I ran across this blog yesterday where the stay at home dad was trying to try a new fun thing everyday with his little one. (http://randsco.com/index.php/2005/02/15/p72) These are the ones I thought might be worth a try at our house.I'll let you know how it goes!
"Milk Jug Bucket" - I rinsed out the plastic jug and cut a hole in the upper portion, leaving the spout, handle & lid intact. The opening was large enough to allow some objects through, but only to a certain size. (She stuffed it full of giant legos, then hauled it around the house with her all morning. I emptied it for her, when it was time to put the legos away, so she can start all over again tomorrow)
"Floor Art" - We took a 3-foot by 3-foot piece of paper and taped it to the kitchen floor. Then I gave Alex a bunch of crayons and let her draw all over the paper and the floor. (She was pretty good about the latter, but needed some encouragement with the former). She doesn't quite grasp the whole "drawing" thing, yet, so dad had to lend a hand (and drew a very nice picture, by the way)! It stayed on the floor for a few days, as we all admired dad's handiwork and Alex's scribbles. Michaelangelo may have had the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, but Alex had the floor of the kitchen!
"Sink Play" - Alex loves water (and water loves Alex). We got this idea from Alex's Gran. We let Alex stand on a chair and fill the kitchen sink a third full of water. Then, we give her various kitchen tools - that she's seen us use - and let her explore their interaction with water. She fills, pours and refills ... she stirs, pokes and floats the tools. (Of course, we have to remind her that the water is supposed to "stay in the sink" and she has a tendency to get the front of her clothes wet, but hey ... she's has fun and plays contentedly for an hour, if we let her get her fingers all 'pruney'!
Poker Chip Piggy Bank - Clean and rinse out a used, plastic butter (or margarine) tub and cut a slit in the lid, like a "piggy bank". Give your toddler some poker chips and show them how to put the chips in the tub. (Sometimes, when our 18-month-old son is finished putting all the chips into the bucket, he'll push it around the house, because he hasn't figured out how to open the container yet. He loves this activity!).
"Sheet, A Fort!" - She took some living room furniture, re-arranged it a bit, then hung sheets off of it to make a cotton fort.
"Balloon Stick" - It's kind of a spin on a ball and paddle. I tied a bunch of rubber bands together, until I had about a foot's worth. Then I blew up a birthday balloon and tied it off at one end. I attached the other end to a 10-inch-long colored stick & gave it to Alex, to explore 'bouncing'.
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