4 Rainy or snowy day activities for your toddler
Posted on October 12, 2007 in the Parenting, Stay At Home Dad category
Over the last couple of weeks, I think there have been 2 days that weren’t raining. I have a 21 month old and a 7 month old and, without a little creativity (very little on my part) and ingenuity we all would be suffering from cabin fever. Not to mention that, even on a good day, the boys get tired of dealing with me by around 4pm. So I have compiled a short list of activities that we engage in on those days that the weather is unpleasant - let me know what you think.
1) I think my wife agrees with me that a baby is never too young to be read to. We started reading very early with Vinny - probably before 3-4 months old I think - and we are doing the same with Simon. Now, Vin absolutely loves books and it’s not uncommon for us (including Simon) to go through 5 or more short stories at a time. During the day, I try to time reading just before naps because it is a great way to bring down the excitement level. In addition, I can tell Vincent that we will read X number of books and then its nap time - this works as a great cue for him.
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2) I have said before that I have no real musical skills but I am a musical person. I love listening to music both live and recorded and most days I even wake up with some song in my head. It seems that Vinny has acquired my appreciation for music as well. In effort to encourage this we listen to a ton of music - an even watch a bit. I’m not talking about just kiddie stuff - Vin and Simon happen to be big fans of Dave Matthew’s Band and Gwen Stefani. So put on some tunes and get dancing! Its great for a little guy still mastering the art of walking and good exercise for all of us - especially when I dance around while carrying Simon.
3) I miss coloring - at least, I should say, I missed coloring before I had children. Just like with reading, we started letting Vinny color as soon as he would listen to us when we tell him not to eat the crayons. The great part about it is that you do not have to spend a ton of money on fancy crayons or coloring books - let your toddler’s imagination grow by giving him or her an old fashioned blank piece of paper. Heck, if you get queasy at the thought of slaying a tree for your child’s entertainment, just use your junk mail. If you riffle through, you should be able to find something with one blank side. Even if you can’t and there is printing on both sides, your child probably wont care.
4) Cut to the chase - I don’t know why but toddlers love to have you chase them. There is something about getting the wits scared out of them that makes them laugh till they cry. But don’t just run around in circles - get creative. Here is what I do with Vinny (Simon is a bit young for this still). I will chase him around for a couple of minutes and then, without warning, I will duck behind a door or into the kitchen and wait for him to come running out. Here is where will power comes in - you may be tempted to just jump out as soon as your child enters, but let him or her stew for a couple seconds. Keep hidden log enough for the child to let his guard down and start walking away thinking you might be somewhere else. Then you pounce!
Of course I am no professional - while I do have 2 children and I am a stay at home father, the moniker “professional” implies that I get paid for what I do. I can assure you that I do not. By the way, if anyone out there knows how to get paid for being a parent, I would love to know! Anyways, these are just a few of the activities that we engage in on days that we are unable to get out of the house. Feel free to leave comments about 1 or 2 of your favorites that I didn’t include.
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