Comments on: Share your best indoor toddler games!

By: Ayalla

Ayalla — Mon, 07 Feb 2011 21:36:59 +0000

I have a 3 year old and an 18 month old. Both are super active, curious and are not big on playing by themselvs. My 3 year old loves to draw and paint but cannot be trusted for long on her own since the temptation to make a mess is just too aluring. We bought a small white board for the refrigerator and she loves drawing on it and erasing her work with a cloth over and over (we usually bring it to the table). Playdough works well, with a little rolling pin, plastic knifes and forks and shape moulds. both my kids love to help me clean so we chopped the top of a regular broom to transform it to toddler size. small wet wash cloths and a mission to clean a part of the kitchen (or a furniture)usually makes them happy too.My daughter of 3yrs helps me fold the laundry. She finds it challenging to fold her little pants properly, roll hand towls into decorative rolls and finding which socks fit together. A few noisy metallic mixing bowl or pots and several wooden spoons keeps my little one happy for a short while and so is playing with water and bubbles at the sink (messy). He love openning and closing things so I find him pens with snap-on caps(that don’t work) and small containers he can open and close. My daughter begins to enjoy simple puzzle and we also like to creat necklaces with a string and cheerios. I tape the one end of the string to the table so that it doesn’t move.
Covering the coffee table or a kiddie table with a blanket to creat a tent is fun for them to crawl in and out of. I admit to removing the cushions off the sofa and placing them on the floor so that they could jump from one to another and onto the naked sofa. That kept them happy and active for a while.

Great ideas everyone! thank you!

By: Peter Moran

Peter Moran — Sat, 30 Oct 2010 20:32:39 +0000

I’m trying to find as many play ideas I can and video them for other parents! great tips thanks!

By: Chris G.

Chris G. — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 18:31:16 +0000

you can try http://www.peekuboo.com where the stories and games are free, and tailored for use by a toddler or preschooler…

By: Deirdre

Deirdre — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 22:16:23 +0000

Jennifer f. My toddler is exactly the same. He hates the Night Night game and he loves the sink. Thanks for sharing that. They are so funny!

By: Kylee

Kylee — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 01:54:51 +0000

When I am doing an activity with a group of kids, I pretend to be asleep and the kids will try to wake me up. I will then go “Boo” and the kids giggle really hard.

By: The Not Quite Crunchy Parent

The Not Quite Crunchy Parent — Wed, 03 Oct 2007 13:37:52 +0000

The best thing I ever learned about entertaining a young child or any child at home all day was rhythm and schedule. It’s not so much trying to figure out what to do in at the spur of the moment as it is having a plan in advance. With younger children it’s easier since…they actually tend to follow the plan as opposed to whining about how they don’t want to do that now… It’s amazing what a difference it makes.

We follow the inhale-exhale rule at our house. A quiet activity followed by a moving activity over and over again. So, morning, quiet activity…reading anything learning oriented (not Baby Einstein); then a chase game. Next a stacking game; then dancing to a favorite tune; then telling a story with play figures and silks. Next…well you get the point. At least one outing a day works great for me- two hours at an indoor mall playground, a museum…(great kids rooms in many museums), story time at the library even the toy section at Target or an independent toy store works. You can get lots of ideas by joining a Waldorf playgroup or a music class for toddlers and it gets you out of the house!

By: shawn

shawn — Wed, 03 Oct 2007 11:10:14 +0000

Here’s that book: “Unplugged Play: No Batteries. No Plugs. Pure Fun.”

By: shawn

shawn — Wed, 03 Oct 2007 10:58:37 +0000

These are all great ideas. One caution/tip about play-doh … you have to let go of the fact that all the colors will remain the same in each container. (If you buy it like I did).

That, and painting (use sponges or big brushes or fingers) are both pretty messy, but entertain my TWO toddlers for longer than just about any other activity besides the tearing up the house one.

http://www.toddlertoddler.com is an awesome site with lots of unique, fun ideas. I also just read about another book that I can’t recall the name of right now so when I find it, I’ll return with it.

Building forts will be a big deal in our house this winter. With 2 toddlers, my creativity will be in keeping them calm, and not hurting each other. I plan to get a refrigerator box from a local hardware store and let them decorate it (as long as our house isn’t for sale still).

Ditto the washing dishes and playing at the sink. I’m going to attempt baking this winter with them. They’ll just be turning 2, though, so I’m not going to give it much pressure.

We’ll host some play dates, too, because we can’t sit in our houses alone all winter. No amount of activities or toys could keep that amount of time sane.

By: Amy @ Experience Imagination

Amy @ Experience Imagination — Wed, 03 Oct 2007 07:25:21 +0000

A tarp is your friend. You can spread out a tarp (either the heavy-duty camping kind or the plastic painting drop-cloth kind–just make sure it’s waterproof) and have all sorts of fun.

• Splash in the kiddie pool
• Finger paint
• Sculpt with play dough
• “Cook” with water-filled pots and wooden spoons
• Bathe washable dolls
• Wash dishes (real or pretend)
• Blow bubbles
• Just about anything that you could do in your yard, but is generally too messy for the house.

By: Tiffany

Tiffany — Wed, 03 Oct 2007 06:19:18 +0000

We play alot of dolls, as in wrap the dolls (me) unwrap the dolls (them) and rewrap the dolls again..and again…and again. Usually I tire of that one first.

We have some books of butchers paper and crayons which they love (well, one of them likes to draw and the other likes to make a meal out of the crayons).

Reading, they’re always up for that.

Haven’t tried the playdough yet must admit.

Now that it is getting warmer here we have alot of time outside in the garden. It seems to be where they and I are happiest.