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Games to Play With a 2 Year Old

Games provide the opportunity to improve physical and cognitive skills in addition to their entertainment value. Developmentally appropriate activities for 2-year-old children enhance their budding skills, including gross motor skills, fine motor skills, coordination, balance and cognitive skills. Educational elements can be added to the games for a 2-year-old without sacrificing the fun.

Bean Bag Play
- Bean bags create the opportunity for 2-year-old children to practice balance and coordination. Bean bags can be used in a variety of games. Balance activities with the bean bags require the child to hold the bean bag on his head, hand or other body party. Bean bags can also be used in tossing games that allow kids to practice their aim and coordination. Place a bucket or box a few feet away from the 2-year-old and have him toss the bags into the container.
Dress Up
- Dress up games allow 2-year-old children to stretch their imaginations. These games can also provide children with the opportunity to practice buttoning and zipping clothing, a task that requires fine motor skills. Gather several different clothing items for the 2-year-old. This may include commercial dress up outfits, costumes or adult clothing. Props for the outfits add more opportunity for creativity.
Floor Shapes
- The floor shapes game improves a 2-year-old's recognition of basic shapes and improves his coordination. Create cardboard cut-outs of basic shapes, including a circle, square, triangle and rectangle. Hearts, stars, ovals, diamonds and other shapes may be added if the 2-year-old is ready for more shapes. Place the shapes on a carpeted floor or in the grass outside so they do not slide. Provide directions for the 2-year-old that require him to identify the shapes. For example, you might say "jump over the circle" or "place one hand on the square." This activity combines the cognitive skills of identifying shapes and following directions with the physical skills of performing the designated action.
Obstacle Course
- An obstacle course improves a 2-year-old's gross motor skills and coordination. Household items can be used to create an obstacle course indoors or in the backyard. Choose items that require your 2-year-old to climb under and over, as well as maneuver around items. Examples include climbing over a beanbag chair, climbing through the legs of a kitchen chair and weaving back and forth through a row of canned goods. Create a new obstacle course each time you play the game by choosing different items as the obstacles.

Kids Games