10 FUN SUMMER ACTIVITIES TO DO WITH YOUR TODDLERS

If you're looking for some fun ideas of what to do with your pre-school toddlers one morning or afternoon this summer, then I've listed 10 of our favourite ideas below. Most of the activities will get you out and about in the fresh air, because we need to make the most of the sunshine when it is here in the UK!

1. Visit a local sandpit - I love this activity, because not only do the children love playing in a large sand pit they also enjoy people watching (2 for the price of 1), and it's an opportunity to chat to people locally. I put a bag of sand tools in the pram, and off we head to the sandpit for an hour or so.

2. Dinosaur ice cubes - We used dinosaurs, but any miniature plastic/silicone toys will do for this activity. We had some large ice cube trays already, and I just popped them into them, added water and left them over night. Once they were frozen I then added them into our inflatable tray that we purchased a while ago off Amazon for messy play activities, threw in some other little sea creatures and divers (for good measure) and gave them each a little wooden mallet. They then tried to excavate the dinosaurs from the ice (I added a tiny bit of warm water into the tray to help the process along a little). The children loved doing this activity and were thrilled when they had freed them. It is a little messy, so it's a perfect one to do outside on a sunny day.

3. Chalk drawings - Water soluble chalk pastels on a different medium is a fun way for children to be creative. You could maybe even take a trip down nostalgia lane and teach them how to play hopscotch. A bit of heavy rain or some water from the kettle and hey presto! the patio is like new.

Chalk drawing at our Queen's Platinum Jubilee street party

4. Bubble wands/frisbee/balls/kites in the park - A great way to add some excitement to the day, because who doesn't love pointing and shouting out "bubbles"! Using the frisbee or balls also develops their throwing and kicking skills, as well as their coordination. Or perhaps a kite on a breezy day for those who are up for more of a challenge.

5. Water the plants - This is a big hit in our family and very simple. The children absolutely love watering the plants in the garden, and in the house. We have one small watering can which they share and we also use plastic cups and bowls. If you don't have any plants outside or in the garden maybe you have a family member or neighbour who could do with a hand? This is also a nice way to encourage helping others.

Watering the garden plants with a watering can and a plastic cup

6. Nature treasure hunt - A visit to the local park or woodlands for a treasure hunt is a wonderful way to get your little ones exploring nature. It helps to build their problem- solving and observational skills, as well as enhancing vocabulary for younger children. You can search for a whole range of things such as a pinecone, bird, squirrel, a variety of coloured flowers, worm, mushroom, ant, leaf, spider's web, a spider, puddle, and a green leaf. It also provides an opportunity to talk about nature too and ask questions that can be tailored to your child e.g. How many legs does the spider have? Why do you think it's useful to have that many legs? What would you do if you had that many legs? etc.

7. Make a nature collage - A great one for exercising the imagination and fine-motor skills. You could make this an afternoon activity if you go on a nature treasure hunt in the morning, or perhaps you just go out in the garden or locally before making the collage to find some bits to use. You could collect fallen leaves, grass, sticks, stones and flowers (but please don't pick any wild ones, just use ones that have fallen on the ground or ones from your own garden). In addition to your treasures you'll need some card, crayons and PVA glue or double-sided tape if you want to stick anything down. Some ideas of what to do:

- Free style collage

- Make an object out of the treasure e.g a car, robot, dog

- Create a picture with the crayons e.g. a mermaid, rabbit, queen, and then use the treasures to frame the drawing. So for the mermaid you might have her sitting on a pebble and the sea is made out of grass and the sun is a flower etc.

8. Make a petal painting - Do you have any flowers on their way out that were decorating the house, or some dandelions that need to be pulled up in the garden? If so, then why not make some artwork with the flower heads, stems and some grass? It's something a bit different and fun. We discussed what flowers need to live, and we also talked about what animals like flowers.

The artistic talents of my 1 year-old when petal painting...Damien Hirst watch out!

9. Water play in the garden - You just need a washing up bowl and some little toys that are happy to take a plunge, some bowls, cups, scoops, plus anything else that is suitable. Then add some warm water and then let them pour and splash to their heart's content. This is also mentioned in my 'GARDEN TOYS/IDEAS FOR TODDLERS WHEN YOU HAVE A SMALL GARDEN' blog post too.

10. Exploring the everyday - If you live in a highly residential area then why not follow the bin collection. We did this the other afternoon, and the children were in their element and enthralled. Alternatively, are there any stations near by where you could watch the trains, or maybe there is some building work going on with diggers and such like. It opens up opportunities to talk about a whole host of things that happen in day-to-day life. In this instance we chatted about recycling and the different types that there are, and why it is important to recycle. We listened to different sounds and discussed what we noticed. You can tailor the conversation to the age of the child.

Watching the bin collection was a fun afternoon activity the other day (and we were some light entertainment for the cars stuck waiting - you're welcome!)

I hope that this has given you some food for thought on what to do this summer, and I would love to hear if there is anything that you recommend doing too that get's your little ones out and exploring.