Exploring textures is an excellent activity for toddlers.

This simple activity encourages curiosity, the development of hand-eye coordination, and language development in describing textures. You will need a few materials to get started.

• An empty tissue box works best, but any box will work; just cut a hole in the top.
• Place a variety of objects inside the box. For example, shiny ribbons, scarfs, feathers, shells, rocks, bark etc.
• Encourage toddlers to explore the box’s content by using their senses.  Model what this looks like, rub the fabric on your hand, smell it, rub two items together, and be sure to describe what you feel and see.

Have fun and alternate the material in the box to explore more textures!

Fill a bucket or other container with water and give toddlers a variety of different types of paintbrushes.  Have children paint with the water on the sidewalk or even on a wooden fence.  They can paint shapes, letters, pictures, or even just cover the whole space.  It can be interesting to watch how the sun dries the water painting and then they can do it all over again!