What do you get when you combine cold winter weather and high toddler activity levels? A lot of pent up energy waiting to be released. Rather than hoping for a change in the weather it is important to find indoor activities that your toddler will enjoy. These indoor activities will burn off some of that toddler energy, keep your child engaged and won’t leave you with a huge mess to clean. And, you can do most of them with objects you already have around the house.
What do you get when you combine cold winter weather and high toddler activity levels? A lot of pent up energy waiting to be released. Rather than hoping for a change in the weather it is important to find indoor activities that your toddler will enjoy. These indoor activities will burn off some of that toddler energy, keep your child engaged and won’t leave you with a huge mess to clean. And, you can do most of them with objects you already have around the house.
Reading and coloring- In addition to your favorite books there are several places on the Internet that you can download coloring pages and read children’s stories.
Get free coloring pages at: ColoringPages.net and ColoringBookFun.com
For Classic children’s stories: ByGosh.com
Bowling- By using empty soda bottles as pins, and any rubber ball you can set up a toddler friendly bowling alley. Show your child how to roll the ball into the pins and set them up again. The game is just noisy enough and involves enough “demolition” to keep your toddler involved for a good period of time.
Building a tent/fort/castle- All you need to create a magical get-away is a sheet and something to drape it over. This is an excellent activity for laundry day. Have your toddler help you pull the sheets off the bed and let him play in his fort while you make the beds. Throw in some blankets and pillows for comfort then crawl in with your toddler and read a book or enjoy a snack together. When you’re done let your toddler help you carry the sheet to the washer and help you start the wash.
Bubbles- Bubbles can be as much fun indoors as out. Blow bubbles and have your toddler try to pop them with her fingers or with her feet (which promotes balance). You can also introduce counting as your child pops bubbles.
Pillow Mountains- Toddlers all seem to love this activity. Simply pile up as many pillows, cushions and blankets as you can spare into a mountain. Make sure the pile isn’t near any sharp corners or hard surfaces that your child will get hurt on. Your toddler will enjoy climbing the mountain and rolling back down for hours!
Indoor Sandbox- There are a variety of supplies that you can use to create an indoor sandbox for your toddler to play in. For a container you may use a cardboard box or, for easy storage and repeated use, a plastic bin with a lid. Fill the container with any type of grainy, sand-like substance (cornmeal, rice, oats, salt) or actual sand. Place the box on top of an old tablecloth, shower curtain or sheet laid out on the floor. Give your toddler spoons, cups, bowls and toy cars and watch as they get creative.
Bathtub Painting- Put your toddler into the bathtub (no water) with washable finger-paints. The walls will serve as the canvas and the clean up is a cinch.
Snow Play- Fill your kitchen sink with snow. Put mittens on your toddler and give him spoons, cups and bowls. Your little guy can play in the snow and you don’t have to worry about taking him out in the cold.
Dress up- Kids love to dress up. Whether they are using their own costumes or dressing up in treasures from Mommy & Daddy’s closet, an afternoon of dress-up is exciting for toddlers.
Three Words…A Big Box- Nothing can keep a toddler busy for a longer period of time than one big box. The right box can provide days of fun. Let your toddler decorate the box with “graffiti” and her favorite toys and blankets.
Keeping a toddler’s energy focused on acceptable outlets is difficult when the weather turns frigid. But with some creative planning you should be able to find an indoor activity that agrees with you and your energetic toddler.
What do you get when you combine cold winter weather and high toddler activity levels? A lot of pent up energy waiting to be released. Rather than hoping for a change in the weather it is important to find indoor activities that your toddler will enjoy. These indoor activities will burn off some of that toddler energy, keep your child engaged and won’t leave you with a huge mess to clean. And, you can do most of them with objects you already have around the house.
What do you get when you combine cold winter weather and high toddler activity levels? A lot of pent up energy waiting to be released. Rather than hoping for a change in the weather it is important to find indoor activities that your toddler will enjoy. These indoor activities will burn off some of that toddler energy, keep your child engaged and won’t leave you with a huge mess to clean. And, you can do most of them with objects you already have around the house. 
