The majority of us are staying home for the unforeseeable future. While some people are getting to relax, start new hobbies, etc, the parents out there might be losing their minds a little bit. I try and come up with fun stay at home activities that will help my toddler burn off some energy since we can’t go anywhere Since the park and museums are out, I’ve had to get a bit more creative.
Here are five fun things that we’ve been doing lately to keep ourselves entertained.
At Home Scavenger Hunt
This is an activity that can be done either inside or outside, depending on the weather in your area. Adjust your list according to things that are common in your area and see how much fun your kiddo has finding them. You can also use this as a fun opportunity to switch up the things your kiddo is learning.
Try putting shapes and colors on your list for your little to find. For example, if the list says find a circle, your kiddo might see a car tire or a ball. See what things your kid can find that are pink or yellow or blue. If your little is working on letters try adding something like three things that start with the letter T to your list.
Some good outdoor things to add to your list are: local plants, butterfly, bee, jogger, bicycle, chalk drawings, dog, bunnies, flag, mailbox, a circle, something blue, etc.
Some things to add to your indoor list are: a red book, a triangle, a place to sleep, something to cook with, etc.
Obstacle Course Activity
We’ve been setting up obstacle courses every day and they’ve been so much fun. It’s really easy to create one, and you can switch it around each day. This is another activity that you can do either inside or outside, and depending on what you have in your home you can get creative with how you set it up. You can use painter’s tape to make markings on your floor as an obstacle to jump over or weave around. Include a sport related challenge like throwing the basketball in the hoop or hitting a soccer ball into a net. I like to throw in something silly and challenging like walk backwards for ten steps or do three somersaults in a row. Make it fun and don’t overthink it.
Some of the common things we use in our obstacle courses are stepping stones
Outdoor Water Toys
My kids are obsessed with outdoor water toys and will play outside for hours if there is water involved. Some of our favorite outdoor water toys are this splash pad
Kinetic Sand
This one can be a little bit messy, but it keeps my toddlers entertained for so long so the clean up is worth it. Lay down a towel and put a large tub on the ground with kinetic sand. Add in some tractors, plastic animals, leftover Easter eggs. Honestly whatever you have on hand that your kids are currently into can be added to the tub. Kids have a great time digging in the sand, burying toys, etc. Tip: You can find a ton of great cheap things to put in the tub at the dollar store.
What you need: Tupperware, kinetic sand
Color Yourself
Cut a piece of butcher paper slightly longer than your child’s height. Have them lay down on the paper and outline their body. Then let them color themselves in. I drew on a face for my son and the outline of clothes and then let him color in his outline and he had so much fun.
What you need: butcher paper
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