Keep Your Toddlers Busy At Home
ERA Evergreen
SPECIAL SAUCE: OUR RECIPE FOR RAVING FANS
SPECIAL SAUCE: OUR RECIPE FOR RAVING FANS
Let's face it-- keeping your toddlers in check and entertained at home is probably the most challenging task a parent has to undertake. And if you've shifted to bringing your work home, for the time being, your everyday life has probably become a whole lot TOUGHER!
So what does it take to keep your active kiddos busy throughout the day? Since daycares and babysitters are out of the question during this pandemic, there's not a whole lot you can turn to at the moment. So roll up your sleeves and get ready to rumble, ladies, and gents! Here are ten tips and tricks to get your toddlers busy inside the comforts of your home(and no, it doesn't involve hypnotism!):
Color Matching Games
Games can tickle any child's interest, and a color matching game can keep your toddler busy for hours! Gather a pile of colorful items in front of your child and have them match the colors together! You can also use this opportunity to teach your pre-schooler the different shapes, shades, and help in your child's early development! Use just random things inside your home and minimize any costs!
Playdough
Scraping playdough off your floors may be quite a chore, but it's truly worth it! Playdough can help small children build strength in their hands for their fine motor skills, and teach them to hone their creativity and imagination. It also aids in sensory exploration, AND have them tinkering for hours, too!
Puzzles
Chunky puzzles, or puzzles in general, are a great aid in keeping your toddlers entertained, and it doesn't take too much time to prepare! Gather a set of easy puzzles to do (wooden puzzles are preferred!), and let your child engage in independent play while you work alongside her for a couple of hours!
Living Room Fort
Children are always in the mood for pretend play, and they'll surely love building a living room fort with you! Take out your heavy comforters, some pillows, and start making a fort around your sofa! No child will turn down the chance to make a secret base, and they'll be much more likely to play by themselves once they're inside their "camp"! It's a win-win situation, indeed!
Important Tasks and Secret Missions
Giving your child an "important" task or a secret mission (like drawing a picture for mommy or writing a birthday card for Grandma, or writing down a grocery list!), and making it a big deal, is a great way to keep them engage and interested! Enjoy a complaint-free hour of work while they complete their mission-- you're welcome!
Cartoon Making
While you may not be comfortable leaving them with gadgets and letting them watch cartoons the whole day, asking them to draw a cartoon of their own might be a better choice! Give them some paper and a set of crayons, and ask them to create a new hero and a bad guy. Once done, let them come back and tell you their hero's story.
Busy Boards
Busy boards are the perfect alternative to screen-time and gadgets, especially for infants and smaller kids! And the good thing is, it's easy to make one for your kiddo! Get a wooden board and fill it up with nuts and bolts, doorknobs, lock and keys, and other interesting finds around the house. Find yourself getting a lot of work done, while they figure out which lock goes with which key!
Outdoor Play
Don't forget that children need some sunlight, too! Outdoor play was how our parents kept us busy back in the old days, and it was an experience we'll always look back on! Give your child a ball and a stick, and let them run loose! Just make sure to keep them in sight while you work!
Pre-school Chores
Let your kids help around the house! Kids love the feeling of being treated like an adult, and giving them a job they can handle will surely float their boat! Let them set the table or sweep around the house! You can also let older kids slice some vegetables (with a ceramic/plastic knife), or take out the recyclables to the bin. It will teach them responsibility early on, and save you some time with household chores, too!
Dance Parties
When all else fails, crank up the volume and let your toddler have a dance party 'til her heart's content! Little kids can't resist the music and tapping to the beat, and if you partner it up with some activity DVDs, you can have your toddler engaged in a dance party marathon the whole day! It may become a bit rowdy and noisy, but you can squeeze in some paperwork during this time, for sure!
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