I am wondering if anyone has some suggestions for good indoor activities for my 2-yr-old daughter and I when it is too hot to go out. She is very active and loves to play outside, so we try to go out at least for a little while almost daily. Lately I have been feeling like I should try to do some creative activities with her at the house, rather than constantly going to the playground (which honestly is easier!). I was thinking of painting, clay, etc. Any suggestions for what you do with your LO's? Thanks!
I just want to thank everyone for all of your great suggestions. I have been a little hesitant to try the arts and crafts but I think she is old enough now to start experimenting. We went to the art supply store today and picked up some goodies. Thanks for all the inspiration.
Collect leaves, stones, and flowers in the morning when it's cool outside. When it gets too hot to go out, use the leaves for crayon rubbings and press the flowers. For the stones, you will need one big flat stone and several different types of small stones. Use the big flat one as a chalk board and the little ones as the chalk. It's fun to see the different colors each stone makes when you draw with them.
I remember I used to love making the chocolate peanut butter oatmeal no bake cookies with my mom, and can't wait to do it with my son. It teaches great skills, and requires no oven which doesn't add to the heat! Plus she gets to reap the rewards of her labor! No matter what you do have fun!
E.,
My two year old loves arts and crafts time. I got her a big box and put in all sorts of art stuff (stickers, paints, glue sticks, feathers, construction paper, etc.). I cut out pictures from old magazines and let her go wild with making her art. She loves to glue things.
I have also found that the Color Wonder products are great, especially the finger paint, so I don't have to worry about a huge mess.
She could easily spend an hour or two entertaining her self like this.
Playdough, Mega blocks, and playing dress up are all favorite indoor activities that keep her busy during the hottest part of the day.
I hope this helps.
Active indoor activities I have had for my children. A bar that is installed in a doorway that they can do flips and hang upside doen on. A trampoline with a handle to hold on. They sell kiddie ones. A scooter board to roll around thehouse on. Not a skate board.
If you are talking indoor quiet bubbles are always good. Painting, finger painting on freezer paper you can make paints from food coloring and corn starch, flour and salt clay, great for making "presents" for Christmas for her family and friends and perhaps wrap and put away. Do a Christmas in July thing. Even cards. At two my daughters were up for that sort of thing. Refrigerator magnets from the clay, can paint them after they dry etc etc etc Macaroni jewelry.......
1. i made a bunch of homemade play doh (recipes online--use one that you cook, it has a fantastic texture). i keep it in a ziplock bag inside a little rubbermaid container and it stays nice and fresh. hide pennies or little surprises in the play doh for her to dig out with her fingers--it's a great way to work on fine motor skills. i have a shower curtain from the dollar store that i tape down onto the floor for when we do messy play.
2. i also have a "learning tower", where my 2 year old can stand up at the counter with me. when i bake or cook, i give her lots of fun messy things to play with--flour, salt, measuring cups, spoons, etc.
3. depending on how your home is set up, i let her do sidewalk chalk on our back deck. when it is shady out there, i let her do it naked and we work on potty training at the same time. after she does chalk on the deck, i get a bucket of water and a rag, and she loves to make the chalk disappear! it's a nice activity to keep her outside, but cool at the same time. (and you can sit in the shade and read a magazine and put your poor, swollen, pregnant feet up...ha ha!)
4. you can also do activities like that in the bathtub, which makes for easy clean-up (i just discovered bathtub crayons). sometimes my 2 year old likes to "paint" with a foam paintbrush and shaving cream in the bathtub. gets her clean and it's super easy to clean up after.
5. definitely invest in some Color Wonder markers and paper!
Place and Trace is a puzzle, stencil, sorting toy and cookie cutter set all rolled into one. Make your own playdough, or cookie dough and bake cookies. Great on a rainy day.
Available at www.toysofdiscovery.com
I like to borrow cd's from my local library. There are some w/ cute little activities under "circle time". We also have "Kids in Action" and "Kids in Motion" on CD by Greg & Steve. There are songs to pretend to be animals, The Freeze Game, bean bag games . . . If your library is anything like mine you can hang out there for awhile. Mine has lots of toys for the kids to play with and even some programs you can sign up for. The programs over the summer are usually about 30 minutes and are one time programs. They're longer during the school year. You could try making an indoor obstacle course using pillows to crawl or step over, hoola hoops to jump in, shoot a ball in a basket, crawl thru a tunnel (I have one from KB Toys that folds nice for storage) . . . . . be creative. My kids ages 2 & 4 love this!
