TTMA: your snow day activities

[shakinros]

Hi ladies,

I'm guessing many of you are, like me, bracing for a blizzard over the next couple days. Daycare is open long enough this morning for me to drop off DD, go to my office and get my laptop/some papers to work on, go to the liquor store (priorities!), and pick up DD again. H has a weeklong business trip to a place that is not expecting snowmageddon so he still has to go.

So that leaves me & the toddler (2.5yo) alone for probably 2.5 snow days. I am trying to be positive and I'm sure we will have lots of fun in the snow tomorrow, AND I still need to get some work done.

What are you planning for the snow days ahead?

[shakinros]

And where the f is my avatar?! It shows on my mobile home page!

[sudokufan]

Well, we bought a cheap slide and a small play kitchen for him for Christmas, so those both buy me a lot of time. The slide is great because climbing/sliding wear him out (good for naps!), and when he gets bored of using it that way, he puts his teddy bears, cars and balls down it for another 15 minutes. I also have bubbles as a wear out the toddler activity.

I've also been skimming sites with sensory ideas, and I "liked" this facebook page www.facebook.com/pages/Teaching-2-and-3-Year-Olds/187805193211 ...my son is too young for some of it, but there's a lot I think I can adapt to his age and what we have lying around.

(We're not getting a blizzard here, but I live in MI, so I know it's coming...)

[litzo27]

Oh god how I miss just having 1 child to entertain.... It's all relative - you don't appreciate it till you lose it Ok, to the point. Some ideas: lots of arts and crafts - give her buttons/beads/beans to sort and string. Bring in a huge bucket of snow from the outside and let her sort it into glasses and pour colors over it (use big spoons - hands get cold easy). Cut up a bunch of paper bags for really big coloring on the floor opportunities. Cartoons and tablet games are a must - my 3 years old like Dr. Panda: airport, farmer and hospital games. If you have a water play table for the summer or a blow up pool those are great to fill with small toys (like cars or animals). Build a tent (a blanket over a table will do) - all boring toys become interesting again in a tent for some reason.

[Deleted]

Playing in the snow is exhausting and makes for great long naps.

We typically eat a decent meal, play in the snow and come in, change and do a nap. That buys me time to sit down and get some work done in peace and quiet. Or if DH is also home, we swap who is with DS and who is working. That helps as well.

[supertrooper1]

Make your own play dough! www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Make-Playdough-Play-doh/
DS has also really been into coloring lately. And puzzles.

[Divefrog]

If you can squeeze in a trip to the library before the snow hits, pick up a stack of "new" books to read with her. I also second playdoh, and maybe some valentine's day crafts (stickers, foam hearts, buttons etc.) I will also let DD "swim" around and play in the bathtub (usually kills at least 30-45min and she is contained

DD also really likes to help in the kitchen so on days I get stuck at home, I try to do some cooking and baking to stock my freezer. She loves to help pour, stir/mix, and be my gopher getting things from our pantry.

[tas1883]

No snow in my forecast but these are things that I did last year when we had a snow day
-fort out of blankets
-flashlight play in the fort
-valentines crafts (its close enough to February to do some)
-make sugar cookies and let LO roll and cut them out (takes forever but lots of fun)
-lots of book reading

The first two I was able to work while she played

[RiseAndWine]

I echo playing in the snow! But while it's actually falling it might be harder. Your kid will no doubt love the additional attention from you so I'm sure no matter what you're playing with or doing your LO will love it. My kid is really into forts and tents these days. Maybe you could do a whole indoor campout thing with a fort/tent and flash lights and s'mores and "spooky stories."

[alli2672]

My kids love cloud dough (or pretend snow). Just flour and oil mixed together. It sort of clumps together, but breaks up easily.  I give them a few toys, measuring cups, and an ice cream scoop, and they can play with that stuff for hours.
They also love to put on their swimsuits, get in the bath, and pretend they are at the pool. To make the "indoor swimming" even more fun put some shaving cream in a muffin tin and mix in a few drops of food coloring to each little muffin. It makes a pretty good "bath paint."

Also, buy this book: www.amazon.com/The-Toddlers-Busy-Book-Activities/dp/0671317741

[xanthepants]

We do a lot of the things mentioned above. I also will let her do bath time in the middle of the day for a longer period. We play in different rooms than the typical one. Finger paints. Skyping Grandma. Games like Chutes and ladders and candyland. Dress up and role playing. Kinetic sand with her dinosaur toys.

[sudokufan]

Jan 26, 2015 15:16:22 GMT -5 xanthepants said:

We do a lot of the things mentioned above. I also will let her do bath time in the middle of the day for a longer period. We play in different rooms than the typical one. Finger paints. Skyping Grandma. Games like Chutes and ladders and candyland. Dress up and role playing. Kinetic sand with her dinosaur toys.

Oh yeah, skyping grandma and grandpa!  I love this because it gives me a little adult contact as well (and if we're home for more than one day, I really need that).