That is right it says toddler.
Baby boy is feeling more and more like a toddlebean everyday.
Sigh.
Baby boy is feeling more and more like a toddlebean everyday.
Sigh.
So I am sharing some of the weird things we do with Westley -
because if your toddler is like mine, he gets bored with games
and things after a bit and needs me to change things up.
And it is August and we are all running out of ideas, amiright?
So I'll share mine, you share yours and lets keep these toddlers happy eh?
because if your toddler is like mine, he gets bored with games
and things after a bit and needs me to change things up.
And it is August and we are all running out of ideas, amiright?
So I'll share mine, you share yours and lets keep these toddlers happy eh?
1.
We put hose water in a snow sled and pull Westley around the yard in it.
We put hose water in a snow sled and pull Westley around the yard in it.
Why it is fun:
There is water involved and it is hot outside.
Not all babies love water, but Westley does so this is a big hit.
It marries the two things most toddlers like:
Being pulled around in something weird.
&
Spashing in water
Safety precautions:
Water can be a dangerous thing.
Especially for little ones.
Please only put an inch or so in the sled and
never ever ever ever leave your little one alone with it.
Children, especially top heavy toddlers and babies can and do drown
in just inches of water. It is imperative that you are full on engaged
in this activity as with any activity involving water.
2.
We put dirt in a pot and let Westley play in it (outside).
We put dirt in a pot and let Westley play in it (outside).
Why it is fun:
Well, it is dirt. And I know what you are thinking...just get a sandbox!
But - I don't want Westley to touch the sand and then
rub his eyes and get sand in his little baby blues.
rub his eyes and get sand in his little baby blues.
Plus everyone has dirt. So dirt it is.
Safety precautions:
I mean, it is dirt so here is the common sense of it,
don't buy the dirt at Home Depot that has a bunch of chemical crap in it.
Just use plain dirt. And if you use dirt from your own lawn just know that it can have bacteria in it - so you know - wash up afterwards. And don't let him eat it.
don't buy the dirt at Home Depot that has a bunch of chemical crap in it.
Just use plain dirt. And if you use dirt from your own lawn just know that it can have bacteria in it - so you know - wash up afterwards. And don't let him eat it.
3.
We pick apples from the tree in our backyard and throw them for Scout to fetch and chew.
We pick apples from the tree in our backyard and throw them for Scout to fetch and chew.
Why it is fun:
It just is. Picking fruit, throwing it around. Good times.
I realize that not everyone has a fruit tree to pick from and a dog to throw them for,
but if you do, highly recommended.
Scout and Westley get a kick out of this.
Safety precautions:
I guess just check the apples for worms. No one likes a worm apple.
Not even a dog.
I realize that not everyone has a fruit tree to pick from and a dog to throw them for,
but if you do, highly recommended.
Scout and Westley get a kick out of this.
Safety precautions:
I guess just check the apples for worms. No one likes a worm apple.
Not even a dog.
4.
We go to the thrift store and let Westley peruse the toy aisle and play with whatever he wants.
We go to the thrift store and let Westley peruse the toy aisle and play with whatever he wants.
Why it is fun:
Because he basically has an entire toy store at his fingertips AND it is okay to play with the stuff AND if he breaks anything (which he never has) it isn't expensive to buy whatever it was because it is a thrift store. The trick is to teach him boundaries, it is okay to touch things in this store and in this department but not everything.
Safety precautions:
Well you know - they are used toys so they are chalk full of germs. So we wash his hands and face when we leave. Also - as in every activity with a toddler, you have to be all in. You can't walk away or look away or meander around. You must be present and engaged with whatever toy he is playing with. Not only is it a good safety measure, but just all around good for his heart to have his parent there fully.
5.
We put all our spices (in plastic containers) in plastic bowls &
placed them in a toddler level cupboard.
Why it is fun:
The moral of this story is just to change out your bottom cupboard that your toddler likes to peek in with different baby safe things. So right now we have three plastic tupperware bowls full of plastic spice bottles. He opens the cupboard and carries the entire bowl into the living room and takes them out and puts them back in. He sees us use these things and realizes they are adult things so that of course makes them special and desirable to him.
Safety precautions:
I keep saying plastic because the spice bottles that are glass would be dangerous.
They could break and they are heavy so if baby throws them it could hurt someone or something.
Also - make sure all your caps are tightly screwed on. And if your smart toddler has
already learned how to unscrew caps - then just skip this one altogether.
