Homemade Toys – Toddler

Making and playing with a homemade skittle set can be lots of fun for you and your toddler – that’s two fun activities in one!

Did you know?

Aiming and rolling a boll towards the skittles helps improve eye hand coordination, balance and control.

Add language

Encourage your toddler to help you work out whose turn it is e.g. “Sarah’s turn” or “Daddy’s turn”. Saying the person’s name makes it easier for toddlers to remember who’s turn it is and follow basic rules of a game.

You can introduce different concepts by making comments during or after each person’s turn e.g. “That was fast!” or “Oh, too wide”, and talking about moving “closer” or “further” away from the skittles.

Other Development

Early maths skills can easily be part of the game. Count to 3 to start a turn e.g. “1, 2, 3 – go!”. Encourage your toddler to help you count the number of skittles knocked down. Try using balls of different sizes or changing the way the skittles are set-up e.g. in a triangle, or row, or making the space between them bigger or smaller. Playing together helps your toddler develop their social and emotional skills such as sharing and taking turns.

Variations

Each skittle could be a different colour! Pour a small amount of your chosen paint into a clear bottle and put the lid back on. Then you and your toddler can roll the bottle around to move the paint and colour the bottle from the inside.

Safety

Non-toxic, washable paint is best for toddlers.

Across the ages

All the activities listed on our “Play Ideas’ page can be applied across different age groups. Check out how the wonder of balloons can be fun for babies, children and playgroups.

Activities listed under “toddler” are suitable for children aged 1-3 years. Toddlers enjoy activities that include exploring their environment and finding out how things work.