Toddlers Toys and Activities

My Evening Weekday Activities with the Little Princess









I am a full time working mom, and many of us who are in the same boat knows what it is like to have to juggle between motherhood and work. On average I have about 1 hour with my child on week days and that 1 hour has to be used to the fullest potential. My little girl is picked up about 6.30pm daily and I get back by 7pm with dinner for hubby and I. Yeah no home cooked food for us! I am trying to figure out how some light cooking can take place on a normal week day. Back to the topic on toddler's creative activity I normally use crayons and papers on weekdays, just not to over stimulate my child with exciting water colours  before bed time. We spend about 20 mins on crayons and flash cards before I settle her down with some books. She usually picks her books. Since she is already reaching 18 months, my girl says the word BOOK very clearly to my amusement. Somedays she wants to read her own book which can be entertaining to watch.

I remember her being just a tiny baby when we brought her home and now she tells me what books she likes. Time does fly with leaps and bounds. Books are really important for children and it is never too early to start them  off on this wonderful habit. It is always best to combine reading and craft to make the whole session fun and enriching.

Getting ready by prying open the crayon box!

We use crayons and mummy will try to draw images from books, that way the child gets to see how a book related figure is transformed by crayons hence tickling their imagination and curiosity. (note my drawing skills are not fantastic but good enough to get her colouring on it).  While waiting at the doctor's office the other day, my girl spotted a pencil on the table, picked it up and started to scribble on the pamphlets around her  TADA!!! a  behaviour modelled, but don't expect her to sit too long where there are loads of kids jumping off toy horses and slides within the vicinity, the distraction is just too great for any kiddo her age.

When using crayon, please consider about the age suitability. Chunky crayons are the best for little fingers tho I must say that I started off my little princess with normal size Crayola Crayons because I got them first. Only use crayons from reputable brands like ELC to avoid any issues of toxicity and always supervise your toddler. Mine likes tasting everything and sometimes just does it on purpose to see my reaction. So act cool and just move away the crayon from the mouth without creating a big fuss. Not easy I must say but do remind yourself that your child models after you very much. For most of my crayons sessions I use large white papers where my girl sits in the middle and starts swirling her crayons around her. This is when I try to draw  images near her and eventually she edges off the paper and starts adding colours to my line. Do be prepared for extra designs on your wall! So far I have all three of my white doors decorated with her master pieces (under the supervision of daddy I must say). The ELC crayons that I use comes easily from smooth surfaces but not rough ones.

As you can see, my bubs enjoy messing up the drawing paper very much and also loves keeping and taking out crayons from the box.  Sometimes I wonder why she does it but I can only think of milestones and motor skills development behind all this play learn sessions. Crayon sessions are also fun for adults I must say, these yummy colours just look really pretty on paper and on the shelf too!

The busy bunny at work

The belle positioning herself

Full concentration

I started using crayons when my little bub was 12 months,  the best toddler learning toy is their imagination. Drawing creates, whether it is well represented piece or some  basic sketches it does not matter because the moral of the story is my kid is having fun with her irregular lines and shapes. I am pretty sure Rembrandt was not born drawing, Oh Maybe Perhaps! I am sure you know what I mean, learning must be experiential and fun and that is when true learning takes place. I have few sets of crayons from chunky to plastic. Some days I use a finger print set for some creative toddler activity, I will post pictures of that on my next blog entry. So far mummy and baby enjoys our sessions a lot, daddy too. I vary different kinds of crayon from chunky, normal size as well as crayon with animal characters on them just for the fun of it. Using the same tool can be boring for a curious bunny mind.

I hope this sharing opens more insights on creative ways of using crayons, eventually they will not need us to "play" with them when their motor skills are refined for colouring and I will miss these sessions when that day comes.

Happy Crayoning Mummies!