We are now on the second part of finding solution to our too much screen time problem. Here is our remedy #2: Prepare recommended supplies for toddler activities.
Problem: Too Much Screen Time
Read here for the full article on Bad Effects of Too Much Screen Time on Toddlers.
Aside from being bored with the toys that my nephew plays with, another big factor that led him to be addicted to watching TV is that he has nothing else to do.
Since we’ve been remiss with our duty to provide him fun and educational activities, we distracted him with boxed entertainment.
Honestly, it was so easy to just turn on the TV and let my nephew watch for hours as we do other stuff.
For a time, it was so ideal. He sits quietly as he watches his cartoons, while we go about with our household chores.
But the temporary convenience led to a big and serious problem later on.
Which led me to write these series of posts. I hope to inform other parents and caregivers about the serious problems that too much screen time can do to a child- short attention span and aggression being on top of the list. 🙁
The Remedy:
For our remedy #2, we thought of gathering all the materials and supplies we need so we can prepare engaging activities for my nephew.
Click here for Too Much Screen Time Remedy #1: Organize Toddler Toys
We’re thinking, if we keep Seb busy and pro-active with different activities, we can get his attention away from the TV!
Recommended supplies for toddler activities:
Painting and Coloring Materials
- washable paint
- paint brushes
- roller brush
- crayons
- coloring books/pages
- easel
Possible Activities:
- painting
- coloring
- art and craft
Popsicle Sticks
- popsicle sticks of different colors and sizes
Possible Activities:
- fine motor skills
- building and construction
- art and craft
- counting
- matching
- patterns
Letters and Numbers
- magnetic letters and numbers
- letters and numbers stamps
- playing cards
- UNO cards
- Bingo cards
Possible Activities:
- learning about letters and numbers
- forming name
- forming words
- counting
- sequencing
- fine motor skills
- S.T.E.A.M. activities (because of the magnet)
- patterns
Art Supplies
- colorful papers
- bond papers
- construction paper
- glue
- paste
- googly eyes
- scissors
- streams and banners
- glitters
- sequins
- feathers
- art sand
- paint
- crayons
Possible Activities
- art and craft
- possibilities are endless 😀
Household Items
- plates
- bowls
- mats
- spoon
- fork
- plastic knife
- ladle
- kitchen tongs
- strainer
- whisk
- pitcher
- glass
Possible Activities
- Life Skills/ Montessori Activities
- pouring
- scooping
- transferring
- cutting
- slicing
Fine Motor Skills Materials
- clothespins
- one-hole puncher
- kitchen tongs
Possible Activities
- activities that involve the following movements
- grasping
- gripping
- pinching
Counters and Loose Parts
- beans and seeds
- river rocks
- marbles
- crystals
- nuts and bolts
- twigs
- loose parts
Possible Activities:
- sensory bins
- fine motor skills activities
- art and craft
- counting
- sequencing
- patterns
Outdoor/ Gardening Materials
- water can
- spray bottle
- funnel
- magnifying lens
- garden spades
- sponge
Possible Activities
- gardening
- water play
- S.T.E.A.M. activities
- investigating nature
So there you go! Those are our recommended supplies for toddler activities.
Most of the materials are already available in our household. And since I’m a teacher, I have most of the materials on hand, too. 😀
Related posts:
Household Items as Toys Series: Kitchen Tongs
Household Items as Toys Series: Coin Bank
Household Items as Toys Series: Refrigerator Magnets
There are so many toys and materials available out there, but I mostly chose open-ended materials
Open-ended materials have no fix use so you can use them for a lot of activities. You just need to be creative and imaginative!
Cute toys are nice to have, too. But some are pretty much fixed on how you can use them. Example is a miniature blender.
It is so cute to have. But let’s be honest, a miniature blender is already pegged to blend, right?
Do note that we didn’t spend a lot on these materials and supplies.
We shopped in bargain stores, and again, we looked for the materials in our own household.
Teacher’s Note:
Look at what you have available in your household first. Most of the time, toddlers enjoy using household items- they are proven entertaining and educational, too!
Shop in bargain stores to get supplies at a lower price.
Buy in bulk- if possible.
Choose open-ended materials versus cute/battery operated toys.
Here are other posts in this series:
Too Much Screen Time for Toddlers: Bad Effects and Remedy
Too Much Screen Time Remedy #1: Organize Toddler Toys
Too Much Screen Time Remedy #2: Prepare Supplies for Toddler Activities
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Happy learning,
24 Responses
These are really nice tips, I need to try it as my kids also have too much screen time.
Some creative crafts definitely beat those screens. And it’s great that all the materials are easily found in the house.
I love this. I think it is so important to not let our kids get to involved in to ipads and other technology, good old fashion arts and crafts always is best.
Great ideas… I will use it to limit my nephew’s screen time. Thanks for sharing.
Creating fun, interactive projects to get kids moving away from screen can be tricky. I love the idea of making coin banks.
My granddaughter is very fortunate that her parents don’t let her watch much screen time. She doesn’t even miss it because it’s not something she does very much at all anyway. 🙂
These sound like some great ideas to keep the kids busy in a fun way. Thanks for the tips.
Keeping the kids busy with some craft will sure keep them away for the screen and really help develop their imagination and creativity!
These are awesome lists. When I was younger, we didn’t watch as much TV and played outside. I feel that we should go back to basics more often that we are right now. Awesome post.
This is perfect! Keeping the kids busy with crafts and it’s coloful! Should keep their attention and it seems that this will be a lot of fun.
You have so many ideas for arts and crafts for kids, its great. The one with the Popsicle sticks are a classic.
This post speaks to me! I often feel like my kiddos have too much screen time but I often don’t what else to do. I think my kiddos would really enjoy these options 🙂
I try to limit my daughter’s screen time by making sure we always have some arts and craft stuff in the house! Especially for rainy days!
Love these craft ideas. I need to get my kids away from the screen with these.
These sound like some great ideas to get away from that screen. These will come in very handy in future for me.
What a fantastic lineup of fun activities! I have a set of plastic drawers that are full of all the art supplies I could find – it was always the go-to for two of my sons!
wow! so many great ideas! I love how a huge majority of this list is stuff I actually have laying around the house. Pretty much giving me no excuse not be engaged in a fun activity with my kid lol
I love these lists! My kids have always had fun making things. They do like screen time, but at least they take breaks!
These will come in very handy in future for me and for people I know as well. Handiwork is so much better than staring into screens of any sort really 🙂
These sound like some great ideas to get away from that screen! I think it is so easy these days to just sit in front of one, while getting a child’s imagination flowing is so important.
WE love doing crafts as opposed to screen time! Sometimes, no lie, my kids can get a little too much screen time when I am especially busy with work but I try to limit it
Thanks for these tips. Setting reasonable limits for your child’s screen time is really important.
These are amazing lists, it is so useful! thanks
This reminds me of the time when I decided to cut out screens from my kids’ lives… it took a lot of creativity and arts supplies on my part!! But we all did so much better from it!!