4 Things I Do With My Toddler When Stuck at Home

January 2, 2021 |

rainy day indoors with toddler For good or bad, 2020 would have been the one year where we got to spend tons of time indoors. Here in the Northeast of the U.S. we have four seasons, and it is currently freezing cold, so we do not spend nearly as much time outdoors as we used to a couple of months ago.

Playdates and going to indoor places like malls and gyms are just not safe right now, so we have been going out for hikes in parks, play out in the garden, and take trips to the local playgrounds.

There are days with heavy rain, which going outdoors is just miserable, so we stay in. However, just because we are stuck inside it doesn't mean that our kids can’t have fun and keep learning. Even when I'm really busy with work, my toddler and I try to do at least one activity in each of the following categories.

1. Learning or building upon a new skill

Kids are so curious and naturally learn to play so this part is normally pretty easy to do. Below are some of the activities we like doing together to learn new or build upon existing skills.

Cooking together (even though it gets messy)

Some of my daughter's favorite things to cook involve using measuring cups, spoons, and the whisk. Therefore, baking cupcakes, cookies, or muffins are usually our go-to. A few days ago we found some apples that we had picked back in October and we made apple muffins using this recipe, and they were super delicious! As an added benefit - they were healthier than other recipes and very moist. Cooking with a toddler is indeed messy (which is why I do not do it frequently), but we try to do it once a week or once every two weeks.

Indoor games

We also like to play "I spy". I feel that this game is really good for building vocabulary and understanding of language and you can play it anywhere at home. You begin by saying "I spy with my little eye something that begins with F (or something green, etc.)" and my daughter tries to answer and figure out what that is. If you guess correctly you get to choose the next object and say "I spy with my little eye something that ...". So, it is good for learning how to take turns.

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Board games

The following board games have been a success with my 3-year-old:

Jigsaw puzzles

We have several wood and cardboard puzzles and we frequently do them together. Some of the bigger ones (40 pieces or more) she needs help with, as she loses concentration. However, the ones that are 40 pieces or less she can usually do on her own. We even tried to do this Trolls jigsaw puzzle, which my daughter mostly loves because of the Trolls characters (which was also her 3rd birthday party theme). She can put several pieces together but normally needs help for the more difficult parts where you have to put together several curved pieces.

Learning to greet others and manners

We like talking about how to greet people and introduce yourself. After that we practice by shaking hands and smiling, saying "hello", say our first name, and ask for theirs. We also talk daily about when and how to say "please" and "thank you" as well as how it's nice when you pay someone a compliment ("I like your shoes" ..etc.).

Nursery rhymes

Singing nursery rhymes not only helps with learning language skills but also frequently saves me from having to endure tantrums. Oftentimes, when I cannot get her to put shoes on or get in the bath, singing just seems to do the trick for my daughter - she tunes in and forgets about why she didn't want to go in the bath or why she refused to put socks on.

2. Something that involves a physical activity

Dancing

Although we do not do this very much, we turn some fun music on and bust some moves for 15 - 20 min. Last year, before the pandemic hit, my daughter and I were going to a really amazing ballet class at a local school. It was a short parent-child class for ages 2-3 years, and although at the time I felt she wasn't learning anything and that she was not paying attention in class, I was surprised to find out that she has learned pretty much all of it (she just did not want to show that). Months after we stopped going she still sang some of the songs and did tippy-toe moves and stretches from class. We still try to practice pointing and flexing our feet at home.

Ball pass

In our case, it is actually called a "bear pass." We throw her favorite fluffy teddy bear by GUND back and forth, but you can do it with pretty much any light ball that won't do much damage. We also line up toys on the floor and play indoor bowling.

Jumping on the couch

In 2019 we got a new couch for our living room from Raymour & Flanigan and I'm so happy we did that (we had a futon before) that because it is incredibly bouncy. This new couch has been used for building castles, jumping, napping, and lounging.

Yoga

I enjoy yoga and frequently my daughter joins in on that. Her favorites poses are Downward Dog (and hers is so much better than mine), Baddha Konasana (aka. foot sandwich), and Ananda Balasana (aka. happy baby).

3. An activity that gives mommy 15 - 20 min quiet time

Sometimes mama needs to rest, drink a coffee, or make a phone call for work. The following activities usually keep my toddler occupied for some time, allowing me to take some time for myself.

Lego

We have both the LEGO Duplo and the classic LEGO (now that she no longer puts toys in her mouth) and my daughter enjoys them both. In particular, the little figures are the ones that she gets the most entertainment from. For example, she loves to assemble and disassemble the little figures from her Trolls LEGO:

Puzzles

Once I get my daughter started with the bigger puzzles I oftentimes leave her to finish them off by herself, which is great because it gives me a chance to get lunch done or send a text or two.

Dollhouses

The Hape Dollhouse has provided my daughter with number of hours of entertainment. It is a bit pricy, but well-worth. We have also made multiple DIY dollhouses from cardboard boxes, which have been great as well. But the Hape wooden dollhouse is super sturdy, and the fact it is open on all sides makes it easy to play with a friend (or mommy).

Update: one year later this doll house is still getting plenty of use. We also gave her some of the figures and furniture as a Christmas present.

Tracing letters

I purchased the following book from Amazon a little while ago and we have been learning to trace shapes, numbers, and letters. We do this at least once a week and she loves it. An alternative to that is to simply use a blank sheet of paper and do some dots in the shape of a circle, triangle, or a letter and use a different color marker or a pencil to trace it. Here is a link to the Pre-K wipe-clean workbook.

And if it all fails

Screen time is usually my last option because if I allow my 3-year-old more than 1 hour of TV per day for a few days in a row, her behavior changes for the worse. So, screen time is very limited in our house. Apps that she enjoys doing are ABC mouse and Khan Academy Kids. On YouTube, she likes watching Mother Goose Club songs as well as Numberblocks. On the TV - it's all kids' favorites - Paw Patrol, Dora the Explorer, and Disney, however, we have 2-episode-limit per day.

4. Reading books

Reading books and talking about the characters in the books is something we do daily. When we go to nap or bed we also try to tell stories together without books or sometimes we act out what we read. I feel like this massively helps my daughter with developing her imagination!

What are some of your child's favorite activities on a rainy day? Please share them below!