Self-Isolating with a toddler!
A few years ago when I was childless and mortgage less, the idea of self-isolating would have been quite fun.
I would have binged watch some box sets, played a few days of Sims, caught up on some books I have wanted to read for a while and cleaned everything.
But babies and more specifically toddlers change all of that, the idea of being stuck in with a toddler with no playgroups, no swimming, gym or even any friends over sounds like my idea of torture!
But that is the scenario we all find ourselves in, potentially for months so we need a plan.
I have decided to start an activities blog which I will add activities to, you can make suggestions and we can all try them with our little ones.
Muddy play and washing
This is a great one as you can be in or outside and it keeps even smaller ones with less attention span occupied.
You will need a big tray of some kind. Tuff trays a brilliant but expensive so I actually just have a cheap gardening tray which you can pick up from any garden centre.
Some chocolate powder, for the mud!Let them mix it with water themselves.
Plastic cars or trucks, or you could also use animals or even plastic dolls.
Also provide a bowl of warm soapy water for your little one to wash their muddy toys and they will find this just as much fun as playing in the mud!
Obstacle Course
This is a great one for tiring out the more energetic of toddlers.
Anything can be used as an obstacle so be creative.
Jump from cushion to cushion on the floor, climb over the sofa, crawl underneath a tunnel made with chairs and a blanket and stepping over large books.
If your toddler is a little unsteady on their feet you can help them with a hand and make sure if they do fall then it will be somewhere safe.
My 18 month old loves getting the mattress out of his cot (which he never sleeps in by the way!) and using it as a trampoline and climbing over it. It makes it even more exciting that it is on the floor as it’s different.
Multicoloured Foam
Again this is another fun activity for littler ones, especially if they like bubbles.
Use a small amount of water and a few pumps of hand soap or dishwashing soap and a little bit of food colouring and pop them all into a food processor or if you don’t have one use a jar and shake it a lot!
Pour the bubbles into a large tray or dish and then do the same again with a different colour.
Little ones with really enjoy mixing and stirring the bubbles and it’s a great sensory activity, plus they have lovely clean hands afterwards.
Clay Art
Everyone knows how fun playdough is and it’s super easy to find great recipes online to make your own but this is a lovely idea to just add to the fun and get outside.
You can use playdough or even better air drying clay as you will be left with a memorable sculpture for you to keep.
Provide your small person with a lump of clay about the size of your fist and get them to decorate it with things they find around the garden.
Stones, sticks, leaves, empty snail shells are all good choices.
You can make the clay in to different shapes too, I am not massively artistic so a snake is normally one I go for!
They can decorate it as they wish, leaves make good scales.
You can also do this inside and decorate with things you find around the house.
I hope this little list is enough to get you started, please share your pictures with me on our facebook page and please please share your ideas with me and I can feature them on our next blogs.
We are all in this together so lets help each other stay sane!
Stay well and healthy Funky Mums and Dads.