How to fill a day with toddlers

The holiday is well and truly over and we are back to our ‘working week.’ My internal alarm goes off at 6, so that I can get up early before the small people and do some exercise. That alarm is snoozed. The next alarm is also snoozed and instead of getting out of bed I find myself reading some sort of trash on my phone. However, I do manage to get myself out of bed in time to shower and get myself ready before the small people wake up. And so the day begins…

Toddlers, at times, appear to be inexhaustible and in need of continuous entertainment. Wanting our undivided time and attention. As such the day ahead can sometimes be a daunting prospect. It is definitely not the case of how to fill a day, as I’m sure any mummy or daddy at home would say there is no issue filling a day. But rather how to manage a day and your toddlers energy to ensure minimal tears, screaming and stress. Instead feeling like we have accomplished something, had fun and even learnt something.

Here are a few ideas of how to fill your day with a toddler or baby.

Get Out of the House

Whether it’s for a baby/toddler class, playgroup or just a visit to the park. It is often enjoyable to get out of the house for a bit. It saves your little one making a mess in the house for a few hours, stops you from getting distracted by household chores and even potentially gives you the opportunity to have an adult conversation! And of course it gives your toddler the opportunity for play and learning. There have been many times when in the morning I have thought ‘maybe it will be nice to stay at home today.’ And then regretted it within 10 minutes. It doesn’t have to entail going to a baby class but a trip to the garden centre, park, library, supermarket or just a walk down the street can be a good break from being at home. Even going out in the rain can be turned into an adventure if you put wellies and waterproofs on. My two love splashing in puddles. There is a whole host of learning and sensory experiences waiting to be discovered outside.

Try a Simple at Home Activity

Having a fun activity at home for your little one to enjoy is a great way to keep them occupied and learning. It can also give you the opportunity to spend some quality time with them. There is also the chance that they may continue to play with the activity independently allowing you to get on with something quickly afterwards or even make yourself a cup of tea! Although there is no guarantee you will be able to drink that cup of tea.

Have a look in our activities section for some ideas of games you could try. Lots of activities can be done with items from around the house and do not need hours of preparation.

Read Stories Together

Stories don’t have to be just for bedtime. It’s so easy to grab a couple of stories and cuddle up on the sofa with a blanket and enjoy reading together. Reading stories is fantastic for your child’s development. If combined with an afternoon snack or drink, it can quickly become an easy and important part of your daily routine. Again, this is something that they might do independently as a quiet time activity.

Sing Songs

Another great activity for your child’s development is singing songs. And again so easy to do. You don’t have to have a great singing voice as your child will think it’s amazing either way. If you happen to know the actions that go along with the songs even better but if not make up your own! Grab some shakers and musical instruments to help even the youngest join in. Similarly turning up the radio or putting on your favourite playlist and dancing around the living room together is another easy way to have fun together.

Mealtimes

Whether it’s snacks or a proper meal, meal times are an important part of the day. As soon as your child can sit up bring them into the kitchen with you in their high chair whilst you prep the meals. From a very young age I would involve my children with what I was doing by allowing to smell or taste the ingredients as I was cooking. This way you can get on with cooking and they are still active and busy.

Quiet time activities

Each day I try and plan a quiet time activity in the afternoon for when we have had some time playing together or finished an activity. It doesn’t have to be elaborate or complicated to set up. In fact the simpler the better. Colouring, play dough, a box full of cars or an activity we have already done together earlier in the week.

Bathtime

My two have always loved bath time and it is never seems long enough for them when we do it as part of our bedtime routine. A while ago when my youngest was run down with a cold and not able to go swimming with her daddy and sister, I decided to put her in the bath instead. She loved it and since then we often use the bath as our indoor paddling pool. If you wanted you can add some toys that aren’t normal ‘bath toys,’ for example kitchen utensils, plastic animals and let their creativity go wild!

Attempt Chores Together

We all have chores and unless you are some sort of super mum/dad or saint some of those chores have to happen when your child is around. I have found a number of chores at home that my toddlers enjoy ‘helping’ with. I have learnt to not expect these to be done quickly or to expect the help to be necessarily helpful. But if they are enjoying it and I am managing to get something done I am taking it as a win. Pairing socks, emptying the washing machine, hanging washing on the dryer and even peeling wall paper off have all been chores we have done together.

Of course there are many more things that you could do and I am in no way suggesting you attempt all of the above in one day! And I have in the past often wondered: “How do other parents get their jobs done? How much time do other parents spend playing with their children? Am I a bad mummy for letting them get on by themselves whilst I do something different?” When I have googled these questions (as I google most mummy worries) I have not found any definitive answers. But have realised that any time that you spend with your children, engaging and playing with them is of course beneficial to them. However, you shouldn’t feel that you have to spend every moment of their waking lives sat right next to them. You can engage with your child whilst you do something else. I like to have a play area or table set up either in the kitchen or as close to the kitchen as possible so that they can be playing and being busy. That way they are still within sight. I can talk to them and make sure that they know that I am interested in what they are doing even though I am frantically trying to cook dinner, wash up and unload the washing machine all at the same time.

Please share how you fill your day with your toddler or baby in the comments below. We would love to hear what you get up to to keep your little ones entertained and stop yourself going insane!