Dirty vs clean: a quick lesson in contrast
Heavy and light, loud and quiet, long and short, big and small, clean and dirty — your toddler’s brain loves to grapple with opposites. The sharp contrast between pairs of polar opposites is just right for your toddler’s natural interest in sorting and categorizing.
A great way to involve your toddler in learning about opposites is by exploring the idea of dirty versus clean.
What you will need:
- Two bins
- Dirt
- Water
- Soap
- Small Toys
- Sponge or Cleaning brush
Take the two bins, fill one with dirt and one with soap and water. Bury the toys in the dirt and allow your toddler to search for them. Explain how by scrubbing them in the soapy water they become clean again. This will teach your toddler more about cause and effect, and help them increase their gross motor skills!
Keep reading
13 - 15 Months
16 - 18 Months
19 - 21 Months
22 - 24 Months
Best Montessori and learning toys for 2 year olds
The best toys for 2 year olds support emerging independence and sense of identity. They also give your child opportunities for fine and gross motor practice, problem-solving, practical life skills, and more.
13 - 15 Months
16 - 18 Months
19 - 21 Months
22 - 24 Months
The best Montessori and learning toys for 1 year olds
At 12 months old, your toddler is more mobile and curious than ever. The best toys support mobility, fine motor skills, language, and independence. See our best Montessori toys for 1-year-olds.
19 - 21 Months
22 - 24 Months
25 - 27 Months
28 - 30 Months
31 - 33 Months
34 - 36 Months
What kind of chores are right for my child?
Children as young as 18 months can start taking on regular household responsibilities. These will be simple and straightforward, like wiping up spills or helping set the table, and will require modeling and patience from you.
0 - 12 Weeks
3 - 4 Months
5 - 6 Months
7 - 8 Months
9 - 10 Months
11 - 12 Months
13 - 15 Months
16 - 18 Months
19 - 21 Months
22 - 24 Months
25 - 27 Months
28 - 30 Months
31 - 33 Months
34 - 36 Months
Why wooden toys make the best playthings
Wooden toys are a staple of Montessori learning. They're durable, beautiful, and inspire wonder for a child's budding imagination.
13 - 15 Months
16 - 18 Months
19 - 21 Months
22 - 24 Months
Updated Lovevery Play Kits featuring larger, more complex developmental Playthings—plus, a new subscriber-only shop
After play studies, weeks of in-home testing, and thousands of customer surveys, we are excited to announce our updated Play Kits for one-year-olds.
19 - 21 Months
Month 21: Introducing the Montessori Animal Match game to your toddler
Lovevery CEO Jessica Rolph and Montessori Expert Jody Malterre demonstrate how the Montessori Animal Match game helps toddlers link 2D images with 3D figurines.
19 - 21 Months
22 - 24 Months
Dirty vs clean: a quick lesson in contrast
Your toddler’s brain loves to grapple with opposites. A great way to involve your toddler in learning about opposites is by exploring the idea of dirty vs clean
19 - 21 Months
22 - 24 Months
Mess-Free water painting
This water painting activity boosts gross and fine motor skills and is incredibly simple. All you need are paint brushes and a bucket of water.
19 - 21 Months
22 - 24 Months
Cap twist-off board
Twisting caps to loosen and tighten them takes concentration and coordination, and can be done over and over again. This activity reuses disposable baby food pouches to allow your child to practice.
19 - 21 Months
22 - 24 Months
Pipe cleaners and Wiffle Balls
"Posting” is a term used to describe fitting objects into an opening of corresponding size. In this activity, colorful, bendable pipe cleaners fit into Wiffle balls for all kinds of posting fun.
19 - 21 Months
22 - 24 Months
Velcro dot craft sticks
This DIY craft activity has can be taken on car trips and stored easily for future use—and it supports multiple developmental skills as well.
19 - 21 Months
22 - 24 Months
Pop-up paper tunnels
In this activity, your child will push toy cars, trains, planes, and other small vehicles through DIY tunnels, creating a world of pretend play to get lost in.
19 - 21 Months
22 - 24 Months
DIY Balloon Tennis
This simple DIY is a great source of entertainment and helps develop gross motor skills and hand-eye coordination. All it takes is a paper plate, popsicle sticks, and a balloon.
19 - 21 Months
22 - 24 Months
Toilet Paper Roll Crafts
Some of the best craft materials can be found in the recycling bin. Here are 3 crafts you can do with your toddler using toilet paper rolls.
19 - 21 Months
Welcome to The Realist Play Kit for months 19-21
Watch Lovevery CEO Jessica Rolph introduce the Realist Play Kit for months 19 to 11 of your toddler's life.
