Tracing objects is a great exercise in hand eye coordination for toddlers. It can also be one of the first steps towards creating representational art.
Here is a fun and challenging tracing exercise for toddlers ages 3 and above. You will need a large glass door or floor to ceiling window and a dry erase marker.
If you've never used dry erase markers on a window, you've been missing out! Your kids will love them! They can easily be erased with a swipe of a hand or a paper towel. I keep a glassful of dry erase markers next to our sliding glass door, and the kids know they can use them at any time.
I started out by showing my children how to do it. I asked my daughter to hold still in front of the window while I went outside to draw her. I started with an outline and added a few details. Next it was my daughter's turn. I asked my son to go outside while my daughter stayed inside to draw him. My son had a very hard time holding still for this (he's 2.5), so after she drew him I went outside and held still for her while she drew me.
I recommend this for older 3 year olds, preferably 4 and above. Many young toddlers will not have the patience for this exercise, however, the older ones will have a blast! The beauty of this is they can erase it and do it again as many times as they like! This exercise would be really fun in a preschool, kindergarten or even older classroom full of kids!
Love these ideas! And looking at how engrossed the children are its clear that they do too!