This is a sponsored guest post.
Unlike adults, toddlers have what seems to be endless energy. As a parent, you will be continually on your toes. Luckily, daycare can give us a little break in coming up with ways to keep them busy and entertained.
When it’s time to pick the kiddos up and head back home, however, it’s now on you to lead playtime. When the toys in the toy box no longer have their allure, and you’ve still got tasks to check off your to-do list, you’ve got to come up with something new and exciting to keep their attention.
We’ve brainstormed up six great ways to keep your toddlers busy. You can thank us later.
1 – Playdough
Playdough is practically a toddler’s best friend. It allows your toddler to get creative while building their fine motor skills and hand strength.
Don’t have playdough on hand? You can easily make your own! DIY playdough recipes are plentiful online. Pro-tip for easy clean up: Have them play with it on a baking sheet or a parchment-covered table.
2 – Homemade race car track
Toddlers always seem to have a thing for toy cars. These toys are great, but without structure or a goal in mind, toy car play can become tiresome to them quickly. Give them something to play on by creating a homemade race car track with a few strips of tape!
On a portion of hard flooring in your home (like tile or wood), create roads and intersections for toy cars. You can change the course every few days to keep it fresh and exciting.
3 – Bubble wrap
Bubble wrap is fun for anyone ages 1-99. Why is it so fun? The bubble popping is a great sensory activity and brings about fits of giggles in just about everyone.
While this might get a little noisy and will require a bit of supervision to avoid any choking hazard, it’s something that will surely capture their attention. The next time you get a package in the mail wrapped with bubbles, save it. You’ll be so thankful when you need a toddler-friendly distraction.
4 – Toddler trampoline
A toddler trampoline is a great way to get your child moving, entertained, and worn out enough that they’ll be ready for bedtime.
While traditional trampolines aren’t safe for the little ones, you can easily find a special toddler trampoline designed with them in mind. These trampolines generally have a bar for the kids to hold onto for balance while they learn to bounce. Sometimes, they also will feature netting around the perimeter to prevent any falls.
5 – Cardboard bricks
“Bricks” made out of cardboard can be so much fun for little ones. These cardboard bricks are easy to find online or in children’s stores, but you also can make them out of unused boxes from around the house.
Instead of breaking down cardboard boxes (like shoe boxes, packaged goods boxes, and small shipping boxes), tape them back up and wrap them in a faux-brick or fun patterned paper. Your toddler will love to stack the boxes to create make-believe castles and so much more.
6 – Pack and play
When in doubt, the pack and play is always a safe bet. Toddlers love using those new-found legs of theirs to run and jump all over the place, but sometimes, you just want to keep them in one spot so you can supervise. The pack and play will let you place them inside along with books, stuffed animals, or toys and watch while they play independently.
Toddler Entertainment Central
Hopefully, one of the above items will help keep your toddler busy while you accomplish tasks around the house. If not, we have tons of toys and play ideas on the blog to help out further!
