Rock Play

Johanna, my toddler-in-residence while I was writing this book, loved to play with rocks. No matter where we were outside, she was sure to be found playing with rocks. Of course rocks found their way inside, and we found them everywhere: with her toys, in her crib, in the bathtub, and inside cupboards. She never seemed to tire of her little rock collection.

• Rocks
• Containers
• Basket with handle

Directions

1. Take your toddler on a walk outside.
2. Bring along a plastic bucket or basket with handle and collect rocks as you walk.
3. Be sure to choose rocks big enough to pass the choke test (or simply discard the smaller ones when you return home).
4. When you get home, wash off the rocks and set them out with some containers for your child to play with.
5. She will enjoy placing them one by one in the containers, dumping them out, carrying them around with her in a basket, and putting them in her pockets or purse.
6. She may also enjoy painting them or placing them in a covered coffee can to make a loud shaker toy.

More on: Activities for Toddlers

Excerpted from:

Copyright © 1999 by Patricia Kuffner. Excerpted from The Toddler's Busy Book with permission of its publisher, Meadowbrook Press.

To order this book visit Meadowbrook Press.