How to Amuse Toddlers

Step 18 Refrigerator magnets

There are various types of refrigerator magnets available for purchase (the alphabet being perhaps the most common) but I would challenge you to make your own set of magnets featuring the faces of friends, family and pets that your toddler will recognize.

A good size for head shot magnets is 2x2 inches square. Use your favorite photo editing software (Photoshop, Gimp, etc.) to resize and place 6 head shots onto a standard 4x6 print. Print out the prints and then glue them onto foamboard. Cut the foamboard into squares with your X-acto knife and stick a piece of self-adhesive magnet on the back.

To add further fun to this project you may even want to make a flat foamboard house to stick to the fridge with windows and doors where the 2x2 heads will fit! :)

Comments

[Leosmama]

Hi, here is just another option: I make my own photo fridge magnets using small photos (or pictures, or pressed dried flowers, or letters, or anything that is flat....) and laminating them. You can stick the self adhesive magnet strips directly onto the back (or re-cycle cut-up pieces of the free 'advertising' fridge magnets that I seem to accumulate, and glue them on) . It protects the photo and they last longer, if little sticky fingers play with them, they just wipe clean. My 3 year old loves them, and we write the names of friends and family with letter magnets beside the photos and he can recognise quite a few names now. They are also a great present for grandparents, family and big and little friends, especially those who live a bit further away and can't see you as often. Enjoy! XXX

[Rishnai]

Another idea for what to do with magnets to entertain your child is to buy them at each stop on a vacation. I remember when I was little my family would take a road trip to tourist destinations around Colorado every summer, and get magnets as souveneirs. My dad would bring them back from every city he went on a business trip to, too, so I could have an idea of where he was! Even just quick one or two-day trips were tremendous fun (but not tiring), and I could relive that fun playing with the magnets on the refrigerator!