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Any parent can attest to the difficulty of keeping toddlers entertained at home. Let's face it, we have no idea what goes on in their heads, so how can we possibly think of ways to keep our toddlers busy?
That is why finding new ideas can be daunting, mainly because we end up doing them alone after a few minutes.
But through the years, I've discovered the secret on how to engage toddlers at home. The truth is, you don't need to structure your kids' activities or play to keep them invested.
There is merit in letting them do things on their own. Of course, you'll still be looking after them from a short distance. But, this strategy will allow you to focus on things your tasks while keeping your toddler busy and entertained.
Why Should You Have Time For Yourself?
It's easier to understand this question if we imagine ourselves as batteries. Activities in our lives like work, family, or taking care of toddlers-that-can't-seem-to-run-out-of-gas — all these things drain our battery.
And we all know that batteries are only useful to the amount of charge they have left, right? So, having time for yourself is essential because these are our power sources. So, we recharge our batteries whenever we catch a break.
Breaks are not always in the form of a relaxing spa day or a drink with friends. But, in this case, a 10-minute break from pouring your full attention to your toddler can go miles.
That's why the activities to keep toddlers busy listed here don't need your direct supervision, so you can have those coveted moments of relaxation.
Why Let Your Toddlers Play On Their Own?
It's no surprise that interaction with peers and adults is critical for a toddler's development. But learning to play on their own is just as crucial as solo-playing imparts many integral learnings to toddlers, this includes:
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Stimulates their environmental exploration
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Trains them to become self-reliant
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Encourages imaginative play
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Allows them to make mistakes (and learn from them!)
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Teaches them to focus
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Strengthens their sense of identity
All these above benefits become building blocks to your child's healthy self-esteem. This means that your toddlers can be comfortable with being on their own.
That said, when they start making friends in school, it would be because your kids actually like them, not merely because your kids don't want to be alone.
Of course, when your toddler keeps themselves company, you can bargain some time to relax or do some other tasks.
10 Activities to Keep Toddlers Busy
1. Pillow Jumping
Every kid has had the experience of jumping from one pillow to another. If you have active toddlers, this might do the trick!
First, put a layer of carpet on the floor to cushion their falls. Then, line up the pillows and let your toddler jump from one to another. It would be ideal if you could stay in the same room as them to supervise, but allow them to play on their own.
Remember to keep the play area away from objects that can cause injuries, like corners or tables.
Whenever I'm on toddler duty, I bring my laptop where my children are. As a result, this allows me to work while guarding them as they leap from pillow to pillow.
2. Play with Educational Toys
The importance of STEM toys can never be understated. These are tools that support your toddler's need for learning at their level of understanding.
I found wooden building cubes to be very helpful, especially for toddlers. These cubes are coated with non-toxic paint, plus they are big enough, so they aren't choking hazards. Building blocks are helpful in training your toddler's motor skills while stimulating their imagination.
Lightweight pocket microscopes like the STEMscope are also effective toys, and unlike the cubes, it is hassle-free to clean up. With so many objects and surfaces to discover, it's sure to keep kids occupied for days. Pocket microscopes are excellent for your toddler's open-ended exploration.
Always remember to watch out for choking hazards. If the toy you want to get is less than an inch big, don't consider it!
3. Make Some Artsy Theme-Crafts
You never know when your kids will be stuck at home with nothing good to do. So it's important to have arts and crafts in mind for every season, be it for Halloween or Christmas. Making cohesive crafts to the season helps keep toddlers busy and interested!
We have an arsenal of activities for you and your toddler to perform. Simply click the topic you're most interested in below:
- Creative Christmas STEM Activities for Children
- Simple Christmas Science Experiments for Kids
- Fun Family Ideas to Celebrate Halloween at Home
- Fun Halloween STEM Activities that Kids will Love
- 7 Easy Science Activities for Preschoolers
- 6 DIY STEM Toys You Can Make at Home with Your Kids
4. Burn Calories with Indoor Trampolines
It's a good idea for kids to have outlets to burn off energy, especially when you're cooped up indoors. Although hide-and-seek or jumping on pillows can only do as much, I found out that jumping on indoor trampolines is one good way to keep kids busy at home!
