5200 Pickup and Other Toddler Games

Toddlers-little balls of energy that are still pint-sized and cute; yet can be so destructive.

I still refer to our youngest son as a baby, when he truly has entered toddlerhood. Lately, his actions have reminded me of this, more so than his size. He does things that are so intentional, without meaning to be hurtful or messy; and half, if not more, of the time he is trying to play a game. Here are a few of my toddler’s favorite games:

• 5200 pickup: at the title suggests, this is our #1 game. We play it hourly on days when we are home; unless I have given up on my end of the game (the one who does the picking up) and leave the mess for the next round. Being a toddler, my son is like a walking tornado. He moves into a room and WOOSH there’s stuff flying everywhere. I pick it up, or we pick it up together, and that makes space for more objects to cover the floor.

  

• Whack-a-mommy: Sometimes I get a very loving, gentle caress on my face from my sweet boy. And then there are the times I’m on the receiving end of a blast that feels like it could’ve been delivered by Ronda Rousey. In an attempt to make my toddler son feel remorse I tried making a sad face and even pretended to cry a little. Silly me, that just made the game more enticing; whacks and silly faces!
• Go Fish: Literally, go fish your keys out of the garbage, or your decorative sea shells out of the toilet, Mom. I’ll admit that this was partially my fault, as I praised my son for throwing his diaper into the garbage. He took that to mean we get cheers for any object that makes its way into the canister. And the toilet? How could it not be a game to throw things in there? It splashes, and Mom moves at lightning speed,  racing to close the lid on the body of water. Fun.
• King of the Table: I had forgotten how agile Toddlers can be, until the day I turned around for no less than 5 seconds, and turned back to see my son standing on the kitchen table, pouring salt onto its surface. I panicked, but didn’t want him to be startled and fall off the table, so I calmly set him back down on the floor, and pushed the chairs up snug to the table, hoping that would deter him. Nope, good try mom. He continues to find ways to get onto the table (or up the stairs, onto his brother’s bed, or on the very back of the couch). This is one game I am certain he does intentionally, as he waits, leaning onto the chair until I look right at him, squeals with glee, and dashes upwards. Luckily, the waiting for my attention assures that I can be right there to save him from any falls.

• Pin the Spaghetti on the wall: Toddlers and meals are an interesting combination, at least in our house. As a parent, watching your Toddler discover foods and use their fine motor skills to eat their food is rewarding. It’s not so rewarding when they use those fine motor skills to pinch a piece of slippery spaghetti and throw it at the wall that was cleaned an hour before dinner. And it’s not just spaghetti. It’s also not just the wall. Really any food and any clean surface within a five-foot radius of the highchair is fair game for a Toddler.

  

• Hide and go poop: The most straight forward of all the games. Toddler has to go #2. Toddler finds quiet corner, closet, or cupboard where he/she can do that in peace and Mom will have to follow the smell to find them. Sometimes the hiding turns into running away and avoiding a pant change at all costs. Why not extend a game Mom is actively participating in?

As my Toddler grows, I suspect he’ll continue coming up with unique games to play. And I try not to be dismayed by the messes that may be a result of these “games” because so much learning is also occurring. It doesn’t hurt that he flashes this smile at me either…