Keeping your littlest ones busy can be challenging
If you have tweens or teens at home, you’re probably well aware of how difficult it is to keep them entertained.
But keeping your littlest ones busy can be even more challenging.
“It can be so difficult to keep our toddlers and little ones engaged during this time since we’re spending so much time at home with them,” said Nina Spears, co-founder and CEO of the popular motherhood and parenting website Baby Chick, who showed us five fun and educational activities for toddlers and preschoolers.
“When you’re stuck at home and you’re trying to figure out what to do, these hopefully will get you through the day,” she said.
To see Spears’s recommendations, watch the video, or keep reading.
1. SAGO MINI BOX
Get an activity box every month with these new subscription boxes. Perfect for preschoolers.
“They are engaging, entertaining and educational. They encourage open-ended play and discovery with creative hands-on experiences,” said Spears.
For ages: 3 and up
Price: Monthly Plan: $19/month, Annual Plan: $15/month
Available: here
2. SEEK-A-BOO
The parent scatters the “Seek me” cards, and the child then roams the room to find a match. Card categories include colors, shapes, animals, foods and toys.
“Great for parents looking for meaningful interaction with their toddlers, ” said Spears.
For ages: 18 months and up
Price: $19.95
Available: here
3. BUTTON, BUTTON, BELLY BUTTON
Players work to match a rainbow of button cards and Bear’s belly button cards. It includes a wooden move button to pass at each turn.
“With this game kids can learn color matching, turn-taking, speech and language development, and even vocabulary building,” said Spears.
For ages: 2 and up
Price: $15.95
Available: here
4. MONKEY AROUND
This game contains 40 cards that prompt players to do movements together, from hugs, to high fives, to simple skills like balancing.
“This game is known as the wiggle & giggle game. It’s great your little ones to develop gross motor skills, hand-eye coordination, imitating, building vocabulary, and social-emotional skills,” said Spears.
Price: $17.95
Available: here
5. DIY DINO RESCUE SENSORY BIN
Great playtime activity. Plus, you can do a sensory bin with items you already have around your house.
“This is an idea from The Busy Toddler’s Instagram page. All you need is a storage container a plastic bowl full of uncooked rice, some small dinosaurs, an ice cube tray, and a slotted spoon. Kids can rescue whatever you have on hand,” said Spears.
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