Provide puzzle activities for toddlers to help them build spatial skills. Set out colorful, sturdy wooden inset puzzles that have no more than four to six pieces. Simple concept puzzles such as those with basic geometric shapes work well. Make sure the puzzle pieces have knobs that allow toddlers to grasp and lift shapes out of the puzzle frame. Let the toddlers play with jigsaw picture puzzles that display objects that are familiar to them such as cars, animals or cartoon characters.
Provide a wide range of stacking toys such as containers, blocks and plastic rings. Encourage toddlers to stack cups or containers of different sizes or provide stacking blocks and ask the children to build a tower. Set out toys that require toddlers to nest shapes inside of each other. Give them a set of nesting dolls and show the children how to stack the dolls inside of each other.
Construction sets are ideal manipulative play toys for toddlers. Provide children with large and small building blocks and alphabet blocks. Add in plastic pipes and plastic people. You can also provide large plastic interlocking blocks. Encourage toddlers to build whatever they want. You could also give the children a specific task using verbal cues such as “Can you build a fire station?” or “Let’s build a tall building.”
Activities that involve threading and lacing are fun manipulative play activities that toddlers will enjoy. Make lacing cards and let the children practice their lacing skills. Cut poster board or cardboard into large, basic shapes like fish, animals or cars. Punch holes around the edges of the shapes. Let children color them and then provide them with a shoelace. Encourage the toddler to thread the shoelace through the holes. You can also hand out lengths of yarn and show toddlers how to string dry pasta, cereal or beads on the yarn.