Need Activity Ideas or I will be INSANE by spring!

[twins r fun]

Posted in Baby Bargain's Lounge also.

I don't know if we are just in an adjusting to winter slump or what, but these kids are driving me crazy!! I'm having a horrible time filling our days and thinking of things to do. We're pretty much okay in the mornings, but the afternoons/evenings are torture. The cold is a bit of a problem, but I think it is more the fact that it gets dark so early. The boys are irritable because they're bored and I'm irritable because they are irritating when they're irritable. It doesn't help that Jacob has a 15 second attention span for any toy (Caleb is better, but feeds off Jacob a bit)or that 3 days/week DH doesn't get home from work until the boys are in bed or that I'm limited on the types of out of the house activities I can manage with the two of them. I feel bad because I am way over-using the TV to keep them occupied. We've got quite a few playgroups and classes, but mostly in the mornings and that's all shut down until January. Alright enough griping, can we make a list of activities that will keep toddlers occupied for a chunk of time (like at least 15-30 minutes). Here's what I've come up with, please add your ideas becuase this certainly isn't enough to get through months of cold and darkness.

In The House:
Art activities (painting, playdoh, etc)
Take a bath
Watch a video
Play in the sink
Set up golf obstacle course (okay my kids are a little strange)
Build a fort with blankets
Put all the plastic grocery bags in a pile and jump into them

Out of the House:
Run errands (this isn't their favorite activity)
Children's Place (the store) play area
Go somewhere with a train table

Out of the House (with one toddler)
Go to the library
Throw pennies in the fountains at the mall
Test out the toys at Toys R Us

Please add your ideas!

[mamahill]

Oh Nicole - I get wiped out with 1 - let alone 2?! Drawing occupies a big part of Ainsleigh's day, which is nice. Other activities? I'm not sure how good these are with 2:

Go to the bookstore and have story time.
Make rice crispy treats (our new fave - well, she watches and eats marshmallows mostly)
Set up "slides" or ramps and roll cars, shapes, etc. down them
Clean house (here's where my kid is weird - she LOVES the vacuum and "helps")

I agree with your other ideas, but I wouldn't feel bad about them watching tv. I know some people really limit it, and that's fine, but for us every now and then Ainsleigh gets really antsy and I'll say, "Would you like to watch Signing Time?" and she'll do the sign for signing time and run over to her chair and sit down. We both need that break. I don't feel so bad if I feel it's educational. Have you seen that Leapfrog is coming out with videos? I'm definitely going to check those out next time I'm in the store.

[newbelly2002]

Today we had fun in one of the department store toy sections playing with all of the on-display musical instruments, but I think that's more of a one than a two toddler job, at least for just one parent.

And, Sarah, Miss A is not alone in her weirdness. Dante last night pushed me away from the vaccum cleaner so that he could do it himself.


Paula
Mama to Dante, 8/1/02



http://www.windsorpeak.com/dc/user_files/1604.jpg

[brubeck]

You forgot computer games! Amy LOVES computer games and will happily sit for an hour or two playing them. She started to get into it at 18 months but was truly enthralled by age 2.

Stickers are also terrific. If you go to dollar stores you can find a bunch cheap! I also got a huge bin of foam stickers in transportation shapes at Michael's for $4. Combine this with coloring and you may have a winner on your hands.

[SeekerMage]

what about playing games...board game type games....Fisher price has several that are about $6.00 each...they are mostly sorting and color matching games...you can work on them with their colors etc.

You let them play in the sink...do you have any kind of a sand table...an idea I got from a friend is getting one of those huge under the bed plastic bins (big enough for them to sit in believe it or not) and fill it with rice then give them dishes, cups, play food, cars etc and let them play. If you have carpeting or dont have a place that the rice wont destroy, get a big drop cloth to put underneath it so you just have to dump it all back into the bin. You can get big bags of rice at Aldi for less then a dollar, Im sure Costco etc has them too. Just put the lid on it when you are done....change out the toys each day for something new to play with.

Another out of the house place to play...Mcdonalds or Burger King playgrounds....let them run all over and get lunch too!

Let them run at the mall....if anything get some form of leash so they cant get far in these crowds.

Have a picnic for lunch or afternoon snack. lay out a blanket and have them eat picnic style....if you have a fire place you can roast marshmellows in it for a campfire....dont let them do this, only you but they can watch.

Pretend its summer, turn up the heat, put them in their bathing suits and let them play in the tub.

Check out your library, there are lots of books about games and things to do, I cant think of any off the top of my head but if you ask the childrens librarian they will give you lots of ideas. Our library even puts out little pamphlets with ideas of things to do over winter break!

[mamahill]

Oh man, I LOVE that kid!! He is hilarious - and that face looks all innocent, "What? Can't a kid get some housework done around here without you whipping that thing out?!" LOL!

[pamela mom of 3]

What about playing outside>?

I know my almost 3yo had a ball outside playing on the swingset depite the cold and the snow...he actually fell asleep later on that day.

The fresh air seems to tire them out.

You could also try cardboard boxes...even cleaning seems to interest my son, he steals my mop!

Really sometimes you don't need to plan anything just let the kids go and see what they come up with.

My son is pretty good at coming up with things to do when he's the only kiddo..

GL :)

http://pages.ivillage.com/cl-pamelamomof3

[raynjen]

When I'm getting that "Mom's going to explode" sound in my voice I pull out something that doesn't normally qualify as a toy. One day we pulled out all of my scarves and tried them on in different ways (we were pirates, and ballerinas, fairies, and cowboys). Another day I put all the pillows from the whole house into the living room. My daughter also likes me to pull out the "grown-up" games - Jenga, dominos, Mancala, Connect Four, etc. - just be prepared to be digging under the TV set and in the couch cushions for pieces. I'm pretty nutty about messiness in the house, so most art project are a huge process for me, one that isn't (and delights my daughter) is construction paper that she can "paint" with plain water.

I'm glad so many folks contributed their ideas, I'm definitely going to try some of them out!

Jen in Okinawa
mom to Noelle 10/25/01