5 Rainy Day (or Quarantine) Activities For Toddlers
These truly are strange and uncharted waters that we find ourselves in with the Coronavirus. With many parents finding themselves working from home, or just with their kids home full time I wanted to list a few of my favorite EASY toddler activities to pass the time. I love to see my kids get excited about projects, but I just can't bring myself to buy a lot of expensive craft supplies that requires lots of prep or set up. So for all of you fellow lazy moms out there, I've put together a quick and dirty list of 5 super duper easy and quick indoor toddler activities.
Slime
Here's where our beloved pinterest comes into play...there are literally a million different slime recipes to be found on there. We used one that included glitter glue, baking powder and contact solution (all things you can find in your cabinets - no trip to the store required). You can make a big batch and hide small toys or beads inside for extra sensory input or do as my son does and see how long of snakes you can make with it. The plus is that it's totally mess free!
Balloon Party
2. This one was geared more towards younger toddlers, but you better believe your older ones will want in on the action. Never underestimate the power of a balloon (or 20!). We turned on some music and had a dance party in the middle of our balloon pit.
Paper Letters
3. Letter/Scissor Practice - Got random scrap paper lying around? Here's a great use for it. We used construction paper, but you could use newspaper, magazines, coffee filters, wrapping paper etc. Start with a blank piece of paper and draw a letter on it (we did the first letter of my son's name). Next give your kiddo some scrap paper and kid's scissors and have them cut small pieces. Finally, give them a glue stick or pour some glue on a paper plate and have them glue the small scrap pieces onto the letter you drew.
Shaving Cream Clouds
4. Shaving Cream Clouds - This one was probably my son's favorite. You're guaranteed to have all of these materials lying around. Take a vase or glass bowl and fill it almost to the top with water. Then cover the top with a nice big fluffy cloud-like layer of shaving cream. Fill some ramekins with water and a couple drops of food coloring. Lastly, using a syringe let your child drip the colored water on top of the "cloud" and watch as it rains colors in your vase. It was fun for my son to watch the colors swirl together (and I might have enjoyed it a bit myself too!)
Connect the (rain) Dots
5. Connect the Rain Drops - Another 'no-materials' craft here. This one is more for a drizzly day than a stormy one. If your kids are like mine, they love donning their rain jackets and playing outside. We decided to incorporate some fine motor action into our normal rain party and brought some paper and crayons out with us. Lay your paper on the sidewalk and let the rain drops fall, then using a crayon have your child 'connect the dots' aka rain drops. My son liked trying to make shapes out of his dots and then when the water evaporates you have a fun piece of rain art!
Hopefully these activities inspire you and your kiddos the next time you're stuck inside on a rainy day! For more ideas follow me on Instagram or join my Facebook group.
**Have an infant at home too? Download my freebie for At Home Activities for Infants