Fun Stuff to do with Your Toddler

Remember the do it yourself Sundaes? Well it's been a while again since I did anything "out of the ordinary" with Alex. I mean we've had fun, gone to the park, gone to playdates, played outside, etc. But we haven't done those "make a point to do this" things that I promised myself as a parent I would do before my kids grow up. So today we took a sheet and covered the coffee table, making ourselves a secret fort to watch movies from. I left the toys all over the living room and we shared chicken soup (Alex has been under the weather) and apple juice and watched Ratatouille until our eyes crossed. I'm convinced there is no sweeter sound on earth than your own child's laughter.

And tonight after both the boys went to bed I realized there are plenty of fun things you can do with your kids, and many of them don't involve any extra money. I'll start a list, but please comment and add your own ideas if you have any!

1 - Make a fort using an old sheet over your coffee table or kitchen table. Stash snacks and a flashlight and a pillow or two underneath and spend the day "camping out".

2 - Pack a picnic lunch and eat it in the backyard. Since it's summertime you can do this before, during, or even after playing in the sprinklers!

3 - Create a scavenger hunt for your toddler. It can be as simple as hiding gummy bears in random places and giving your little one hints on where to find them. Or as complex as stashing things along a specific route and then taking your little one for a stroller ride in the right direction.

4 - Become a sketch artist. Draw a picture but follow your toddler's direction on who should be in it, what color they should be, etc. Alex loves doing this (funny enough every time we do this Poppy, Daddy, Alex and Stephen make it in the picture, but no Mommy anywhere).

5 - On rainy days, place a few of your toddler's favorite books in different rooms of the house. Read a different story as you go in a different room. Add props or actions that go with the stories - for a bee story, have your little one change into a yellow shirt or make buzzing noises. Better yet, let your little one come up with their own ideas of things to go with the stories!

6 - Find a zoo if you have one anywhere nearby. Toddlers adore animals and the zoo is a wonderful learning experience. Don't be afraid to make animal noises right along with your toddler. If it's one thing toddler's love, it's anything that makes mommy or daddy look silly!

Alex watching the lion at our zoo.


I'll be adding to this list as I come up with ideas but would love to hear yours as well!!