Keeping A Young Toddler Entertained

We can't seem to kick the summer fever and bugs over here, so the Lukester and I have been cooped up in the house for the better part of a week. And you know that gets old reaaal fast with a little boy aching to run around in the good ole' fresh air (and for his mom, too).

So, what's a mother bug supposed to do? Get creative and come up with incredibly thrilling indoor activities. That's what!

I give you my trusty list of indoor activities to do with a young toddler in the off-chance you are restrained to the confines of your house for whatever reason (although I hope you aren't feeling sickly and are out enjoying the sunshine like a healthy person!)...

1) Build a fort (pictured above). If you follow me on Instagram (@alongabbeyroad) you will have seen our fort building adventures from the other day, which we did in fact stay in all day and all night. Forts are especially fun because the bebes love running through the blankets and sheets, and eventually pulling them down in true toddler form!

2) Finger paint. We just tape huge sheets of butcher paper to the floor and let Luke work his Picasso skills. If you have carpet, just set that little tike up in the kitchen. We use the Crayola Washable Finger Paints. It's a fun way to teach colors and how they blend. Also, they are non-toxic in case your small buddy thinks it might be a good idea to take a taste test, and they clean right up with water and soap.

3) Play with a magnet board. We just bought a small piece of sheet metal at the local hardware store and made a portable magnet board for Luke to play with his magnetic letters, numbers, and figurines. It stores away with his books and he can pull it out whenever he is tired of reading.

4) Read books. Do I even need to list this one? I feel like it's a no-brainer, but we keep Luke's books on rotation about every 2 weeks so he doesn't get bored. So far it works wonders and keeps him interested and occupied.

5) Make a discovery box. Simply take an old shoe box or plastic container with a lid and fill it with goodies all over the house. We like to stuff it with old scraps of fabric, sheets of foil, wax paper, toilet paper rolls, sponges, etc. Basically you can just stuff it with different objects of various textures for them to explore, rip and crinkle. They'll be entertained for hours (almost)!

6) Bake a feel good treat. Luke is finally at the age where he can stand stably on a chair next to me while we combine the ingredients. It's fun to let him see how to mix things, and helps with motor skills by helping stir and pour (with assistance, of course... I don't need cake batter covering the floor).

7) Make an obstacle course. We all know how much toddlers enjoy a solid jump or crawling through small spaces, so why not make your own fun center? Our obstacle course includes, but is not limited to, tipped over chairs, couch cushions, tunnels made of blankets, and laundry baskets. You get the picture.

8) Take an extra-terrestrial bath. I don't know about you, but Luke would take 20 baths a day if I'd let him. On sick days, the steam and warmth can help clear up any congestion and all-around yuckiness, so we let him take an extra couple. But, we like to give it an extra summin' summin'! Thanks to Pinterest, we add glow sticks to the bath to make it a glowing solar land of its own, and add food coloring to shaving cream for a bath time painting sesh of sorts. Lemme' tell ya, it is a home run every time.

9) Have cardboard box races. Matt gets tons of packages for his work, meaning our home overfloweth with boxes. Luke found that some are the perfect fit for him to sit in, and we've turned them into makeshift racing cars. Luke snuggles in, and I race around the house pushing him from behind. One of these days we will get around to decorating one like a car, which leads me to my last activity...

10) Make a cardboard playhouse. We haven't conquered this project yet, but it's on our list. Thanks again, creative peoples of Pinterest!