A list of books and activities for a growing toddler

Apart from the types of books that I have talked about in my previous articles – Children’s books for 6 months+ child and Activities and books for a growing infant, there are Flip the Flaps and Lift the flaps that my son enjoyed, the only catch with these was that they had to be board books, because sometimes in his enthusiasm he managed to pull off or tear the flaps. Most of these books give ample scope to emote, introduce a variation of pitch and talk about daily life. The intrigue factor of what is there behind the flaps fascinates little ones and the beauty is that they enjoy it even more in successive reading sessions.

Flip the Flaps

Lift the Flaps

When Vansh was a year old we picked up a few wooden puzzles which I knew would be useful to us for quite some time to come. These puzzles were great for his gross motor skills apart from what he learnt from them. Though they are a tad bit expensive but extremely durable and are now being used by his little cousin.

Wodden Puzzles

At about 16 months, I introduced him to Puzzle Books and 3 piece puzzles. They were a huge hit, he kept doing some of them till he had memorized them.

Puzzles are also quite easy to make at home, also since they are made in the child’s presence, he finds it easier to assemble these.

(I am not a great artist but this one is amongst the better drawn ones)

Magnet books and Fridge magnets.

Magnets, not the Ceramic ones but the ones made from rubber or plastic ones, have been a huge asset to me when I had to finish something around the house and keep Vansh constructively occupied. He would make lines and arrange them in ways that suited his imagination, a lovely way to let his creativity blossom.

(These arrangements are by a 2.5 year old)

Magnet books on the other hand are lovely interactive books. These books have magnets which can be put on pages to complete the picture. These are best used either under supervision or when your child outgrows the phase of putting things in his her mouth

Chalkboard books

I have fond memories of using a chalk and slate and always wanted my son to enjoy using that medium, so when I saw a chalkboard book I picked it up immediately. A few pages have chalkboard effect and so are as good as slates. It has been about a year that we have it and my son still enjoys using it.

Both my husband and I are avid readers and, we wanted to give it an honest shot to try and raise a reader, but these books have fascinated us equally if not more than our toddler.

To read other articles on children’s books: Top 5 books to read at bedtime, Your Family photo album could be the first book you read with your child!, Read to your child..How and What?, Activities and books for a growing infant, Children’s Books For 6 Months + Child, 7 popular children’s classics to spark the love for reading

If you are considering buying books, check out at a bookstore in your city.

Read More On Baby