Hope this helps!
E.,
Are there any indoor play areas around your area? Thats where I bring my daughter on hot days. Its great because they can socialize with other babies and have fun in a nice air conditioned space. check to see whats in your area.
I like the idea of finger paints--you can buy them fairly cheaply, and crayola even makes washable ones. I bought them--I think there are four primary colors in squeeze bottles, and then I bought a book of fingerpaint paper. I taped a page to my son's play table so that he could paint. There's also playdoh--there are some great recipes on the web for homemade playdough--just google, and you might even be able to get your daughter to help make it! Check your library for books like, "The toddler busy book," etc. Most libraries tend to have at least a few titles on preschooler activities. Have fun!
Indoor activities can be challenging! If she likes crafts, you can do alot with tissue paper and glue. You can cut the tissue paper into little pieces and have her gule them to a water bottle and make a vase. You can then create flowers with tissue paper balled up and stuck onto pipe cleaners, straws or popsicle sticks. You could also cook with her. If you make cookie dough, she can shape the cookies. Painting is also fun. Best of luck and congratulations on the future baby (my younger son was born on 8/8/07 so I am fond of that time of the year (-:)
My daughter is 21 months old and LOVES helping me in the kitchen. She "washes" her hands while I wash dishes, and watches me chop and prep dinner from a little perch on the counter next to me. She also loves her bucket o' beans - I filled a small plastic container with soy beans (because it's what I had around), gave her some smaller containers, spoons, etc, put her in her high chair and let her go at it. My friend does the same thing with a basin of water. She loves to fill and dup her little cups. If it's just too hot to go out, but she's just really bored, I'd suggest the playground at Danbury Fair Mall. There's a carousel for $1.50 and a little indoor playground that my daughter loves.
Check out your local library as well as libraries in surrounding areas. A lot of them have story time, special summer programs, or even some great toys to play with.
Go to a McDonalds or Burger King with an indoor playscape. Go late afternoon inbetween lunch and dinner so it won't be so crowded.
Put on some music and dance.
I know your looking for indoor activies, but here's a suggestion for outdoor cooling down. You'd be amazed how much fun a two year old can have with a bucket of soapy water, have her wash her toys.
Hello E.,
There is a great place called playtime village in Monroe, CT on RT 111. They have structured classes for all ages plus a great big open floor play area for free play time. They have a dress up area, cars, dolls, climbers, slides, play mats, and much more! They keep it cool and clean! It is a great safe way for your child to play and interact with other children on hot and rainy days.
Enjoy
Not sure where you live but the Children's museum is GREAT! I was at home on maternity last summer with my newborn and then 4 year old, and we went at least once a week. Also, the library has lots of stuff for kids.
re. art projects- there is SO much to do. My daughter can do art all day. You should get a smock, newspapers or an old tablecloth. my daughter started using childrens scissors at 2 and would just love to cut anything and than glue it. we practiced letters a lot this way, taking old magazines and cutting out any pics that start with A, B... She also started tracing her hand and anything else she could. art projects are great b/c she can do them while you are getting dinner ready, cleaning or just sitting with her. Oh, don't forget the magnets for all of the fun stuff you'll put on your fridge.
have fun!
Hi E.,
My children love to be creative and love to do crafts. Doing crafts are not only a great way to spend time together, but they also exercise the brain and give your child a jumpstart on necessary basic skills such as, cutting with scissors, gluing, familiarity with shapes and colors, etc. A great site to find child-friendly, inexpensive crafts, is www.orientaltrading.com. My kids particularly like to make things to give as gifts (to their grandparents, etc) and love to make things for the holidays.
Have fun with your daughter, and good luck with your new baby boy!
K.
Certified teacher but currently a SAHM mom of three blue-eyed beauties! A 5-year old daughter, 3-year old son, and one year old daughter.
during the spring and summer we are out of the house,
I save arts and crafts for winter and cold fall days.
If you know its gonna be hot , try and get out in the moring , schedule playdates, join play groups,
plan activities,
You'll have another little one soon, so its best you keep up this activity, because you won't be as free when the baby arrives.
M
