Friday, August 26, 2011

Entertaining Toddlers!



Only 4 days until preschool starts and I cannot wait! We have run out of things to do. What are your tried and true activities for entertaining your busy toddler? Here are few of my favorites - most are not my original ideas - but have become lifesavers since we have been home so much lately! Please share your favorite ideas with me. I need a few more tricks up my sleeve.

Painting with q-tips, mesh sponges, toothbrushes
Pouring water from container to container - sometimes I even add a drop of food coloring if I am brave!
Tea-parties with our babies complete with bibs, utensils, and food. We talk about manners.
Forts out of dining room chairs and sheets
Freeze a bunch of tiny toys in a plastic bowl of water - take outside and play!
Paint marshmallows with colored milk - Evie loves this but hates the marshmallows
Sorting objects by color, size, etc. (colored pom poms, skittles, blocks are great for sorting)
Use painters tape and make a road on your kitchen floor for matchbox cars
Tupperware play - get out bowls, cups etc and let your toddler match the lids
Thread pasta or Fruit Loops onto pipe cleaners or yarn
Wash plastic animals or people using a toothbrush and a bowl of water - Evie does this almost every day!
Write on house with chalk - spray off with hose when done
Hide your toddlers stuffed animals and help them hunt them. Your toddler can hide them next for you to find.
Make birthday cards, signs, or books with lots of materials such as glue, glitter, tissue paper.
Collages are fun - Evie likes to cut out food pictures and glue them on paper - her cutting skills scare me!
Obstacle courses with pillows from the couch

Here's a funny yet shockingly true article about living with toddlers! Enjoy!

Gotta run, my favorite toddler is waking up from her nap.

4 comments:

  1. Such a cute blog. Love reading your updates. Your children are precious and oh I can relate. So stealing that cute marshmellow idea. We have had the summer of bubble wands. My 3yr old loves them. Google and see what you think. For $20 they have provided us a great summer! We also do alot of painting of wooden letters etc. and napkin parachuttes off the stairs.

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  2. I love all your ideas. I'm bad about getting into a rut- we read books and do puzzles until I can't see straight! I feel so uncreative. Oh and those pictures could be Annie and Graves. They love playing in the little "Gravey pen" together. Will you send me your email address? I wanted to ask you some questions about going dairy free and the old one I had didn't work. (sarahdenley.perry@gmail.com)

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  3. love love love the article! i need to print it and read it again and again just to make myself feel somewhat normal :)
    y'all have been busy! we do a lot of the same things, but i'm totally stealing some of your ideas! i like the idea from the commenter that said "napkin parachutes" libbi LOVES throwing things off the stairs. we do A LOT of playdough (i hate it!) and stickers. we do the animal hunts too and now we've started setting a timer to see how fast she can do it - ha! it's hard coming up with things that are fun, but quiet, too since sister is often sleeping.... our preschool starts in 13 days...but who's counting?!?! ;-)

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  4. Oh also we love sidewalk paint. Equal parts of water and corn starch with food coloring and then sponge brushes. Fun alternative to side walk chalk and washes up great.

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