Teach Mom Learn

I don’t know about you, but lately, everything is exhausting! By the time I get home after work, all I want to do is take a nap, but my toddler would never allow that!

On nice days, it’s easy to just let her run wild in the yard for a bit. But we live in New England, and as of today, sunset is at 4:33 PM. So in this cold, dark weather, we’ve come to really enjoy stationary play.

Stationary play is fantastic because it keeps your toddler entertained, but it gives you some time to rest, gather your thoughts, and maybe even get something done! These activities are the only reason I have clean dishes in my house right now.

Check out these easy, inexpensive, fun activities to keep your toddler entertained without having to move out of your chair!

1. Kinetic Sand

Kinetic sand is virtually mess free and so much fun! I find it just as relaxing as my toddler does. Kinetic sand is a great way to build fine motor skills. Squeezing and releasing it is great to reduce stress through sensory input. And all the different shapes you can make with it are great for building creativity.

Kinetic sand kits are very reasonably priced, and there is a huge variety of options. You can pick out kits that match your child’s interest.

2. Playdough

A few months ago, I had a very important virtual appointment, but I also needed to watch Rae. On a whim, I went to CVS and picked up a $5 set of PlayDoh hoping for at least 5 minutes of calm. Instead, I got 45 minutes. 45 WHOLE MINUTES of my child entertaining herself!

Playdough is a gift for parents everywhere. It’s fun for kids, therapeutic for adults, and super easy to clean and contain. Plus, all that squeezing and shaping builds your child’s capacity for creative thought and fine motor skills.

As you play, encourage your child to make specific shapes. Ask them about the colors in their hands. Show them how the colors mix together to form new ones. Follow their directions and make whatever shapes they ask for. Demonstrate how to roll, squeeze, block, and shape the dough.

If you’re more motivated, make your own playdough. Mothercould has some great playdough recipes!

3. Make a Sensory Bin

Sensory bins are a great way to work on your child’s problem-solving, fine motor, and gross motor skills. There are a million different ways you could go with this, and this ultimate list of sensory bin ideas from Your Kids Table has some fantastic ideas.

Personally, I like everything in a sensory bin to be edible or far too big or strange for your child to want to eat. That way, if you get distracted for a minute or two, you don’t have to worry about your child trying to eat anything that could be dangerous.

Sensory bins should have some kind problem your child has to solve so that they are thinking critically. They could transfer objects from one container to another using a variety of tools, sort items by color, or “rescue” their favorite toys.

In the example below, I put a bag of cotton balls into a bowl and put 5 of Rae’s Frozen Little People inside. Rae tested out tongs and and a spoon as rescue strategies but preferred to dig in with her hands and enjoy playing with the cotton balls.

4. Magnets on a Cookie Sheet

For easy entertainment, grab a cookie sheet and a few fridge magnets. Then, let your toddler go nuts! Any magnets work, but I prefer ones with flat magnetic backs that can’t be easily pulled apart. No one wants their child swallowing a magnet.

For added educational value, you could use number or letter magnets and talk to your child about the sounds the letters make or how much each number is worth.

If you don’t have magnets like that, just grab a variety of shapes and sizes off your fridge. You can still build in educational value because you can have your child identify the shapes, sizes, colors, and objects on the magnets. Prying magnets off the cookie sheet also helps with fine motor skills!

5. Collaborative Art Projects

This is one of my favorite activities to do with Rae. All you need are your favorite art supplies! Personally, I love water color pens because they wash out of anything, but water color paints, washable markers, and crayons would all work great!

For collaborative art projects with your toddler, start by drawing a background. You could sketch trees, grass, a bunch of flower stems, or anything else you’d like. Then, let your child do the rest!

Another option is to try some wax resistance art. Draw some shapes with white crayon and let your child paint over them with watercolors. They’ll love trying to find them and seeing them magically come through the paint!

6. Doll Houses

Nothing keeps my toddler entertained like her Little People houses. Right now, her favorite thing to do is make the people use the toilet, proudly declare, “Caca!” and mime washing their hands.

Some doll houses have lights, sounds, songs, and even dialogue. Others are more simplistic but just as valuable. Playing with doll houses is a great way for children to exercise their creativity. You can help them by setting up situations for their people and having them role play with you.

You can also work on your toddler’s ability to follow two-step directions by instructing them to make the people do specific tasks. Have the person go to the bedroom and get in their bed, or go to the kitchen and open the fridge. Once they master two-step directions, up the ante to three steps!

Another option is to teach safety skills by having the characters do safe and unsafe versions of the same task (e.g., standing on a table vs. sitting at a table). By using the characters as models, you are clearly explaining what is and isn’t safe for your child. For an older child, this would also be a great way to teach social skills!

What are your favorite stationary play activities? What keeps your toddler busy when you’re exhausted? Let me know in the comments below!

And as the weather gets warmer and the days get longer, definitely check out these fun, easy educational spring activities for toddlers!