Easy Valentine's Toddler Games

I love using objects from around the house to create new play opportunities for my toddlers. While I love Pinterest as much as the next mom, I usually don't have the energy or supplies to create some of the great activities that are out there. Instead I like finding things I can make in ten minutes, while my kids are happily eating lunch or (miracle) napping-and making things from stuff I already have hanging around the house. Here are two simple to make toddler activites that you can use for Valentine's Day, or any other time of the year.  They are also easy to customize or switch up depending on what concepts you are working on with your little ones. 

Easy toddler games to keep you from going quackers!

My first Busy Mom DIY is a chocolate treat match up. I used a $1 chocolate box and labeled spots “1, 2, 3”.  Then I added some heart stickers on the bottom of our chocolate play food so we can practice counting and maybe start recognizing numbers a little!  To play, we just empty the box and count as we add the chocolates back in, pointing out what the number looks like to get a little exposure in.  You could just as easily use letters, shapes, or colors instead of numbers, depending on what you are working on at the moment.  Don't have any pretend chocolates? Use painted rocks, yogurt covers, sculpt treats from play dough-there are plenty of options hiding around the house, and your toddler won't mind if it doesn't look Pinterest perfect.

Chocolate that is fun for playing and safe for diets
 (as if anyone would want to be on a no chocolate diet).

Counting and Matching

We also have some sweet themed rubber ducks (my kids LOVE these ducks). I simply added a matching color sticker to the bottom of the duck and a corresponding sticker to the cupcake liner in the muffin tin (I used double stick tape to keep the liners in place). E knows his colors, so we are using this activity to work on the concept of matching-it’s easy enough for him to have success while he gets the hang of the idea of matching, and also easy to upgrade for matching shapes, letters, numbers, or even sight words later on. Plus E gets some extra practice naming the colors (still working on orange)! C loves simply placing the ducks in and out and carefully carrying the muffin tin from the table to the shelf. You can really use anything in place of the ducks to match a different holiday or theme, or just based off of what you have that is easily accessible. 

Dessert Ducks

Match colors and conversation hearts with duckies 

Working on slowing down and finding the match

Getting his ducks in a row

 Visit my previous post to find out about or winter sensory table and matching Valentine's theme.