By Stephanie Fustar
Today’s post is the first in a series of “At Home With Gratitude” topics. We at Little Wonders hope this series will be helpful to you, our community, by providing support and resources during these unique times. As Mireille’s recent blog post mentioned, we hope to find the silver lining and embrace this as an opportunity to slow down and spend quality time with the ones we love most. By doing this with gratitude, we will set an example for our children and hopefully make this a time that our little ones will remember fondly.
Lately, when my family has been all together and looking for some fun, we have unanimously agreed on playing board games. Thankfully there are many games suitable for toddlers that are also enjoyable for parents and older siblings too! Most games can easily be adapted to accommodate your family - your toddlers will never know you changed the rules.
If you are game for a bigger adventure, you can play what my family has dubbed “Board Game Olympics.” We usually wear our pajamas, have each family member choose a game, decide what the winner’s prize will be, and then hunker down for some good competition and fun. Kids love this extra special occasion and knowing they will get their parents’ attention for a solid hour (or two). Prepare to make this a recurring event if you try it!
Top Board Games for Families with Toddlers (hint: if a game uses a spinner but your little one has difficulty using it, bring out the dice)
Candy Land (tip: to make this game extra sweet, add real-life candy to special spaces)
Chutes & Ladders (tip: make your own rules and have both chutes and ladders go UP, so that no one has to go backwards)
Let’s Go Fishing (tip: it’s easier to catch the fish if you turn the spinner off; kids can try holding the fishing pole differently to find what’s easiest for them)
Simon Says
Jenga (tip: start by using less-than-all the Jenga pieces; allow kids to use two hands)
Jumping Jack
Pop up Pirate
My First Orchard
Richard Scarry’s Busytown Eye Found It
Go Fish
Operation
Matching Games (Goodnight, Goodnight Construction Site, Dr. Seuss)
Twister
Hi-Ho! Cherry-O!
Spot It Jr.
Bingo
If you add any of these to your collection, please consider purchasing through Amazon Smile (choose “Little Wonders” as the charity) or a local toy store like Reach & Teach and Five Little Monkeys.
Big thanks to the friends and classmates who provided recommendations for this list!