Encouraging Toddler Behavior :: Please Touch!

Photo by D. Sharon Pruitt

The following post is written by Steady Mom's monthly contributor, Melitsa.


"Don't touch that!"
"It's hot!"
"Mine!"

We're all familiar with these phrases as they relate to toddler behavior. Toddlers are naturally curious to touch and examine objects.

They don't have any of the skills yet to hold back and decide whether it's the right or safe thing to do. They just reach out and act.

There will be plenty of times when our little ones will hear variations of "Don't touch!" But we can also encourage their curiosity and imagination by giving them opportunities to experience new things with our support.
 

Going on a Touching Walk

Accompany your toddler on a little walk. The goal? To allow her to touch and explore as much as possible.

Touching walks offer flexibility because you can take them outside or within your home.

It's not about just touching the things they are not generally allowed to touch, although they love that. It's about enriching their environment with language and experiences.

Take a moment or an afternoon exploring and letting them lead.

• Gather small items together in a pillowcase. Show them as you put them in- a small car, top of a water bottle, woolly sweater. Sit together and play a game. Can they guess by touching what it is?
• Sit with different creams and liquids to feel the differences in touch and smell together.
• Carry a little tube of hand cream. A little blob on the top of the hand and a little massage soon calms/distracts a toddler.
• See what big things feel like. How does the bed feel soft? the car feel hard? The pinecone prickly? The leaves wet and slippery one day but brittle another? Mug warm out of the dishwasher?
  
  

Touching activities are the ideal time to get messy. Messy play is part of early childhood.

Whether it means exploring and squeezing the spaghetti or splashing the soapsuds in the sink, give your toddlers the chance to express themselves!

**What's your toddler's favorite object to touch?**

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Melitsa is raising three full of fun boys in various countries, as a military wife and mother. She writes at her blog, Play Activities, and also hosts a weekly podcast, Raising Playful Tots, dedicated to making the most of playtime.