way to examine their natural surroundings, one item at a time. Do this by adapting an activity early childhood education expert Deborah J. Stewart, M.Ed., designed for 3-year-olds. Stewart suggests giving each child a spray bottle filled with water. Have the children spray each new interesting object they observe in nature. As soon as the object is sprayed you, the teacher, should name the item and engage the child in a short conversation by asking questions like, "What color is that?" and, "Is that big or small?" While 2-year-old children may not be able to identify each item with their limited vocabulary, or answer all of your questions about the nature items, they will suck up the information you provide them like a sponge.

    Blocks and Legos

    • Two-year-old children enjoy putting Legos pieces together and building -- not to mention, knocking down -- blocks. Check all of the blocks used in your day care prior to allowing your toddlers to play with them, in order to ensure that there are no splinters that would injure your kids. Also, disinfect all Legos before the toddlers play with them, in order to avoid the spread of germs.

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