35 things to teach your toddler

By May Anderson

As a working mom, I have very limited time to spend with my child. I want to make sure that the time I do get with him is fun, educational, and strengthening to our relationship.

As my toddler gets bigger and learns new things, I can’t help but to wonder what I can be teaching him. If I had some sort of list, then maybe it wouldn’t be so tempting to just turn the TV on after dinner. Maybe I would spend that time doing something more meaningful.

So with that, I made this list. Enjoy!

1. What is your name?
2. How old are you?
3. What are your parents name?
4. Where do you live?
5. Colors
6. Shapes
7. Puzzles
8. Animal Sounds
9. Objects
10. Actions (Playing, Crying, Laughing, Jumping, etc)
11. Counting/Numbers
12. Songs (Check out this list of songs to sing with your toddler)
13. Gardening (They can plant seeds, water the plant, etc)
14. Cooking (They can measure, count, and stir)
15. Matching
16. Textures
17. Organizing (Kids actually love order and structure. Clean up the toys WITH them)
18. Body Parts
19. Weather
20. Directions (Up, Down, Forwards, Beside, in front of, etc)
21. Sharing
22. Coloring/Drawing
23. Washing Hands/Hygiene
24. Cleaning up after spills
25. Potty Training
26. Stacking
27. Throwing (Toss bean bags into buckets)
28. Story-telling
29. Sounds (whistle, train, car, etc)
30. Crafting (with playdough/clay)
31. Painting
32. Gluing
33. Cutting with scissors (be cautious with this one)
34. Types of food
35. How to spit a loogie*

Toddlers learn mostly through experience and sensory, so while you are teaching them, try to make it as fun as possible. Remember this isn’t just a lesson, but a chance to build a strong relationship with your child.

*My husband taught my son how to spit loogies (I don’t know why!) and he didn’t understand the concept of “Not in the house.” So yes, I have been working hard on unteaching that skill!