With temperatures reaching inhumane lows across the country, you or your sitter are likely trapped in the house with the kids and in near desperate need for new ways to keep them entertained. Save your sanity with these fun ideas for keeping little kids happy and engaged.
10 Creative Ideas for Entertaining a Toddler (in the dead of winter!)
1. Fill the tub or the kitchen sink! It’s time to bathe the toys, give the Barbies a spa day or host a car wash. If you really want to surprise your kids, hold the water and instead fill the tub with dried beans or rice and let them scoop and fill to their hearts’ content.
2. Build a slide or tunnel for toy cars to race down and under, using a piece of cardboard atop stacks of books or copy this creative masking tape roadway. Take it a step further with a DIY wasabi race track.
3. Create a fort by draping blankets over chairs and other furniture, and pretend it’s a house, boat or a plane. The opportunities are endless. If your kids love forts, consider creating this no-sew teepee from The Handmade Home.
4. Throw a dance party. Crank up the music and let loose. Get in on the fun and you can knock out your daily workout.
5. Brave the outdoors and create an ice skating party for dolls or action figures, a la the one by Happy Hooligans. She also has an ingenious post on making paint for painting the snow.
6. Set up a stage for an impromptu puppet show with dolls or sock puppets. Here’s a handy tutorial for making your own sock pocket, via One of a Kind Gift Ideas.
7. Toddlers love to push and pull things. Take a toy wagon or baby stroller outside and let them “mow the lawn” or plow the snow.
8. Taste test the art supplies!? Yes, break the rules and let them eat the paint with edible finger paints. You can stress less about the mess, since they are made with condensed milk. Super simple!
9. Reminisce by going through family photo albums and watching videos made when they were “young.” Slightly older kids will enjoy the walk down memory lane, too. You can take it a step further by talking about their family tree.
10. DIY Matching Game. Use whatever you have on hand, from the socks in the drier to cut lengths from a few spools of ribbon to keep a toddler busy matching.
What’s your favorite Winter-time activity? Have you made/done any of the pieces on this list? Tell us in the comments!
