The most age appropriate activities for that age is just free art - variety of textured paper, variety of tools, variety of paint/marker/crayon/stamps/etc. I never use coloring pages with that age, but instead just plain ol' construction paper and set them free. Other ideas in addition to the usual suspects:
- Try mixing colored sand in with Elmers glue and letting them paint that on heavy construction paper - when it dries, it feels rough and sandy.
- You can make playdough together, they can help you cook it - working with playdough is great for hand eye coordination and their fine motor skill development.
- A sand table or water table is another great age appropriate activity you can usually do.
- Cut out pictures of fall and help them paint elmers glue on the back with big preschool friendly paintbrushes. Glue sticks are often a wee bit difficult for this age.
- I use foam trays from the meat dept at the grocery store to pour paint, glue, etc into.
- if they are older 2s, you can mix some bubble solution with food coloring and let them blow bubbles of it onto a large sheet of paper. When it pops, it creates a picture of color. Younger 2s can't always master the blowing.
- cook together! Bake cookies that they can help mix and decorate, we make pumpkin pancakes when we talk about fall, etc.
- get huge cardboard boxes and let them color with crayon to make their own playhouse
- put up a tent and set them free with flashlights inside
- take walks outside and squish the nature items in between pieces of contact paper
- string large beads onto yarn
- buy sandpaper for them to color on
=)
