With long days of play and more play, toddlers tend to get tired, frustrated or overly stimulated. That is one reason calming activities for toddlers are crucial in order to go about the day without burnout or emotional overflow.
In simple parent jargon “tantrum” is something that we are all parents super scared of. Especially in a public space. haha
Explanation of toddler behaviour and emotions
Toddlers can be extremely active throughout the day, getting exposed to various stimulants like sounds, light etc. This constant bombardment of stimuli, can make them exhausted, frustrated or disoriented.
That is why calming activities for toddlers are so important in your routine.
Calming activities are ideal after a long session of play, before bedtime or anytime your toddler looks tired and unhappy.
Top calming activities for toddlers
1. Sensory play and exploration
Who doesn’t feel relaxed by the silky soft touch of sand, squishy squooshy slime, wet, gooey mud?
Sensory play and exploration are definitely ways of calming their nerves and relaxing their senses.
Examples of sensory activities
- playdough
- water play
- Mud play
- Rice sensory bin
- Slime
All these activities allow children to touch different textures ( slime, mud, rice) and smell different aromas, hear different sounds (squishy squishy sound, thud sound of mud, splashing sound of water, etc.).
As you can see, these calming activities engage multiple senses and promote relaxation.
2. Art and craft activities
Art and craft activities require a lot of focus and concentration. Children can mix colours, cut and paste papers, make brush strokes, draw and colour, imagine, create and use their imagination and creativity in so many ways.
The best part here is that there are no rules, their imagination is their limit.
Children get to feel themselves, feel independent and express their free emotions in these activities.
Simple and age-appropriate art ideas for calming down
3. Yoga and Stretching Exercises
There are some simple toddler-friendly yoga poses that your kids can do every day. There are so many benefits to yoga,
Easy pose
Warrior pose
Butterfly pose
Snake pose
- Promotes mindfulness and relaxation
- decreases stress
- Increase flexibility in the hips and legs
Following are some yoga poses you can try with your toddler
4. Storytelling and quiet reading time
Storytelling has this amazing power to calm toddlers. They would put everything aside to listen to a story read in a relaxing and interesting manner
All you have to do is pick a book they would love to read and read it aloud using different tones for different characters and different emotions.
Don’t forget to add books on emotions to their book collections. Act them out, have a good laugh together and talk about different emotions. They will feel relaxed while learning a very important lesson on emotional development.
Tips for creating a peaceful reading environment: Read my article, “How to raise a reader?“
5. Music and lullabies
We cannot stress enough the soothing effect of music on toddlers (or anyone!)
You can give them a hug and sing a calming nursery rhyme. My favourite to sing is ‘Hush little baby”. Trust me, it works wonders. Find out what your toddler likes best.
But if you are not in the mood to sing songs that’s ok too. Play a soothing baby lullaby or relaxing nursery rhyme.
You can play soothing music while the kids are playing independently. It just feels good to be listening to calming music. I love it!
6. Cosy Cave
Have you ever made a cosy cave in their living room? It’s easy all you need are some cushions or cardboard and blankets.
Anything that kids can crawl into and have some cosy and warm time inside. Having their own space, however tiny it is, always gives kids an amazing feeling.
7. Gardening
If you haven’t already, consider doing gardening with your toddler. Simple tasks like watering plants, raking, picking veggies or fruits, planting seeds can not only relax and calm them but also help them bond with nature,
What you can do
- Have some gardening boots, gloves, child-size tools for your kid.
- Plant seeds with your toddler and walk around the garden looking at their progress, weeding, picking herbs, crops and veggies.
- Involve kids in planning future garden projects. Ex: Compost bins, worm farms, flower beds etc
8. Nature Walk
A bush walk, hike, walking path or any place where kids can enjoy the beauty of nature will have a calming and relaxing effect on them.
Simply walking on grass barefoot, collecting rocks and leaves, bird watching, cloud watching, walking on fallen tree logs, rock hopping, collecting bird feathers. There are a million things you can do with your toddler while exploring nature.
It’s a great time for you to bond with your little one and make lasting memories too.
Related article – Kids and nature
9. Hopscotch and trampoline
Rhythmic hopping and jumping especially when done slowly with control is great for relaxing your child.
They will laugh more, enjoy more and the stress will melt away in the air š
Try playing rhythemic music so that it’s easier for kids to coordinate their movements.
10. Bath
Last but not least, a good old-fashioned, warm bath can do wonders if the kids are overly stimulated and exhausted.
A bubble bath with scented candles, bath toys and soft music will definitely be followed by giggles and joy.
Benefits of calming activities for toddlers
Enhancing self-regulation skills
Calming activities help kids regulate their big emotions like anger, frustration, sadness and so on. As they learn to relax and calm down with the above mentioned activities, they tend to apply them in real life situations.
Ex: going to the reading corner when exhausted.
Start drawing pictures when overwhelmed with toys with sounds and lights.
Promoting Emotional Wellbeing
As your toddler learns to manage overwhelming emotions with different types of activities, it promotes their emotional well-being which will help them in the long run to have a total personality.
Improving focus and attention span
Almost all of these activities calm and soothe kids while helping them focus on one thing. They learn to focus all their energy on one activity without being overwhelmed by outside factors.
Integration of calming activities in daily routines
There are so many activities on this list that can be done every day. Reading, music, art and gardening can be done daily once you feel your little one needs a break to relax.
Strategies for creating a calm and nurturing learning environment
Kids being calm and relaxed is our goal but don’t make them feel that they can’t express their emotions to you.
Read more about 18 month old toddler tantrum
Look for cues to find out if your child needs some relaxing time. They may get bored, tired or frustrated with something they are struggling to do. As soon as you feel it is the case, encourage some calming activity so that they can go back relaxed and rejuvenated.
Conclusion
Calming activities for toddlers are not spoken of by many, but this can be a lifesaver for many parents and caregivers.
As you incorporate these activities, you will see a happier toddler with fewer and fewer tantrums.
I hope these activities will help you spend more and more quality time with your toddler.
Share your thoughts with us.
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