So there are 5 quirky activities we are currently enjoying with Westley.
Tell us what you are up to!
We put all our spices (in plastic containers) in plastic bowls &
placed them in a toddler level cupboard.
Why it is fun:
The moral of this story is just to change out your bottom cupboard that your toddler likes to peek in with different baby safe things. So right now we have three plastic tupperware bowls full of plastic spice bottles. He opens the cupboard and carries the entire bowl into the living room and takes them out and puts them back in. He sees us use these things and realizes they are adult things so that of course makes them special and desirable to him.
Safety precautions:
I keep saying plastic because the spice bottles that are glass would be dangerous.
They could break and they are heavy so if baby throws them it could hurt someone or something.
Also - make sure all your caps are tightly screwed on. And if your smart toddler has
already learned how to unscrew caps - then just skip this one altogether.
So there are 5 quirky activities we are currently enjoying with Westley.
Tell us what you are up to!
Must acquire sled.
ReplyDeleteLove this.
I put water in different sized Tupperware dishes out in the yard for him to "cook" in. Mostly he just dumps the water on me.
Go to the Thrift Store and getchu one. Two birds. One Stone.
DeleteNot having a yard, we do the bowls of water in the kitchen. It is a blast and the mess is worth it, given the amount of giggles this activity creates!
DeleteWe're currently in the stage where I clear all of the living room furniture out of the way and cover the floor in toys. Which of course means that she'll search every nook and cranny for forgotten pieces of paper or tags for clothes or clothes hangers. It's a ball of fun.
ReplyDeleteI like all of your tips for future reference. Pinned!
Ah yessss I remember this stage very well as it was only a few short months ago. :)
DeleteThis is so funny because my cousins (tweens) were just here for vacation and pulled Tate around in the backyard at my grandma's for an hour. She just kept getting in it and smiling at them... around the yard they went again. HA. It was a HUGE hit and next time I'll add water.
ReplyDeleteSo sweet. Making a baby/toddler happy is one of the best feelings!
DeleteFilled an inflatable kid pool with a $5 bag of balls (think chuck e cheese). Never has Colton had so much fun. He flops into the balls, kicks, claps balls together, throws balls out and chases them down. Best money spent on toys so far hands down.
ReplyDeleteWhere do you get this $5 bag of balls? Awesome idea!
DeleteSuper fancy store...target
DeleteWhen my boys were little I bought several bags of dried beans, different varieties. Then I gave them measuring cups, pots and pans to " cook" with. They also loved filling their dump trucks with the beans and dumping them out. Easy clean up indoors, just vacuum what you can't pick up. CAUTION: must supervise, toddlers and preschoolers like to put things up their nose and dried beans are no exception. Cheap activity and good alternate activity for winter when they can't get out and play in the dirt.
ReplyDeleteBuying beans TODAY. Genius.
Deletewhoops...see my not so creative comment farther down.
DeleteI love it, and kind of needed this! The water in the sled is awesome, except you can't find a sled in this part of California for 150 miles...but a bin would work just fine!
ReplyDeleteWe have our spices in little drawers in the kitchen and D LOVES to pull them out when I am cooking and have me add them to whatever we are making--Greek Spice on eggs? SURE. Although last week, I look down to find a pile of paprika on the floor. But then...we got to pull out the mini broom and dust pan, which is ALSO a very fun toddler activity. We also do the dirt in the bucket outside, and again, pull out the mini broom when we are done--double the fun!
Oh, and on the fruit front, we pick lemons and toss them on the grass and D has a blast putting them in her wagon or in a paper bag.
DeleteIt is a dream of mine to live somewhere where I can grow citrus. Lemon tree? DREAM!
DeleteTwo options (a) Move to California, and/or (b) I can mail you a giant box of lemons. We have hundreds!
Delete(b) is obviously easier, but (a) is WAY more fun, and gets you a citrus tree.
i want to both live in california and have lemons. NOT FAIR.
Deletedon't forget avacados...if you live in california, you have to have those!
DeleteWe do have an avocado tree, although its health is currently questionable. B's goal is to live "off the grid" via our little backyard. We now have lemons, oranges, 2 grapefruits, kumquat, avocado, pomegranate, apple trees along with cucumbers, beans, peppers, watermelon and various herbs. I just roll with it.
DeleteOh my gosh. I am so jealous right now.
DeleteCandis, what a great roundup! It makes me wish we had a yard so badly.
