WFMW: Our Current Top 5 Toddler/Parent Activities

So, what do the munchkin and I do to keep ourselves busy as of late?  As a mom of a toddler, I'm often caught wracking my brain to try to figure something out to do at certain points in the day.  This only gets worse when we're home bound, either by a napping sibling or some dreary rotten weather.

Anyway, here are five things that we do often to keep ourselves sane:

1.  I-Spy - I wasn't sure if Bean was going to be too young for this, but one day, in desperation, I tried this one out to get some peace in the car.  BINGO.  She loves it.  "I spy with my little eye something... pink!"  And off we go.  She loves it because it's simple, easy to remember, and we can play it anywhere.  I love it because it reinforces color skills, teaches her to notice the details, and helps her develop perseverance when she's wrong the first time.  Oh, and it keeps her quiet(ish) when we're somewhere without something to play with.

2.  Horsey - (I'm partially putting this one in here to amuse you all with the mental image).  This one's simple.  She holds on to the back of my shirt and I gallop through the house while neighing.  She loves it because she finds it hilarious, I love it because I will pick up items that go in various rooms and deliver them, all the while getting a fair amount of exercise.   So go ahead, get your giggles while you laugh at how ridiculous this must look.

3.  Hide and Seek - Bean's a little young to really understand what it means to actually hide.  Either she'll hide in the open where I can see her or she'll make so much noise that I can't help but know where she is.  But I can hide.  And how.  Bean is of that fun toddler age where she loves to be scared.  So I run off into another room and hide behind the door or in a closet and as she gets near, I pop out and say "RAR!" and she squeals and runs away.  Very quickly, she's back saying, "DO IT AGAIN!"  I don't know quite why she loves being fightened, but it's a lot of fun for both of us.  She loves it because she gets an adrenaline rush.  I love it because she's taking chances and learning about anticipation.


4.  Cooking - Bean LOVES helping me in the kitchen.  I sometimes find it too overwhelming to have her help with actual meals, so we generally reserve this as an activity for something other than dinner or lunch.  Sometimes we make cookies or sometimes we do a snack such as a cut up banana and a scoop of some peanut butter.  She's getting to where she can crack an egg, pour a measuring cup of liquid, and cut items with a butter knife.  She loves it because she's getting to help and often, the finished product means a yummy snack for her.  I love it because it teaches her to follow instructions, be patient, and learn how hard work can yield a great end result.

5.  Crazy Singing - Toddlers don't give a hoot whether we sound good when we sing.  Bean and I take turns making up songs about whatever strikes our fancy.  (More often than not, she instructs me what to sing about:  "Mommy, sing about broccoli and cheese and... and... a moo cow!"  And that's what I'll do.  It doesn't much matter if the song rhymes or even makes a whole lot of sense.  She loves it because she's getting to hear music, the songs are about her favorite things, and she has control over the outcome.  I love it because it's teaching her to be creative, to learn new words, and to use music to tell stories.

So there you have it... five ways to entertain a toddler on a housebound day.  I know you all have plenty more that you do with your kids, so share away in the comments!  Especially if you can share something that'll help me get away from having to be "horsey" again this week :)

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