Toddlers can spend hours bouncing on it, and they won't fall off because it has a net enclosure to keep kids safe.
Of course, you'll need some space in the house to accommodate the trampoline. We usually set up ours in their room or the garage when it's empty. It's pretty lightweight, so storage is easy.
5. Box Them Up!
Another way to entertain toddlers is to give them a box.
You might not realize this, but there are infinite ways that kids can do with a box. More often than not, they'd have fun playing around boxes than other activities. Here's a list of things they can do with it:
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Conceal themselves, poke some eye holes, and traverse around the room while under the box
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They can transform multiple boxes into one big fort
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You can give them some pens and crayons so they can draw all over the box
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Nest and rest inside it (give them some pillows and blankets)
Plus, you might not even have to spend a dime to get one. Just visit a store near you and ask for their empty boxes. Then, let your child take the lead on what they plan to do with it!
6. Play Hide-and-seek
Toddlers are toddlers, and they'll likely be hiding in the same spot all the time. So play along, and make effective use of the counting time to sit down and relax.
When it's your turn to hide, take a seat somewhere so you can relax while your kids search for you. Trust me; even if you lie down on a sofa, it would still take them around two minutes to find you!
7. Move Your Hips to Some Tunes
Most toddlers get their groove on when decent music plays in the background. So if your kids are in any way like mine, they'd love it if you could join them dancing to the beat.
Here is what I do to keep my toddlers entertained:
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Keep your laptop nearby so you can steal some minutes from working while they're busy dancing.
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Play some Jazzercise (80s dance workout videos) on the TV and join my kids as they dance.
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Slowly move away from the dance floor and sit down somewhere you can work on your laptop.
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Tap your feet on the floor and move your body while you work to still dance along with them (they wouldn't even notice your absence!)
8. Give Them Some Wipe-clean Books
Wipe-clean books are fantastic educational pastimes for toddlers. Even if some alphabet-themed wipe clean books are a bit advanced for them, they can still have fun tracing letters.
One pro tip from one parent to another is to steer away from dry erase markers unless you want to end up with several inked clothes. However, after discovering washable dry erase markers, this no longer became a problem.
9. Pop Some Bubble Wrap
Who doesn't love bubble wrap? If you need a quick activity to get your toddler busy, this is one splendid idea. Just make sure to watch over them as they go on a poppin' facade as bubble wraps can be a choking hazard.
10. Let them Join You in the Kitchen
You know what they say: "If you can't stop them, let them join you…" or something like that.
Letting your kids help out in the kitchen keeps your toddlers busy and imparts essential life skills to them.
Make sure to keep their roles appropriate to their age. For example, they may help mix the batter under your supervision or help design the finished product. But never, under any circumstance, let them touch injury-causing supplies like knives and matches!
What are Not-so-good Activities to Keep Toddlers Busy?
Not all activities that keep your children occupied are good for them. But oftentimes, we fall into the trap of exposing them to these things.
It can be tempting to place your toddlers in front of the TV to keep them busy, but I highly suggest against it.
Per the recommended screen time for toddlers, they should not be exposed to screens. So that means TVs and tablets are off the table!
Activities that involve small objects like clay or dice that may be a choking hazard should be avoided. Although I fully understand that clay is a crowd-pleaser among kids, direct supervision is needed if you plan to use such materials.
Get Your Toddlers the Best Tool to Keep Them Busy [Learning]!
There are tons of indoor activities that toddlers can do at home to keep them busy. But it's crucial to select the ones that instill educational value to your kids in the process. STEM toys are proven-and-tested solutions to help toddlers learn through play.
The STEMscope kids' microscope is an excellent option to get your toddlers started. There are so many surfaces and specimens that await their exploration. Support your toddler's learning with this pocket microscope for kids.
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