Breathe in, breathe out. Toddlers. They have boundless energy, right?! All I gotta say is that I have a new level of respect for daycare staff, teachers, coaches, stay-at-home parents, nannies etc. as we practice #socialdistancing and stay at home with a toddler during the Covid-19 crisis. Honestly, I just don’t know how they do it...
But, like most of you, I’ve had to quickly learn! Over the past week I’ve gathered a slew of entertainment tips and tricks from my brilliant online community, many of which have been successful in my own home. I know you’re all likely going through the same challenges so I thought I’d share a list of quarantine activities to keep your tots busy and help you stay sane…
12 Activities To Try At Home With A Toddler
1. Virtual Amusement Park Rides
There are hundreds of YouTube videos that share a first-person perspective of Disney rides (and other rides around the globe, including some at Canada’s Wonderland here in Toronto). Pick a few videos, arrange some dining room chairs beside each other and go on a family “ride”…
2. DIY Spa Day
Have you ever tried doing a DIY face mask with your toddler? I hadn’t! Put on some relaxing music, grab their favourite fruit/veg (avocado works well), smash it up and get them to help spread it on your face and then their own. Don’t forget the cucumber slices! Yes, it’s messy (and they may eat some of it LOL), but it’s a ton of fun. My little guy also loves massages so we give each other hand & foot massages using his daily cream. Steam rooms are also easy to recreate and toddlers love them. The spa possibilities are endless!
3. Toddler Playdates – Virtual Edition
Seeing the face of a friend does wonders (for adults, toddlers & babies) so set aside time each day to have a virtual playdate. If you’re just chatting with one other tot, FaceTime & WhatsApp are great options. ZOOM is also quickly becoming very popular among parents. It’s a FREE video conferencing service that’s great for multiple users (bonus: it’s also fab for adult hangs like virtual wine night).
4. Toddlers In The Kitchen
I think cooking/baking may be #ChefLuka’s favourite activity. We’ve made everything from easy peanut butter cookies and mini quiches to pasta dishes and fun DIY snacks together.
This is also a great way to get tots to try food they otherwise wouldn’t — they’re much more likely to eat it if they help make it!
5. Around The World With Music
Bust out the pots and pans (if it’s too loud for you — Tupperware/boxes work well too) and drum along to some international beats. YouTube has an endless stream of content to choose from so pick a different country every day and see what your kiddo loves. Ethiopian music is a hit at our house!
6. Toddler Scavenger Hunt
Scavenger hunts are a really great way to keep toddlers entertained. Best part is that you can do them just about anywhere (in a condo/house, in the backyard, on the porch/balcony). We usually take a blank piece of paper, jot down a few items Little L needs to find (ex: 3 rocks, 2 leaves, 5 sticks) and give him a treat at the end if he finds everything. It’s a great way to practice counting and addition too!
7. Build A Fort!
Forts are zee best and can be made using whatever you have laying around the house — sheets, blankets, sofa cushions boxes etc. No need to get fancy, but if you want some creative inspo, I just saw an Aladdin-inspired palace and some castle forts on the interwebs which were pretty sweet and can be multi-day projects.
8. Toddler Backyard Picnic
I have yet to meet a toddler who doesn’t like picnics so this will certainly be a hit. And if you don’t have a backyard, you can picnic on the living room floor/balcony/porch. Just put a blanket down, serve up some sandwiches and fun snacks and they’ll be over the moon. Want to get fancy? Head to Pinterest for some inspo — you can include balloons, cushions and all kinds of other decor if you have them on hand…
9. Cosmic Yoga
How about some healthy screen time? I just recently discovered Jaime’s Cosmic Yoga channel and am in LOVE. She somehow weaves yoga, mindfulness and relaxation all together while making it super fun for kids. At a time of high stress in the home, this may be a good time to give her vids a shot.
10. Virtual Sports Coach
There are a ton of coaches providing helpful tips online, many of which are targeted specifically to toddlers. I know our little guy was REALLY pumped to begin soccer classes with Little Kickers, but those plans have obviously been put on hold for a while. Thankfully, they’re thinking out-of-the-box and providing some online activities to keep tots entertained and active!
11. FREE Online Learning With TVO
While there are many online resources on YouTube, governments around the globe are starting to launch specific online programs for kids so they can continue structured learning at home. Here in Ontario, the Ministry of Education has a new Learn at Home program which provides FREE online learning tools for students K-12. For toddlers, TVOkids has 13 hours of educational content EVERY DAY as well as educational videos, games and online content that supports Ontario curriculum. If you have older kids, TVO Mathify offers free 1-on-1 math tutoring by certified teachers (grades 6-10) and TVO mPower to help students learn K-6 math, STEM and social science concepts.
12. Virtual Museum Or Art Gallery Tour
Many museums and art galleries are starting to offer virtual tours. For toddlers, you’ll want to hit up some children’s museum websites like the Children’s Museum Houston which offers virtual events, Facebook lives and lots of free resources! As for the older kids and adults, there are many FREE virtual museum and art gallery tours avail for you too (click here for a list). Oh, and if you haven’t heard of Blippi yet, you can thank me later…
In addition to the quarantine activities listed above, I’ve seen a TON of other great ideas circulating online — from DIY car wash stations and creative obstacle courses to bubble parties and pretend safaris. There are truly countless ways to spend your time at home with a toddler so please leave your suggestions below so we can all get through this together!
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