# Hot weather/rainy day activities for toddlers?



## Chiku (May 20, 2004)

I'm making my way through my first summer with a toddler and looking for ideas for things to keep her occupied on really hot days. My daughter LOVES to play outside and run around, but it is just so bloody hot here in the summer that it isn't practical to stay outside for hours and hours. We have a baby pool and sprinkler, and she loves that. I read in another thread that some mamas give their toddlers piles of dry, uncooked rice or beans and measuring cups. I'd never thought of that, and I think it would work great. Play-dough was another good idea for an indoor activity that will keep little minds and hands busily occupied.

Anybody want to contribute to a thread of other ideas for keeping toddlers busy on days when you can't spend much time outside, either because of rain or heat?


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## Qestia (Sep 26, 2005)

I just want to reply to bump this a little... I have a long list of things I like to/want to do when it's nice out... but when it's scorching or raining I'm stumped! So I'm looking forward to hearing what other parents do.


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## Babytime (May 4, 2004)

On very hot days, we play outside in the morning, go indoors from lunch to dinner and go outside again after dinner.

For the heat, obviously any water play works great. Kiddie pool, sprinkler, painting rocks and things in the yard with a bucket of water and a brush. We have teddy bear picnics under the shade of a tree and read books and/or color pictures in the cool shade.

For indoor rainy days, in our family at least, it's all about art. We pull out paints and crayons and oil pastels and all sorts of fun art supplies and get busy creating masterpieces. My girls can happily create for at least an hour -- even the 17 month old -- so by the time we set up, create, clean up and then have a bath we've killed a morning or an afternoon! Or we make (and then play with) playdough, bake and decorate cookies, pull out instruments and make music, play with blocks, Little People, dolls, etc.


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## pianojazzgirl (Apr 6, 2006)

How about indoor water play? Fun in the bath, or in a tub of water on the floor or on the table (with lots of towels laid down to catch the spills, lol). You can add bubbles, food colouring, chunks of ice, and play with cups, mini watering cans, funnels, floating balls, etc.


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## SabraMamma (Nov 20, 2001)

We are all about art as well. I have an older DD so DS probably got into some messy art earlier than he would have without a bigger sister. Get some sort of mat to cover the kitchen table with, put on messy old clothes and have fun. Big pieces of poster board with paints- or if you want to really make a mess try finger painting with chocolate pudding! My kids love this. You can cut out pictures from magazines and let DC glue them onto a paper. Glitter Glue is fun- or if you want to be adventurous, try glue and glitter on paper or poster board. My kids LOVE glitter. We have a drawer full of feathers, pompoms, googly eyes, sequins, etc and the kids love to glue them on to their projects. Depending on the age of toddler you can work with stringing beads to make necklaces or bracelets. Make sure you hang some of the art work around the house to let them know how proud you are of their creations.


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## Rikki Gard (Apr 21, 2005)

First, turn on some music! Then hop like a bunny, flap like a bird, crawl like a snake, etc. My son has to use up some energy!!! He loves ring around the rosie and loopty loo. Felt boards and stories are a big hit with him too. Good luck!


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## mhsa2mom (Sep 6, 2002)

I am with you on this one! Some days I can only last so long in the heat and it's hard to think up enough to do to keep them inside for long.

What we've been trying is to do outdoor activities in the morning, then lunch, then inside quiet activities (reading, playing with quiet toys, art activities, etc.), then indoor active time (taking a splashy bath, music & dancing, bouncing on our mattresses, playing chase), then dinner, then more time outside before reading and bedtime.

Best wishes beating the heat!
Sheri


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## lalaland42 (Mar 12, 2006)

We do the morning and night outside time too, as well as the art and dancing inside but there are some times we just need to get out of the house. So we:

Go to the play area in the mall
Go to the library/bookstore with a playhouse
Use the indoor pool at the gym
Go to the aquarium and similar type places

I am prepared for a long, hot summer with no daytime outdoor activities since I have a very pale toddler who refuses to wear a hat. I also get stir crazy pretty easily so I need some activities that take me away from the house.


