By creating a fun environment children will enjoy almost any activity they do.
When planning activities for toddlers, children ages 12 months to four years old, you always need to consider the number of children and the number of adults you have to help. Of course, the smaller the group the better the activity will go.
Almost anything that can be done to music is a fun activity for this age child, for example "Freeze Dancing." The object of this game is for the children to dance around as long as the music is playing. When the music stops they freeze. Depending on the age of the group you may have to practice and model this activity a few times before they get the hang of it. Old McDonald can be lots of fun. You can sing, make animal noises, act out each animal, and have input from the children.
A great way to practice writing is by putting shaving cream on the table and letting the kids practice in it. First you want to explain what it is and then let the children have a few minutes of free exploration. Then you can have some guided practice time. For the young children you can practice making different types of lines; straight, curved, slanted, zigzag. With the older children you can practice making actual letters and numbers.
Kids of any age love dirt and sand. Take advantage of that by creating an excavating site in your sandbox. Do a little mini lesson on geology and then let the kids try and dig up some artifacts. It works great if you turn your sandbox into a grid. Give each child a square to dig in and a small box for their findings. Once everyone is finished they can play with what they found.
Take a walk on the wild side, literally. This activity definitely works best with two adults. Let the children explore footprints. Take an aluminum cooking tray and fill it with paint. Roll out a large piece of paper, the ends of newsprint work wonderfully. Place a bucket of soapy water at the end of the paper. Individually, have the children step into the paint pan. Help them walk across the paper leaving behind their footprints. Step into the bucket of soapy water and wash of their feet. Label at least one left and right pair for each child. Compare shapes and sizes to the other kids, adults, and different animals.
Read the book, It Looked Like Spilt Milk. Have the children put together their own version of the book. Give each child a piece of construction paper. Have them squirt some white paint in the middle of the paper. Help them fold and unfold the paper. Ask each child what they think their picture looks like. Write it down on the paper or type it on the computer and paste it to the paper. When they are dry put them together in a book. Read with the kids and let the kids read to each other.
Have a parade. On a nice sunny day make some instruments, or use ones that you already have. Let the kids line up and go outside and play in a parade.
