During these colder months, sometimes it can seem hard to entertain that wild toddler running rampant in your home. The days can feel extra long when you’re trying to keep them entertained. I’ve compiled my top 5 ways to keep my toddler entertained when it’s a bit too cold to play outside!
1. Sensory Bins
Whether you buy pre-made sensory bins online, or throw some dry rice and kitchen utensils in a bin, sensory bins can give your toddler a way to express their energy!
In our home, we try to rotate our sensory bin “base” to keep things fun and exciting. Uncooked rice, beans, and pasta noodles are always a hit. If you live somewhere with snow, put some in a bin or bowl and let them have a little snowman building fun!
2. Toy Rotation
You may have heard about toy rotation before, and whether you partake or not, these colder months are the perfect time to try and stay on top of it!
When you rotate your child’s toys, they feel like “new” toys to play with. It reignites their excitement over them, which can help them play longer! Enjoy those extra moments and make yourself a coffee. You deserve it!
3. Baking
This is the perfect time of year to take advantage of baking with your toddler! Grab a quick boxed cake at the store or find a yummy Pinterest recipe, put your toddler on a chair at the counter, and let them help. I promise your toddler will love helping you mix ingredients together!4. Crafts (using recycling)
Something as simple as a paper towel roll and some plastic spoons can be so fun and exciting for your little one. We like to set a bin aside of things we could use for crafts, and when it’s time to bring it all out, our son gets super excited!
Our favorite things to hold onto are paper towel rolls, toilet paper rolls, straws, cardboard boxes, take out cups, and plastic spoons. You can use a hole punch to punch holes in the items and your little one can experiment with sticking the straws through! Or make a fun ramp for their hot wheel cars;)
5. Fort and Movie
This is a favorite of ours for those evenings where the witching hour feels extra long. We use our nugget couch, but dining room chairs will do too! Grab a few blankets and stick on their favorite movie.
There are so many ways you can get creative with fort building, and let your toddler help! They will feel extra special sitting under the fort they helped make. In our family we like to grab some special snacks when we go grocery shopping for moments like these. Fun new snacks and drinks help out toddler enjoy the movie even more!
I hope these 5 ideas can help you and your toddler enjoy the cold and snowy days a little more!
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