22 - 24 Months
Welcome to The Companion Play Kit for months 22-24
Watch Lovevery CEO Jessica Rolph introduce the CompanionPlay Kit for months 22 to 24 of your toddler's life.
22 - 24 Months
25 - 27 Months
3 easy pincer grasp activities for toddlers
The pincer grasp isn't just for babies. Toddlers need to continue strengthening this coordination and dexterity for future tasks.
19 - 21 Months
Month 21: Clean up, clean up, everybody, everywhere
Giving your toddler opportunities to help with household tasks makes them feel independent and valuable. Try these ways to encourage your child to participate.
19 - 21 Months
Month 20: Picture book project! 🌈 Preserving your toddler’s first words
This DIY project captures your child's first words and builds their vocabulary as their language develops.
19 - 21 Months
Month 20: Kicking, biting, and hitting: understanding and responding to your toddler’s tantrums
Kicking, biting, and hitting are common all with toddlers, and knowing what to do can be hard—especially if you’re in public. Here's what you should know.
19 - 21 Months
Month 20: The toddler game of who, what, where, why, how?
Introducing who, what, where, why, and how in little lessons empowers your toddler to begin explaining what interests them the most.
19 - 21 Months
Month 19: We asked 4 professionals what they wished toddler parents would do more—their answers are here
We asked some of our favorite early childhood, Montessori, and resilience experts to share some advice with us. Here are their top ten tips.
19 - 21 Months
Month 19: The magical teaching powers of words like “humongous”
Learn how to build your child's language skills and comprehension with plenty of rich vocabulary, back-and-forth conversations, narration, and repetition.
19 - 21 Months
Month 20: 8 ways toddlers start to talk between 18 and 24 months
Here are 8 ways your toddler is learning language right now, even if they're not saying much yet.
19 - 21 Months
Month 21: The earlier, the better: math is already developing in your toddler’s brain
Neuroscientist Gillian Starkey shares tips for introducing your toddler to math and why it's beneficial to start now.
19 - 21 Months
Month 21: 5 ways to play the pom pom way
Pom poms are a fun way for your toddler to develop their fine motor skills. Try these ideas for at home or on the go.
19 - 21 Months
Month 21: The Montessori activity you already have in your house
Develop your toddler's fine-motor skills and concentration in a fun new way with items you probably already have at home.
22 - 24 Months
Month 22: Don’t buy that gorgeous wooden play kitchen just yet, by Lovevery CEO Jessica Rolph
Consider these fun and safe ways to include your toddler in your real kitchen before you buy a new toy kitchen.
22 - 24 Months
Month 22: Ice, ice, baby—try these easy science activities
Sensory exploration of colors, shapes, and textures with your child doesn't have to be complicated. Here are a few simple science activities for toddlers.
22 - 24 Months
Month 22: 4 funky ways to make music a part of your toddler’s life
Music is a great way for toddlers to express creativity. Lovevery provides 4 fresh ways to make music a part of your child's life.
22 - 24 Months
Month 22: Is squashing bugs OK? 5 environmental lessons your toddler can learn now
Children react in various ways when they encounter bugs, but what should they do? Here are 5 environmental lessons your toddler can learn now.
22 - 24 Months
Month 23: Make me a match—Understanding your toddler’s matching skills
Matching images, objects, colors, and sound builds a toddler's pattern recognition and visual and short-term memory. Learn how matching skills progress.
22 - 24 Months
The better way to help your toddler learn colors
Lovevery shares the techniques discovered by Stanford University that pinpoint a new, effective way to teach young children about colors.
22 - 24 Months
Month 23: A whole new era of pretend play just started
Learn how to support your todder's pretend play, which is based on their own lived experiences. Imagination play will come later.
22 - 24 Months
Month 23: The pincer grasp is not just for babies
Learn why practicing the pincer grasp can help your child succeed in school and beyond by developing their fine motor skills and hand strength.
22 - 24 Months
Month 24: Why labeling your toddler’s intense feelings can actually help calm them down
Dr. Dan Siegel "name it to tame it" philosophy helps children calm down by acknowleding and labeling their strong emotions.
19 - 21 Months
Month 19: What should my toddler’s art look like right now?
More than anything, toddler art is a sensory exploration involving fine and gross motor movement. Here are the stages of toddler drawing development.
19 - 21 Months
Month 19: 4 signs toddlers understand language even if they aren’t talking much yet
Your toddler likely understands more than they can say. Here are 4 ways your toddler is communicating without words.