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## Chiku (May 20, 2004)

Great ideas! My daughter is 17 months, so we are a little limited in the art department. Art at our house usually involves coloring with crayons for 2.5 minutes until she starts coloring on the floors and furniture, and then me struggling to get the crayons away from her while she screams.

I had another idea that I think we will do later this week--visiting a nursing home or rehab hospital (anywhere with non contagious people that might like a visit from a baby).


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## Vicitoria (Dec 17, 2004)

aqua doodle is a great alternative to crayons. We have the mat and I cut up a sponge into shapes. DS usually just gets the whole thing wet but it's good for a while.

We've got a few sesame street video's that work on abc's and 123's that ds's like. we've also got a my first leap pad he likes too.


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## ju-cee (May 31, 2004)

my girls are all about the outdoors.....just set up a new playscape
for them in the shade so they are on there or in their kiddy pool!

My girls like the aqua doodle too but they found it's more fun
to use the pens like a straw and suck all the water out









anyone else have that trouble?

I'm also starting to fix up our cellar a bit b/c it's nice and cool
down there


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## pumpkin's mom (Jul 14, 2005)

how about baking? like pancakes, waffles, banana bread?? my 2 1/2 yr ds loves to stir, stir, stir...

what about finger painting with shaving cream, driving toy cars or galloping horses through it??

how about visiting the local humane society (for cats and dogs)... we go often after searching through our house for items they need donated, {like towels, toilet paper rolls, cash register reciepts...}


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## katallen (Jan 4, 2005)

We do a lot of painting and drawing with washable paints, crayons, and markers. You may also find that it helps to turn on the sprinkler and sit by it while your daughter plays, It blows a cool breeze without getting you wet, but it may hurt your lawn if done during the hotter parts of the day. One of my favorite things to do with dd is take her to the mall to walk around in the air conditioning and get a cheap drink, or a whole meal if I am feeling rich. It is a lot of fun to let her window shop and they have some toys that she can ride on or just sit on and pretend she is riding. If you live near a library they may also have some story times or a kid area with toys and such where you can go to play and read books.


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## Heffernhyphen (May 3, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *julieshayna*
My kids LOVE glitter.

Not to be a killjoy (we use glitter, too), but just wanted to remind that glitter can really give a dandy eye injury. When I was taking my Early Childhood Ed classes they actually advised us not to use it for the younger set because if it ends up in an eye, it can seriously scratch the cornea.







:


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## Petersmamma (Mar 28, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *ju-cee*

My girls like the aqua doodle too but they found it's more fun
to use the pens like a straw and suck all the water out









anyone else have that trouble?


OMG, that is totally ds!!! Ay yi yi!!

I just want to second the mall play area! I am thinking of getting a membership to the children's museum here, although I'm not sure if ds is old enough to really enjoy it yet, because although our mall has an awesome play area, I don't like being around all the consumerism (I am SO susceptible to marketing and advertising, which isn't a huge deal since I realize it, but I constantly have to be on guard when I'm around places where they want you to spend money).

I also second getting out early. We live in Houston, and it is just always hot 24/7 this time of year. But, early in the day it isn't too bad. So we go out and I let ds walk and play and walk till he gets so tired he needs me to carry him...that usually buys me an hour nap later in the day!


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## mommy2abigail (Aug 20, 2005)

The play area at the mall is our haven right now. It's way too hot to do anything outside after 10 am, so usually we go to the park early, then head off to the mall playground or the library for story time. There is 5 library's within 5 minutes of our house, so we can go on any day of the week. Water play is fun too. I found that of all the things (baby pool, big pool, sprinklers) dd (16 months) LOVES the hose best. If I just let her walk around with it, she has a blast! We also go pool hopping at the local resorts!


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