Grocery Shopping

• Supply your toddler with an array of toy food---fruits, vegetables, boxed foods, pretend cans, meats and snacks. Set up a corner of the living room with all the pretend food out on a table or low shelf. Use a toy stroller or shopping cart and tell the toddler it's time to play Shopping. Let them push the stroller and tell them they can shop for the food to take home. The toddler will enjoy being in charge, and filling up their cart with the food. Use small paper bags to fill up with the fake food, and let them pay you from their purse or wallet with pretend money. They may enjoy buying one item at a time and paying you for each as you bag it in a separate bag.
  
  

Playing Restaurant

• Let your child wear a small apron (or knot your own kitchen apron to fit your child). Tell the toddler that she is running the sandwich shop, and that you are the customer and she has to make you some food. Give the toddler a pad of paper and a pencil and let her take your order. Make sure to order foods that your toddler has stocked in her pretend kitchen. Ask her to suggest something she'd like to make for you. Let the toddler go and build a tray of all the foods you ordered. She'll enjoy serving you and being paid with pretend money when she hands you the bill.
  
  

High Chair Measuring Fun

• When you're cooking and your toddler wants to be a part of the action, set up her own "kitchen" in her high chair. You can fill a bowl of water, flour or dry cereal and place it on her high chair tray. Place an empty bowl for her to measure into. Give her measuring spoons and cups. Let her make a mess on her tray as she measures out portions from one bowl into the other. Be prepared to refill her bowl, or give her other items to measure when she's gotten tired of the first item. This is a great activity to help coordination and dexterity in the fingers.