Toddler Entertainment

I too am a sahm and a previous preschool teacher so I hope some of these ideas will help you fill your days with a bit of enrichment....
Playdough is always fun! Make your own or buy some in an aray of colors. Get some "tools" or put some of your cooking utencils to good use...mini muffin tins, rolling pin, tooth picks, candles (b-day cake) etc.
Start a "sensory bucket" with a shallow but wide rubbermaid container. We put popcorn, uncooked rice, uncooked wheel shaped noodles and cheerios in ours. Put a few bowls, spoons, little people, cars, basically anything to spark their imagination. They will have fun sorting, mixing, dumping and sometimes eating.
Shaving cream is a great activity. You can do it right @ your kitchen table or in the tub. Your child can use their fingers to squiggle or they can just enjoy the texture of it in their hands. It makes your house smell fresh as well!
Finger painting is fun too. Just spread the newspaper on the table and have them paint on it. Make a tent or a fort with a big bed sheet. Get a flashlight and have storytime underneath.
Hope some of these projects will help fill your days, since the days are getting colder outdoors.
Enjoy!

1 mom found this helpful

I put a big plastic tablecloth on the floor and strip my 18 month down to his diaper. Then I put a pile of flour on the floor and measuring cups, spoon and bowls. He loves the feel of the flour and we have fun pouring it from one thing to the other. It makes a big mess, but it is easy to clean up with a vaccuum.

1 mom found this helpful

congrats on you wedding! You can always try you library, for story time. and mine loved Baby eintsein vids, you can borrow some from the library while you are there! it is also a great place to meet other moms w/ kids the same age and strike up friendships for playgroups too! good luck!

my daughter's favorite activity is for me and her daddy to just get on the floor and play with her. she shows her toys and babies, we sing songs, and read storries(but really its just her flipping the pages and "reading" to me), wrestle around and tickle each other, she still loves pee-pie, we play wheres the body part, some times she'll point to mine or hers or her baby doll, we listen to music and she loves to dance.

Don't know where you are located? Parma town mall, north olmstead mall, South Park mall all have play areas. Mcdonalds play areas and some burger kings have play areas. Shaker Heights and Cleveland Heights Family playrooms have free play times. Also checks mops.org. Hope this helps. I have a 22 month old.

I don't know what area of town you live in, but most libraries have story time, even some local children's stores. Swimming leasons at a local hotel, or club during the winter is a good outlet. You can sign up for tumbling classes like Gymboree, or My Gym, or Little Gym. Alot of local churches have music time. You can goto Playground world in Chesterland for indoor playtime (I think it's free on Tuesdays...you'd have to call and double check). I hope this is helpful.

Dear H.,
I did a music class with my daughter. If you live near Pickerington there is a lady who's name is Janet. She owns a place called "Music ,movement and me" You can call her directly or register through Pick recreation Dept. It's a lot like Kindermusik that kinda of thing. Plus the library always has story time though out the day for toddlers. Check with your local library to see when they offer them. I hope this helps.

Hi H.,

Since I do not exactly know where you live, here a few ideas, things that I do with my two girls (27 months and 8 months). Many of hte libraries, especially the main branch of a city offer some kind of free playroom and play areas for children. The Cleveland Heights and Shaker Heights main library have each a great playroom open during certain hours on weekdays (mornings and lat afternoons as well as SAturday morning). In CLeveland And Shaker heights there are so called Family CEnters (Shaker Family Center, Heights PArent Center) that offer drop in play groups for a fee or a small membership and I am sure other cities offer this too. At University cirlce there is the children's musuem, which is like a several room playgroup with settings and themes for kids to grow, learn and have fun. The children's msuuem has a very reasonable memebr shiop compared to their one day entry prices and that memberhsip makes for a great gift from relatives:-).
Someof the community centers offer drop in Gyms, I know Cleveland EHights does and The SHaker family center does,so check your local community center and library.
The natural history mueum, the indoor areas of the zoo, as well as the sCience Cetner are great places for kids to run and explore, almost everything is touchable or behind glass.

By the way, the Zoo is free on Mondays (if it is a holiday it is free on Tuesdays) for Cuyahoga resdients.

WE have been going to lot's of these places ever since my oldest one was a few weeks old. She had fun watching the kids and then started crawling around. Now my second is crawling everywhere for the last two months and it is a lot of fun and distraction for the kids.

Hope that helped you, T..

Playground World (showroom for Rainbow Play Equipment) has several locations and has free indoor play several times a week
Library or book store story times
Rainforest (at the zoo)
Swimming (at rec center, depending on where you live)
My Gym, Gymboree, The Little Gym (usually requires enrollment in program . . . but sometimes have open play)
Amazone, Pump It Up
Have you joined your local Early Childhood PTA? They offer lots of tours and parties!

Try the Boonshoft Museum of Discovery in Dayton. It has wonderful things to look at and touch - even for a toddler. There is a HUGE indoor play area with slides etc. A membership is reasonable, and gets you discounts at other places, like the zoo.

Hey H.!

I am a mommy of 3 little boys: ages 5, 3, and 2. I also am a stay at home mom. This is what I do. I have done a lot over these last 5 years so just a few suggestions would be. Blocks, playdough, coloring, finger painting, and picture flash cards.

Hope this helps :).
Send me a message if you would like more help.

A.

You could join a playgroup. I organize a group on meetup.com. For example: in the search box, type in Stay At Home Moms and you will see if there are any meetup groups in your area. Best of luck to you.

My daughter is 20 months, we go to storytime at the library once a week, (it's free) and My Gym once a week, not cheap but she loves it! I also belong to our rec center and they have a kid zone there where she stays while I workout, she LOVES it!

S.