Heyyy, y’all! I’ve been home for summer with the kids and WHEW! Obviously, I parent my kids every single day no matter how much time I spend at home with them BUT it’s a sh*t ton of work to actively engage them all day. I’m pretty sure that most days it’s 200% more work than my 8-4 job.
I set myself up for success this summer with a daily routine and toddler activities for at home. Some activities take more effort, some are easy-peezy, some are messy – ALL create memories and keep those little minds curious.
Daily Routine for Summer
This is a LOOSE schedule. Actually, I wouldn’t even call it a schedule because I don’t worry about the time too much. I do keep the activities in the same order for the most part though! My kids (and most!) value structure and predictability. Knowing what to expect for the day, the order of activities, where they’re going and how things are done helps kids feel competent, safe, confident and secure. Here is an 11-minute podcast on the topic!
Getting out of the house in the morning helps break up the day and that activity is different every day – typically it’s either swim lesson, speech class, park, library or Target.
Summer Toddler Activities We Love at Home
- BOOKS – reading is KEY to their learning and boosts vocabulary. Click here for a list of character-building books recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics.
- Learning Binders – we have a toddler learning binder from Busy Bee Pre-K and it’s amazing! The kids learn all kinds of things from it. Shapes, colors, letters, writing, days, feelings… the list goes on and on! The best thing is that you can buy mini packs to add new pages. These are only $20 and typically seasonal!
- Worm Sprinkler – our kids love running through this and playing in it. The worms make it silly and funny to play around with! Available on Amazon for $10 currently!
- Sensory Kit – Sensory Kit Mama is our go-to for sensory kits. I love the ones she makes because you can travel with them easily!
- Backyard Pool Time – grab a plastic pool, chair, water toys and enjoy!
- Spanish (or any language!) Books
- Wooden Blocks – I love these because they open learning opportunities for objects, colors, letters and shapes!
- Coloring Books
- Teach Them Sports – set up a net or basketball hoop and let them learn through movement!
- Water Sink
- Walks – preferably when it’s not 90 degrees or higher out 😉
- Hide and Seek
- Draw – pin your favorite masterpieces to the fridge or frame it on the wall for personalized decor!
- Bubbles
- The Ground is Lava… WATER 😉 – my dad taught the kids “the ground is water” in lieu of lava and it’s cute to watch. They throw pillows on the ground and used those as their “rocks” for walking across the water.
- Chalk
- Pretend Play with or without Costumes– let them be the doctor, waitress, cook or anything they want and let their imagination GO!
- Trucks and Dirt – dirty but our kids love it!
- Swinging – we have a Tree Frogs Play Set and it’s the best backyard activity we have!
- Paint
- Stickers
- Dance Party
Related Posts:
- Emmett’s Birth Story
- Kaiser’s Birth Story
- Baby Items I Loved: 0-6-Months-Old
- Baby Items I Loved: 6-9-Months-Old
