Being at home with a toddler and newborn twins can be challenging to say the least. I imagine it would be hard enough with just one newborn! That being said, it has been so important for me to come up with fun activities to keep my toddler occupied throughout the day in order to get through the day as smooth as possible. Here are some of our favourite easy activities to keep your toddler busy:
Colouring
Hudson has recently started to be interested in colouring, so this has been a fun activity for him to do. He got a lot of colouring books over Christmas as well as for his birthday and we have been putting them to good use. It’s also a great time for us to practice our colour names which is something else he really likes to do!
Stickers
Hudson loves putting stickers on a piece of paper. It’s a very simple activity that doesn’t require much; but it keeps him entertained for the better part of half an hour. I just give him a blank piece of paper and peel stickers off a sheet to hand to him and he places them on the paper. He loves it and it’s a great chance for me to drink my coffee while it’s still hot.
Trampoline
We bought Hudson a mini trampoline last winter; but I think he was a bit too young to fully enjoy it. This year however, he has been using it a lot and it’s a great way to help him burn off some energy on rainy days.
Flashcards
We have various flashcards that teach different things like numbers, colours, shapes, letters, etc. that Hudson loves to play with. He is so good at them and they really come in handy when I’m breastfeeding!
Puzzles
We have a few basic puzzles that Hudson really enjoys. He has always been very interested in numbers. I found a board puzzle with numbers 0-9 on it at the dollar store that he plays with for hours. He will bring me each piece and tell me which number it is along with what colour the number is. I will then mix them all up when he’s done and give them back to him out of order and ask him where each number goes. He’s really good at it and it keeps him entertained at various times throughout the day. We have a similar alphabet puzzle too that we play the same way.
Balloons
Recently we have had balloons in the house for various celebrations, and Hudson loves them. He will play “keepy-uppy” for at least half an hour; which buys me some time to get things done. I now keep a bag of balloons stashed away so I can blow one up when we need something different to do.
Baking
Hudson loves to help me bake. While it’s messier than I would sometimes like, he gets so much enjoyment out of helping me, which is so cute. I like to bake at least one snack or dessert to have on hand each week when I can; and it’s so much easier to find the time if it’s an activity we can do together. Muffins are his favourite thing to bake and he loves to watch the stand mixer mix everything together.
Bubbles
When we go outside, Hudson loves when I blow bubbles for him to chase and/or pop. It’s an inexpensive thing to have on hand and hearing his laugh while he runs around is the best!
Sidewalk Chalk
Another outdoor activity we love is drawing with sidewalk chalk. This takes me back to when I was a kid and I love getting down there and drawing with him. We draw lots of fun things but also practice our numbers and letters too.
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