I have yet to meet a toddler who isn’t fascinated by digging. The excitement of discovering hidden treasures (and at this age, everything is a treasure!), the movement, and the tactile engagement with different materials make it an irresistible activity. Add to this the universal appeal of dinosaurs—those mighty creatures that inspire children to roar and stomp around—and you have the perfect recipe for a fun and educational activity. So why not combine these interests and create an exciting learning opportunity for your little one? Here’s a simple, yet engaging activity: digging dinosaurs out of a block of ice! Not only is it a lot of fun, but it also offers plenty of learning opportunities! Preparation: This activity does require a bit of prep work, but it’s well worth it! Start by freezing some plastic dinosaurs in different containers. Layer the dinosaurs by freezing them in stages to add an element of surprise as your toddler digs deeper. Just be mindful that it should not be too challenging for your two year old. Once everything is frozen, place the ice blocks in a large tray, ready for excavation. What You’ll Need: Plastic dinosaurs Containers with warm water Syringes, turkey basters, and test tubes Tweezers A container of salt (optional: add colouring for extra fun!) The Activity: Now, for the fun part! Together with your toddler, explore how to melt the ice and uncover the hidden dinosaurs. Use this opportunity to model what they can do. Show them how to pour warm water over the ice, use syringes and turkey basters to squirt water, or sprinkle salt to speed up the melting process. As you do this, talk about what’s happening—describe the ice melting, the water temperature, and how salt interacts with ice. Encourage imaginative play by making up stories about the dinosaurs’ adventures as they emerge from the ice. Perhaps they’ve been frozen for millions of years and are waking up to explore a new world, or maybe they’re on a rescue mission! As you engage in this narrative play, you’re also modelling rich language, expanding your child’s vocabulary, and helping them to express their thoughts and ideas. Learning Opportunities: Communication and Language: As you narrate the dinosaurs' journey and describe the melting process, your child is exposed to new vocabulary and sentence structures, boosting their language development. Pro tip: at this age, modelling language is always better than asking multiple questions. Understanding the World: Through this hands-on experience, your child learns about the different states of water (solid, liquid) and how materials like salt can affect these states. They also learn about the different temperatures (warm, cold) and how they feel against the skin. Physical Development: Using syringes, tweezers, and other tools helps develop fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, and muscle control. Personal, Social, and Emotional Development: This activity encourages problem-solving, patience, and perseverance as your child figures out how to free the dinosaurs. Letting Them Lead: Remember, it’s perfectly okay if your child’s attention wanders after a few minutes—they might only focus on a single activity for 4 to 6 minutes at this age. If they drift to something else, that’s fine! The goal is to provide an engaging experience that they can dip in and out of as their interest dictates. So, the next time your little one is looking for something fun to do, try this icy dinosaur dig. It’s an activity that promises not only excitement but also a wealth of learning opportunities that will support their development in a playful and enjoyable way. Important reminder: always supervise your babies while they interact with any objects and materials. Images: Happy Hooligans
