Easter Themed Toddler Play

You might have seen my Valentines Toddler Play a couple months ago now, I loved doing that post and sharing it will you all, and I think you all loved it too. Since I finished all Theodore’s monthly updates he’s lacking very much so from the blog (he’s living it up on Instagram if you miss him) so I just loved seeing his gorgeous little face back on here in these play posts.

I regularly set him up play sessions like this (about once a week, recently we’ve been doing a whole week featured around one animal at a time) but never get chance to photograph them for the blog since they’re usually destroyed in seconds. This one was set up during nap time so I had the perfect opportunity to get my camera out. I also know how much everyone likes to see holiday related plays as its a fantastic way to introduce holiday seasons to your children from whatever age.

I decided not to do any crafts today because Theodore was loving exploring this all so much. He’s also been a bit grumpy lately so didn’t fancy giving him any paint as I feel he might freak at getting super messy right now. I did hope on making some easter related cards for family but I don’t think he’d entertain it honestly.

When trying to set up any type of play for your toddler you shouldn’t expect them and force them to involve themselves with it. Their only human, just like us, and sometimes just aren’t feeling it. So although you might feel like your energy was wasted, at least you gave them the opportunity to explore something out of their normal day-to-day activities.

All these bigger bits and pieces we already had laying around the house. I bought the fake straw, fluffy chicks, easter foam stickers and yellow feathers at Home Bargains though. You could definitely get them from any similar shop. Everywhere seems to be selling easter crafts at the moment.

I used a round circular basket we already had to create a ‘nest’, in here I hid the little fluffy chicks and our TOMY squeak eggs in so he could dig around and find them. I also put some of the yellow feathers in here. This was the first time I believe Theodore has come across a feather, and he loved them so much, something I think I might have to introduce to all our play activities. He quickly learnt that they floated down very slowly so insisted I drop them from great heights or blow them. You’ll be surprised what your toddler takes away from each of these types of activities, I thought perhaps he’d learn what a rabbit was, or an egg, but instead he learnt how to blow onto an object (like a feather) so remember possibilities for development don’t stop to your own imagination but to theirs!

How super cute is he?! (yes I dressed him in easter clothes for these photos, I’m extra) I love the photos I managed to get of him  with this activity, he just looks so sweet. As you can see here he really did enjoy those feathers, he did try to eat them a couple times so remember to never leave your child unattended with this sort of activity. Though after a couple of times telling him that feathers were ‘yucky’ to eat he quickly stopped nibbling on them.

I added a few easter related books into this activity. Think spring time, baby farm animals and eggs and you’re on to a winner. We read Mummy and Baby Touch and Explore (3D textures to explore), Hatch Peekaboo Board Book  (lift the flap to reveal baby animals that hatch from eggs) and Quack Quack Touch and Feel (soft animal textures).

When reading these theme related books, I try to link in the stories/books with the objects and items around us. This helps produce recognition within the same word. That he knows that his soft toy rabbit, the carton drawing of a rabbit and an actual rabbit are all in fact rabbits yet all completely different.

We also sorted baby animals into his little chicken bag (£1 from Wilko you’re welcome), he loves carrying it around in his elbow crease. We talked about the baby names for animals alongside the adult names. Although I struggled at what a baby donkey was called? He’s getting pretty good at animal recognition from both sight and animal sounds. He loves snorting like a pig, rawring like a lion and hissing like a snake. All this he’s learnt from activities like this, reading and re reading books.

If you fancy setting up your own themed play like this for your little one then heres some ideas of what you could include:

• Straw
• Feathers
• Fluffy Chicks
• Pastel Pom Poms
• Farm Animal Toys
• Related books
• Egg toys
• Hard boiled eggs
• Soft toy rabbits/chickens
• Easter related stickers and crafts
• Small easter chocolates

Be sure to tag me in any similar easter plays you do on Instagram or Twitter! I’d love to take a look and see what you’ve done. I’ll be keeping this play out over the holiday weekend so we can keep going back to the books and items to really help Theodore get an understanding on the concept.

And finally another cute photo, because I couldn’t resist.