Any parent who has been home with their children for the last five months can tell you that after about two weeks, we have ran out of things to keep the kids busy! We have all taken numerous walks to the parks that are covered in caution tape, found creative lunch ideas and even increased the movie watching more than we would have liked too. The current shelter in place orders have left parents tired and worn out. I know for me and my husband, some days we feel like we can fill Kaiden’s day with educational activities while other days, we can’t even figure out whats for breakfast. I have included some of our favorite go to activities to continue to keep our little one active, learning and growing throughout quarantine!
1. Paint In A Bag
This activity is as easy as it sounds! Grab a large Ziplock bag. ( I like to use the ones with a slider to close them, a bit safer!) Put a piece of white paper in the bag. Cardstock is a little more sturdy and doesn’t soak up the paint as fast. Next, drop a couple drops of your favorite paint colors into the bag. I did two or three different color combinations to keep him a little more engaged! Once you place a few drops of paint into the bag, seal the bag closed and tape it the floor! We had painters tape around the house and it worked perfectly! Let your little one work on their tummy time and have at it! They will smear and play with the paint safely through the bag and at the end you get Picasso’s greatest art piece! This activity is easy, free if you have the items around the house and mess free! A win in my book!
2. Jell-O Dig
If you can’t tell by the photos, my little one LOVED this activity! I can tell you though, this one is not mess free!! I purchased sugar free Jell-O from Amazon that came in a pack of four different flavors/colors. You simply make the Jell-O as you normally would, just right before you stick it in the fridge to set, place a few rubber toys in the bowl. Let the Jell-O set up for about an hour or two in the fridge. Once its ready, I suggest keeping your little one in a diaper only and taking the high chair outside! The mess is real! Once we were ready, we let him at it! He LOVED it!! He was able to feel the different textures of the toys and the Jell-O all while enjoying a cool treat at the same time! ( I highly suggest your little one goes straight to the bath after!) We have done this a few times during quarantine and its a favorite every time!
3. Blow up Pool
Living in the Bay Area, we are pretty fortunate when it comes to weather. The first few weeks of the shelter-in-place however, reached the 100’s almost every day! While we love a great air conditioned house, it was important for us to get Kaiden outdoors a few times a day. The perfect answer for both problems…an old fashion blow up pool! You know, the kind we all had as kids too! We ordered one from Kohl’s and filled it up the same day it arrived! If you can’t tell by his adorable smile, Kaiden was hooked!! He has always loved the water from the moment he was born but this giant tub was the highlight of his day! We ordered a few pool toys while we were at it, set up our umbrella to give us a little shade and relaxed in the pool with him! A win win for mama & baby!
As always, thank you for checking out my blog posts! Stay tuned for the next post!
