Summer is already halfway through in Hamilton and after a long, cold winter, we have been taking advantage of the warm weather as much as possible! Once we’re all set, and protected from the sun, here are our top 5 fun, simple and cheap activities that we like to do with our toddler!
1. Head to the park with a blanket and a ball! My sister gave me a huge picnic blanket for my birthday last year and it’s come in handy so many times! It gives little one a place to have a snack in the shade while we’re at the park, and a place for me to sit while little one is running around in the grass. We like to grab a ball and head over to Sam Lawrence Park. I sit on the blanket, throw the ball for toddler, and he runs after it and brings it back. Basically, “fetch” with a toddler. Bonus points on Wednesday nights when the food trucks are at the park for “Dinner with a View” and we can eat while playing! This summer we’ve been enjoying dinners by Gorilla Cheese and Jonny Blonde!
2. Bubbles! So a container with bubbles and a wand is a bit of a fail with a toddler. They’re insistent that they hold it, which results in major spillage, and they wind up eating more bubbles than they blow. Enter Gazillion Bubbles Monsoon. We grabbed one at Costco early in the spring knowing toddler and our nieces and nephews would love chasing the bubbles. We tried it out this weekend and it was a smashing success. The wee ones (and pups!) were entranced by the bubbles, and it kept them busy for well over half an hour, which was just enough time for mama to enjoy a margarita!
3. Water Play! You don’t need a proper pool for little one to have water fun in the sun! You literally need some grass or a patio, a large container (I’ve used IKEA storage bins), warm water and some toys. Plop it down and little one will be busy for an hour! We scored big time when we found a Little Tikes Turtle Sandbox on the curb last summer and ever weekend we fill it up with water and give our toddler some quality water play time. We throw in some random kitchen utensils for him to experiment with, some bath toys, and I usually bring out a big bowl of ice which he likes to move around in the water.
Mom advice! The bowl of ice serves nicely to keep your wine and baby’s milk nice and cool!
4. Nature Tour! Your toddler is curious and loves to explore new textures, sounds and smells. What seems mundane to you piques interest in your wee one, so take him outside and for a nature tour. Stop and let him run his hands through trees and bushes. Put him on the ground to feel the grass and pick dandelions and blow the seeds. Let him explore rocks, learning about the different textures and what they sound like when he bangs them together. He’ll also love seeing creatures that we find boring- squirrels running up a tree, birds flying above, and the neigbourhood cat strolling across the street. Point them out to him as you go on your nature tour!
5. Art Time! Artwork with a toddler indoors can be stressful– before you know it there are crayons on the floor and paint on the walls, so we like to change up the scenery! I find toddler artwork a lot less stressful outdoors. I really don’t care if paint or Play Doh gets on the patio or grass– the rain will come and wash it away. Little one can use the ground as his canvas, with things like sidewalk chalk or paint, or you might have the space to roll out a huge piece of paper or big cardboard box for him to decorate. Pour some paint in a tub and let him walk all over the paper, leaving colourful footprints as he goes. Outdoors is the perfect place to do some of the messier sensory art activities, like letting little one play with coloured spaghetti or cornstarch quicksand. Toddler will enjoy the variety of textures and canvases at his disposal when doing art outdoors!
So that’s my list of relatively effortless, simple and fun things to do with a toddler outdoors!
I’d love to hear what you do to keep toddler busy during the summer months, taking advantage of the fresh air and sunshine! Send your suggestions my way!
Comments