Jumping Puddle Splash Game

6-8 pieces of blue construction paper or felt

Scissors (for adult to cut puddle shapes)

Tape (optional — to secure puddles to slippery floors)

Cut 6-8 large puddle shapes from blue paper or felt. Make them big enough for your child to land on with both feet — about 12 inches across. Wobbly, organic shapes look more like real puddles.

Scatter the puddles across the floor with about 1-2 feet between them. Start with them close together for beginners.

Tell the story: "It rained last night and there are puddles everywhere! Let's jump in them!" Then demonstrate a two-footed jump into the nearest puddle.

Encourage your child to jump puddle to puddle. Say "SPLASH!" every time they land. Make it dramatic.

The rule: stay on the puddles. The floor between is "dry" and you don't want to step on it. This gives them a target to aim for.

Count each puddle as they jump through the course: "Puddle one! Puddle two!" Counting while jumping is dual-tasking and it's great for their brain.

Once they've gone through all the puddles, rearrange them. Move some farther apart for bigger jumps, or cluster them close for rapid hopping.

Add challenges: jump and spin, jump and clap, or jump and freeze in a funny pose on each puddle.

Jumping with two feet simultaneously is a skill that typically develops between 24-30 months. If your child is stepping rather than jumping, that's developmentally normal. Keep practicing.

Tape the puddles down if your floor is slippery. Paper slides on hardwood, and a sliding puddle is a falling child.

Felt puddles last longer than paper and don't slip as much on hard floors. They're worth the small investment.

Take this outside after real rain and jump in actual puddles. There's nothing better for a 2-year-old than a real puddle stomp in rain boots.

Make some puddles small and some big. Aiming for a smaller target is harder and teaches spatial judgment.