Minimum Set-Up and Maximum Fun!
We’ve all been there, your toddler is ready and raring to go and you’re ready to go and take a nap. This has been the go-to state of our house lately as we settle into being a family of four. If the weather were nicer we’d be doing park trips but with Oklahoma hitting the 110s this week we’re keeping our activities closer to home.
If you’ve been looking for some easy (and cheap) activities that are low energy for you but still fun for your toddler – here are our current top five!
1. Yard Explorer
Supplies: Magnifying Glass / Binoculars
A great way to get outdoors when the weather is gross is to stay close to home. Bathrooms? Check! Snacks? Check! Only stayed outside for 10 minutes before everyone got too hot and wanted to go inside? No problem!
We’ve been hitting the yard first thing in the morning and right before bed to beat the heat and adding a magnifying glass to the mix has been a game changer.
This is an activity that can be hands-on with observations about bugs and plants OR hands-off letting your kiddo follow their interests.
As a bonus since our yard is fenced while he explores I can water the garden and sometimes even sneak in a little bit of weeding.
2. Tape Racetrack
Supplies: Masking Tape + Toy Cars
The perfect way to really stretch out an afternoon play session. Masking tape is cheap and non-damaging and what toddler doesn’t love playing with tape?
Tape racetrack can be as simple or complicated as you want and can be made with your kiddo or set-up in advance during nap or after bedtime.
If you really want to maximize this one you can include blocks, plastic animals, boats, or figurines and build a full toy town around your roads.
3. Playdough Chop
Supplies: Playdough + Butter Knife/Cookie Cutters
Playdough is a classic indoor toddler activity for a reason, my only complaint? Playdough is awful if your house is carpeted. To get around the picking-playdough-out-of-my-carpet problem we’re shifting out of the playroom and into the kitchen!
After watching a few too many episodes of Cookie Monster and Gonger’s Monster Foodie Truck the only thing Ryan wants is to Chop-Chop-Chop.
As much as I want to encourage his kitchen interests the idea of teaching knife safety to a toddler while holding a newborn sounds like a nightmare – enter playdough!
Playdough is perfect for chop-chop-chopping with karate hands (like Cookie Monster) or with cookie cutters and plastic play knives.
As a bonus, I can start modeling knife safety without stressing too much about things going wrong.
4. Watercoloring
Supplies: Watercolors, Paper, Brush, Towel
Watercolors are my favorite art supply! They’re cheap, versatile, and low mess. Playdough may reign supreme with hard floors but with carpet watercolor is king.
Coloring is such a fun way to engage with small children. If you’re feeling a little burnt out with coloring try using it as an opportunity to talk about shapes, colors, counting or letters.
One game Ryan really likes is to name things and ask me to draw them. It’s been a fun way for him to practice new words and it’s something I can do while nursing baby Mae.
5. Animal Match
Supplies: Animal Pictures + Animal Toys
Animal Match is another activity that can be more or less involved depending on how you’re feeling or what your toddler likes. Some variations are…
Basket and Book: A basket full of animals matching to pictures in a children’s animal encyclopedia
Basket and Flashcards: A basket full of animals matching to cards lined up on a table
Animal Safari: Hide animals around the house and send them searching for the animals of your cards
And there you have it!
Our top five toddler activities for tired moms.
What do you think?
Have you tried any of these? What’s your favorite toddler activity on days when you’re low on energy?
Comment below and let me know!
