Stuck At Home With Your Toddler?

With winter upon us and the next storm already on its way, many of us are having to spend another long morning or afternoon stuck inside with our toddler.  Without the possibility of a trip to the playground to break up the day, keeping kids calm and entertained becomes more challenging. My son’s favorite question to ask me at 6 am is “What should we do today, Mommy?” to which I typically have no better response than “play and drink coffee.” Luckily, the internet is full of great ideas for activities you can do at home with your child. Below I’ve included some of my go-to lists for fun stuff my overtired mommy brain never would have conjured up on its own.

Toddler Toddler’s 350+ Crafts, Games and More. This massive site has hundreds of activities you can do at home. It’s easy to peruse because it’s broken down into lists like “Rainy Days,” “Printouts” and “Arts & Crafts.” So far, my son and I have made a car tunnel, played a scaled-down version of connect the dots and transformed a cardboard egg container into a bus.

100 Fun Things To Do With Kids. When I’m not in the mood to do too much scrolling around online, I like this one-page list from Toddler Tamer. In fact, I’ve been meaning to print it out and hang it on the wall of our playroom.  Not all of the ideas are for inside (going on a nature walk and to the zoo are on the list) but most are. Many of the activities on the list you may have thought of before, but in moments of desperation, it’s easier to have someone else suggest to  “draw a family picture,” “make smoothies” or “have a tickle war” than to come up with those ideas yourself!

Parenting’s Room by Room List. This nice guide by Parenting.com is broken up by areas of the house, from the bathroom to the kitchen to the family room.  No special trips to the craft store required: everything here can be done with what you have at home. I like the idea of having your toddler help clean the bathtub, brush your hair while you read a magazine, or wash vegetables in the kitchen sink.

Pinterest. Even if you’re not a member of this site, you can still browse all its great ideas. A quick search of “toddler crafts” brings up a variety of projects, from creating a weather chart out of simple supplies to making turkey hand prints for Thanksgiving.

20 Indoor Activities For Kids Besides TV. This creative list by Simple Mom has lots of activities that engage kids’ imagination, from acting out a favorite book to having an indoor picnic. Some of the ideas–like rearranging the furniture in your child’s room–have to be tweaked to suit the toddler set, but all of them offer kernels of inspiration.

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New Country Day Camp

<p><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #ffffff;">Transportation is provided from Manhattan and Brooklyn to Staten Island’s 75-acre Henry Kaufmann Campground, where swimming pools, hiking trails, and open meadows set the scene for a summer of adventure and enrichment. </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #ffffff;">New Country Day Camp, a program of the 14th Street Y and Educational Alliance, is a joyful and inclusive community where campers, families and staff build meaningful connections with each other and the natural world around them, and experience personal growth through high-quality programs that are rooted in the outdoors and guided by Jewish values.</span></p>

Friends Academy

<h1>Since 1876, Friends Academy has set the standard of academic excellence on Long Island.</h1> <p>Since 1876, Friends Academy has set the standard of academic excellence on Long Island. Our timeless values elevate our outstanding academic program to create a unique educational experience, where our students are empowered to inquire, reflect, and engage in real-world, life-changing ways. Friends Academy graduates are exceptionally prepared for college and the world.</p> <p>Friends Academy educates students, ages 3 through 12th grade. We offer outstanding experience in our Little Friends Daycare program, and a best-in-class education for every level of your child’s development in our Early Childhood, Lower, Middle, and Upper Schools. At every step of our students’ journey, they are seamlessly prepared for the next grade, division, and challenge in life. Our students are known, embraced, and loved by a community of dedicated, experienced teachers who provide individualized attention through our small class sizes and outstanding curriculum.</p> <p>Founded 148 years ago, we are the #1 ranked private school on Long Island by Niche.com and have been ranked #1 in the following categories for four years in a row:</p> <p>#1 K-12 private school</p> <p>#1 private College Prep HS</p> <p>#1 private High School</p> <p>Please visit our website @ friendsacademy.org or call our Admissions team at 516-676-0393 to schedule a visit and find out how Friends Academy might be the smartest investment you can make for your child's future.</p>

Advantage Junior Tennis

<p><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; color: #000000;" data-sheets-value="{" data-sheets-userformat="{">At Advantage Junior Tennis Camp, the focus is on the game, up close and all summer long! It’s ideal for beginners and more experienced players. Campers ages 7 to 17 spend full days learning how to play their best game—and meeting campers who love tennis as much as they do.</span></p>