Winter months and a toddler - ideas?

[queenofthehivemomof5]

When I or the kids get cabin fever I sometimes take the kids to Burger King and let them play in the playground while I chill out with a book or magazine. My kids are older now though and don't need as much hands on supervision as a toddler does but it is a nice way to let them get some of that energy out. We also have a rockin' rec center where I can take the kids swimming in the indoor water park, they go rock climbing and if I want to they have child care for $1 a kid for 3 hours...they have both an indoor and outdoor play ground so the kids can run around and I can take a swim or walk the indoor track or something.

The library is good.

Making cookies is a fun activity. Even if that just mean you give them a hunk of sugar cookie dough a mini rolling pin and some cookie cutters and let them make a big ol mess it is still fun.

We make tents with blankets and sheets and chairs and couches.

[kaedeebug]

Check your dollar tree for beading sets. I teach preschool and found sets with the large beads and the shoelace type string. You would have to supervise as they would still be choking hazards but great for fine motor skills.
Let him cut coupons with you! Expired of course!(childsafe scissors and lots of supervision) Great fine motor activity.
Make sock puppets.
Make a dress up box with hats, halloween costumes etc little kids love to dress up! The little boys in my class love to wear the princess outfits! So funny!
Hide easter eggs with little treats and use them to teach colors and numbers.
Playdoh is great although messy.
Paint with pudding on wax paper.
I read somewhere a lady made an indoor sand box with the plastic sweater box for under a bed.

Have fun!

[cpaige]

You guys are awesome! Such great ideas!! Since we got snow today, I just may have to start putting some of these things into play a tad bit sooner! Since he loves to help me cook, I just might have to make some more cookies tmw and let him play with some of it (oh the mess! lol).

I think he had a bit of cabin fever today, or just decided to spring clean a bit early as he emptied out his pants drawer, one by one, and brought each pair into the kitchen and made me a nice ol' pile!!

[cintinative]

somebody said Signing time--love it!

Let's see 16 months--simple crafts like putting letter or number or shape stickers on paper, or print stuff to color.

Play restaurant--make "menus" by cutting out pictures from ads and magazines and use a glue stick to put them on paper and then mommy can write names and prices. You can take turns playing chef and customer. If he/she doesn't talk well yet, you could just be the chef and serve him/her.

Playdough--I have a recipe for homemade so PM me if you want it. It doesn't need refrigeration.

Hand rhymes, puzzles, parades in the family room, music time (dance and play instruments), go to the local library for story time if you can get out, tea party with stuffed animals (use water or sippies), bundle up and make snowangels, pull him/her on a sled, create special "cards" for friends and family and mail them, etc.

[cintinative]

Oh, someone mentioned an indoor sandbox. We also did that but I used dried beans. I put them in an "under the bed" bin so I could put the lid on when we were done. It was messy, I'll admit. I recommend doing it on your kitchen floor as opposed to carpet. We used digger trucks and stuff and pretended to make piles and stuff.

[mom2lucas]

I like all these ideas! I'm going to let the kids play with some died beans and some rice. they'd love that!

My kids like playing with their play kitchen while I'm cooking lunch. DD always brings me "bites" of things to taste while I'm cooking. That is the one toy from last Christmas they play with every day.

[kschick96]

I read this in a magazine, but it's a great idea. If you have snow outside, you can fill several spray bottles with water, and add a little food coloring to each bottle-then you can go outside and "paint" the snow.

Great ideas PP-my LO is too small this winter for this, but I will be ready next winter-thank you for all your great ideas!


Edited: I am not sure of your town size or DH job, but maybe you could go visit dad at work once a month. I do that with my little guy, we only stay about 10 minutes and say hi to dad for a few minutes and then say hi to the ladies that work in the front office. Sometimes we bring a treat for all of the employees (cookies, cupcakes, etc) and he could help you make this too. Where I live, dad works across town, so by the time we go there and back and spend 10-15 minutes there and get home, it's been about an hour and we are tired of that and ready to move on to the next thing. Again, this all would depend on your DH's job and location.

[deeder0]

Been there...Done that...(4 kids of my own, the first 3 within 3 1/2 years of each other in total..that means # 3 came when #1 was not yet quite 3 1/2 yrs old with another one thrown in the middle for the heck of it) (I never thought i would hear myself say things like, "Andrew, stop peeing off the balcony{and this is one INSIDE my house}, or "Stop peeing in your brothers mouth!!".

First and foremost you need to brace yourself and know that this too shall pass. You can either cry or laugh when "jr" decides to dump EVERY LAST TOY and the spagetti with sauce is still dripping from the ceiling. For yourself take pictures..lots of them. In ten years you will look back at the mess and laugh along with your child.
But for the LONG winter days get creative. Put shaving cream in a ziplock bag and let "jr" draw pictures on the outside. Invest in dry erase paint or chalkboard paint so you can write on the walls. Teach him how to use the computer. There are great computer disks out there that start kids as young as 18 months. My now 14 year old son said his first word while playing Reader Rabbit Toddler (it was bubble by the way). Don't shy away from these computer games since computer is now a regular subject taught in many schools starting at the pre-K level. Just as blocks build manual dexterity so does the keyboard.
Most of all ...just have fun....This too shall pass