ReplyDeleteThe spices are a good idea - we also moved all of Behr cups and plates and spoons, etc to a bottom cabinet (drawer) so he can get them out himself.
I have found that he really wants to cook with me, so I put some dried black beans and navy (white) beans in a large tupperware with a good lid. We pull it out when it is time to make dinner and I give Behr different utensils (spoons, scoops, measuring cups) to use to mix, stir, and sort the beans. But be warned, he does try to eat the beans on occasion!
hahaha, i love this. especially the safety precautions part.
ReplyDeleteohhh parker man loves himself a pot full of water on the front lawn. colanders, spoons, whatevs. when he's a little older, i hear dried beans and utensils and things can be real fun to play with? like a sensory table or something? we go for bike rides, sit on the boat (on the driveway... wahoo!) sometimes, build with blocks... goodness, it can get boring, but it's all in a day's work with these boys, right?
annnnd just saw that shannon already mentioned the beans. READ FIRST, BRIDGET.
ReplyDeleteThese are so cute! My younger brother and I used to do the water in the radio flyer wagon and pull each other around.
ReplyDeleteOh...btw did you ever do a post on the finale of the Bachelorette??? =)
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteOoh! I love the sled idea! So funny but it makes perfect sense!
ReplyDeleteI have to throw a few in there, even though I'm not a mama. I work at a Montessori preschool and get to plan out summer camp activities. (BEST JOB EVER?) Here are some favorites:
-homemade Gak, Goop, there's an assortment of ways to make them
-outdoor mud kitchen (with the works!)
-logs (carrying them, rolling them, sitting on them...)
-chalk paint (we give them chalk, water, textured pots and pans from the mud kitchen, brushes... and they go at it and paint EVERYTHING outside. They make the paint by grinding it like a mortar and pestle into the textured pans.)
-washable fingerpaint from liquid baby soap, cornstarch, and food coloring
-splatter painting outside (this one is FUN!)
-soap flake play (soap flakes, water, whisks, little fingers)
-painting with spaghetti noodles
-homemade sugar scrub play (essential oils make this even more awesome)
We also do a lot of "practical life" stuff in the classroom like scrubbing a baby doll with soap and a brush, hammering nails into pumpkins with a small hammer, sandpaper with blocks of wood, polishing silver, polishing wooden animals, grinding colored chalk into sand and funneling into vases to make pretty patterns... I know a lot of these things would be very challenging to do with a one year old, but most two year olds are very receptive to activities like this and I think a lot of these ideas are adaptable to different ages depending on how engaging the adult is, but even more importantly, by how well set up the child's environment is. :)
ps. oops, that was me up there deleting that comment. Accidentally posted from my work account!
My 13 month old loves opening doors--it's like an obsession with him--so we play peek-a-boo around the door. He could do this non-stop; I however, last 10 minutes tops.
ReplyDeleteHe also took a liking to the changing table drawers and since it was being used mostly as storage anyway, I took all the old bottles and unused sippy cups and packed them away and put a bunch of toys in there instead. That way I'm not as annoyed with him opening the drawers and taking stuff out since it's just his toys. Of course, the interest in that has gone down since it wasn't "forbidden" anymore but oh well.
Also, he has a Radio Flyer rocket ship he LOVES to ride around the house on. We play chase with that, which is his favorite game.
I love envisioning all of us with piles of bean strewn around our living room. My living room, every day. We now use a bowl of beans with two smaller bowls to pour into for "emergency situations" like when she wakes up at 6am and we want to divert her amazing energy for the tiniest bit of time. Hot tip: beans are way easier to gather up if you play with them on the bed!
ReplyDeleteMy friend just gave me a pile of felt scraps for distributing to every nook and cranny. I'd love to get some fluffy colorful pom pom for distributing as well.
Love the montessori suggestions above too!
This is down right genius. The sled and water one is my favorite. :) I'm a foster mom of two kids so I love the suggestions. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteLady Lee- I MISS YOUR POSTS :( Did you relocate this blog? Hope not. Either way, please know you are missed.
ReplyDeleteHope all is well :)
Hi! I'm here! I'm alive! And you are the sweetest for leaving this comment. I didn't relocate the blog - I still plan on posting - I have just taken a bit of a break.
DeleteTHANK YOU for letting me know I am missed. Means a lot. :)
Anytime! Happy to hear you are alive and well. Just wanted to let you know that you are thought of and missed :)
Delete