Outside Activities for Two Year Olds
The great outdoors can be the best classroom of all. Â
Are you looking for fun home-learning activities to do with your two-year-old? Our team of early childhood curriculum experts thoughtfully curated these home-education activities from our proprietary Life Essentials® curriculum to help your family Learn On® when away from the Academy. Whether it’s during mealtime, playtime, clean up time, bath time, or bedtime – our at-home curriculum is built so you can easily integrate school-from-home learning opportunities in seamless, easy, and fun ways.
Water Music
Level of instruction: Detailed
When: Mealtime, Outdoors, Playtime
Time recommendation: 15 minutes
Participants: One-on-one
Learning Domain: Cognitive Development
Learning Standards: Introduction to Physical Science, Encourages exploration and discovery, Develops thinking and reasoning skills
Materials: Four glasses, water, food coloring, spoons
Instructions
Pour water in each glass at a different level. Add a few drops of food coloring in each glass and stir. Invite your child to identify what color the water is. Encourage your child to discover that the water levels are different in each glass. Use the spoon to gently hit each glass side and invite your child to listen to the sounds each glass makes. Explain to your child that each glass makes a different sound. The glass with more water makes a lower sound, and the glass with a little water makes a higher sound. Invite your child to use the spoon to make music, play different beats, tempos, and rhythms.
Observe your child exploring the glasses filled with water. Does your child recognize the different sounds each glass makes?
Sticky Spider Web
Level of instruction: Moderate
When: Outdoor, Playtime
Time recommendation: 30 minutes
Participants: One-on-one, Child-led, Siblings
Learning Domain: Creative Arts
Learning Standards:
Thinking and reasoning skills, Gross and fine motor development
Materials: Packaging or duct tape, tissue paper
Instructions
Place tape in a web-shaped pattern in a large area of your home or outdoors. Keep the adhesive side facing toward where the activity will take place. Invite your child to help crumple tissue paper into several small ball shapes. Invite him or her to feel the “sticky web” gently. Give your child a tissue ball and invite him or her to throw it on the web.
Observe to see if your child uses his or her sense of touch to explore the “sticky web.” Does your child throw the tissue ball on the web? Does your child describe how it feels?
Cloud Dough
Level of instruction: Moderate
When: Playtime, Outdoor, Mealtime
Time recommendation: 20 minutes
Participants: One-on-one, Siblings
Learning Domain: Cognitive Development
Learning Standards:
Physical science, Fine motor development
Materials: Flour, oil, mixing bowl, spoon measuring cups
Instructions
Invite your child to help make cloud dough. You may need to adjust the amounts to get the right consistency. Blend eight parts flour to one part oil (i.e., 8 cups flour to 1 cup oil, or 4 cups flour to 1/2 cup oil). Encourage your child to feel and describe the dry ingredient (flour) and the wet ingredient (oil) before you mix the two. Allow your child to help knead the dough with his or her hands. Discuss how the resulting mixture might feel like a cloud, and encourage your child to play with and manipulate the dough.
Observe your child mixing the ingredients and following 1-2 step directions.
Chalk People
Level of instruction: Easy
When: Outdoor, Playtime
Time recommendation: 20 minutes
Participants: One-on-one, Child-led, Siblings
Learning Domain: Creative Arts
Learning Standards:
Body awareness, Fine motor development
Materials: Sidewalk chalk
Instructions
Invite your child to lay on a concrete area while you trace the outline of his or her body with sidewalk chalk. Encourage your child to use chalk to draw his or her features, such as eyes, ears, mouth, nose, clothes, etc. Invite your family members to join in on the fun!
Does your child draw two eyes, a mouth, and a nose? Does your child recognize and identify different body parts?
Texture Building
Level of instruction: Moderate
When: Playtime, Outdoor
Time recommendation: 20 minutes
Participants: One-on-one, Child-led
Learning Domain: STEM
Learning Standards: Physical science, Thinking and reasoning skills
Materials:
Instructions
A variety of materials with different textures, glue or tape
Invite your child to explore the materials collected. Ask him or her how the items feel. Encourage your child to build a structure of his or her choice using all of the materials. Take pictures of your child and his or her completed structures to share with your classroom teacher.
Observe your child using textured materials to build a structure. Does your child use some or all of the materials when making his or her structure?
Looking for more activities for you and your two-year-old?
- Playtime: Make sure your child’s time spent playing is filled with opportunities to learn.
- Quiet time: Encouraging low-key activities during quiet time helps children develop independent play skills.
- Bath and Bedtime: End your child’s day by integrating learning into their bedtime routine.
Or return to the Life Essentials® At Home page to find activities to explore with other age groups.
Find an Academy Near You
Kiddie Academy Educational Child Care helps children make the most of learning moments in locations across the country. Discover one near you.
