How To Keep Your Toddler Occupied This Winter (10 Indoor Activities)

It’s 2:30 in the afternoon on a cold winter’s day, your toddler just woke up from their very last nap.

You’ve already had lunch and you’re on your millionth snack of the day. The toys are spewed all over the floor, out of the toy box and not only are your little ones bored, but you’re bored, too. Last week on Instagram, I asked the fellow Mamas out there what they do in this situation and I got some great ideas. The goal of this week’s blog is to give you several new activity ideas to get you to bedtime. There’s toys and activities. Hopefully you can take SOMETHING new with you to get you through this winter!

• blocks – This was my number one answer on Instagram. I’m sure you already have a set of regular blocks, but have you heard of bristle blocks? These blocks are a new favorite of Archie’s. They’re great because you can get creative with these blocks. They have small little bristles making them easy to connect and create.
• The Lovevery Subscription Box – This is a subscription toy box mailed right to your door every 2-3 months. This box is great for children 0-4. They’re well made and great quality toys. Archie still plays with toys from the box he received several months ago. We keep the new toys in the box they were delivered in and one by one we take them out as he gets tired of the last. They’re Montessori style toys. So, really no batteries needed (which is nice). There’s a lot of puzzles and they’ve even sent several books, too!

• forts/obstacle courses – Take the pillows off the couch, grab blankets and chairs and get creative! Children love switching their surroundings up a bit. You can also grab a big box, decorate it and make it into a fort! Grab your favorite markers or paint and make the box your own. Poke holes through the top of the box for Christmas lights to peek into the inside of the box, too!

• sensory kits – This one’s a new one for us, but go around the house and grab different items to stimulate your children’s senses and toss them into a large Tupperware container or storage box. Sticky notes to touch, chapstick to smell, items each color of the rainbow to see, ear buds, etc. If you want to get a bit messier, you can grab some items from the kitchen, too. Uncooked pasta noodles, shaving cream, soap and water, rice or sprinkles. Mix small toys in with the kitchen items (like rice) so your child has to dig through to find their toy car or ball. These bins are designed to stimulate the senses (and keep your little one occupied). You can also purchase one pre-made. Check out this personalized sensory kit from Etsy here.

• learning littles with ms. rachel – This is an interactive YouTube Channel we’ve just discovered. It’s designed to encourage toddlers to talk focusing on phonics and songs. Ms. Rachel is interactive, asks questions through the video and gives your toddler time to answer. We consider this our “school time” in the afternoon! I sit down and go through the “class” aka video with Archie. We practice words like apple and mama and sing Old Macdonald. He’s absolutely mesmerized and we’ve been hearing some new sounds, too!

• virtual music together classes – this is Archie’s favorite class! Music Together is a weekly music class we have in person, but they do offer virtual sessions. Classes are 45 minutes of song and dance. Some new and familiar songs.

• painting with water – Another new one for me! Painting, but half the mess. Grab your wooden blocks or cardboard paper and start painting with a paintbrush and cup of water! Little one’s are mesmerized it’s amazing.

• help around the house / chores – Archie has recently found a love for laundry and throwing things away. We have a tower by our kitchen island and I bring him up while I’m cooking. He likes to be involved. Little ones love tasks and chores. Archie gets so excited when I ask him to throw something away! This may work for your little one too. Next time you have laundry to fold, try including your toddler. Archie loves moving the clothes from the washer to the dryer. If I place the clothes on the floor, he will place them right into the dryer for me. He also loves putting the dryer sheet in the machine, pressing the start button and handing me clothing to fold. Lol we’ll see how long this lasts.

• special toys for special occasions – Save some of the bigger items for times when you know you’ll need them the most. Keep some of the big toys like a ball pit, slide or bouncy house tucked away in storage and bring them out on a day you know you’ll be stuck inside!

• kitchen play – Create a kitchen cabinet just for your little one. Make this cabinet easily accessible and fill it with safe items such as Tupperware, spoons, utensils, baking trays, sponges, pots and pans. Toddlers love real play. When they get tired of the items in their cabinet, pull them out and replace the items with new items.

A few more takeaways…several responses on Instagram weren’t necessarily items, but rather tips on HOW to play with your toys. Switching it up during the day is always helpful. Playing in different rooms of the house changes the scenery a bit and helps increase your toddlers attention span. Also, less is more. Sometimes too many toys and too many options can hinder play in toddlers. Try tucking some toys away in a closet for a while and rotating them out once they get bored. When toddlers have less options they can focus more on what’s in front of them.

Here’s one indoor activity that gets you out of the house – walking the mall! If you’re comfortable with this (I know it’s hard during these uncertain times), put on your walking shoes and power walk a few laps around the mall. I plopped Archie in his stroller last week and got my steps in! We wound up at a bookstore, finished with a smoothie and we were home for nap time. It was a win-win for us both!

And don’t put too much pressure on yourself! When Archie was little, I always worried I was boring him or wasn’t stimulating him enough. You have to remember, your child has only been on this earth for a few years and everything is new to them! Being there for them and creating a routine is comforting for them. Your love is enough!

Give your little one a big hug and pray to the Mom Gods for the sunshine and outdoor weather. It can’t come soon enough!