If you have a baby or toddler at home full-time, chances are that your quarantine days don’t look much different than your usual. They don’t here at all.
If you have a toddler at home full-time now who is usually at a sitter or in preschool daily, then you are probably a fish out of water. Throw in working your job from home while trying to occupy said toddler and you are probably one more snack time away from crazy town.
Here are some great ideas for how to occupy your little ones at home.
toddler activities
Art. Give them all the art projects you can find.
These spill-proof paint cups have made my life so much easier and cleaner. Not only are they mess-free, but they come with a lid and prevent your paint from drying up! Win-win.
An art smock also makes things easier for clean up. I ordered this one from Walmart and can’t wait for it to get here!
PRO TIP: Take the paint outdoors. Even less of a chance of a mess. We spread an old moving blanket on the ground and let Kenny go to town. This really makes the best art space.
As for painting products, we use the washable paints from Crayola (this price is amazing!) and a set of tiny canvases. I plan on hanging her different masterpieces in her playroom. We also paint rocks, sticks, whatever she wants!
A 96 count box of crayons has provided hours of entertainment for Kenny girl. This giant coloring page is SO much fun. I spread it in the driveway on sunny days and across the countertop on cooler days.
Books.
Toddlers love books. Her current favorite is Spot books, so we bought pretty much every book that they make. Comment below with your toddler’s favorite book. I love adding new titles to her little library.
Sand table.
I said sand table, not sand box. No one needs an outdoor litter box #justsayin. Last summer we had this sand table and Kenny girl LOVED it. We left her crabby sand table in Ohio, so I started shopping for a new table a couple weeks ago. I landed on this table and it’s probably her new favorite thing to do outdoors. It sold out since I ordered it, but this table is pretty similar.
Take a walk.
This is more of a nail photo, but you get the idea lol. Our push car makes Ken feel like she’s playing along with the walk moreso being stuck in a stroller.
Bubbles.
Give them babies bubbles. Bubbles make everyone happy! Our bubble machine broke really quickly, so I’m not going to link it for y’all. This machine is rated well and will probably be our replacement. This wand set is used at our house every single day.
Cook with them.
My girl loves cooking with me. Her kitchen stool makes it possible for us. She puts on her apron and helps me measure ingredients and gets to even chop with her kid-proof (not sharp) knife.
Educational entertainment.
Sometimes mama has to have time to get stuff done. That’s when I turn on the tv or give her one of her educational apps.
Help out around the house.
We are in the middle of potty training (insert loud eye roll here) which made me realize that she is ready for some responsibility. We now have a rule that she must clean up her mess (with help) before starting another game or project. Turns out, toddlers like to be helpful. She loves trying to help sweep, organize, etc. If you have chores to do, consider allowing your little one to help. It helps teach them a little responsibility and a feeling of pride in their work.
Snacks.
Snacks keep those little fingers busy. We give Kens a silicone muffin tin (doubled up) and put a small amount of snacks in each cup and she LOVES it.
Nail polish.
My baby girl wants her nails and toes polished daily. Guess what? It’s a great opportunity for mama and her to spend some QT. We love Piggy Paints.
Garden with them.
As y’all know, I started my first garden this year. Kenny goes out every morning and helps water all of our flowers, herbs and veggies.
Exercise with them.
There are so many great mommy and me exercise videos on YouTube. Kenny really enjoys the Frozen video from Cosmic Kids Yoga. I’m wearing this workout set from Skatie.
What activities keep your little ones occupied? Give me more ideas in the comments!
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Thank you for this post! So helpful!! Also, where are her sandles from? I am having the hardest time finding some!