Keeping a Toddler Occupied on the Cheap - Issue #14
Take advantage of free stuff
Because, why not? Blessedly, an invitation had gone out to families of legislators from the Riverbanks Zoo and Gardens for a free evening on the very day Justin and Feliz had to head to Florida. I could not have asked for a better distraction for a weepy toddler. She had the best time there, petting a 100-year-old plus turtle named Bart, walking through the kangaroo pen, riding the kiddie train and the carousel, and seeing the lions for the first time.
Another day, we went for a walk outside with an egg carton, and I told her she could fill each compartment with something cool she found outside--rocks, leaves, flowers, dandelions, etc... We had quite the collection at the end of that walk.
Later that evening, I said, "Let's go make a little house out of sticks!" "For who?" she asked, intrigued. "For the little people." "Oh!" Made sense to her, so that's what we did. As I poked some sticks in the ground and tied their tops together with vetch and then wove leaves in and out of the sticks to make walls, I could see her little gears turning.
"They need a floor!" she said.
"We can use some bark. Can you find me some bark?"
"They need a table to eat at!"
"We'll make one with sticks and bark. And we can use acorn tops for dishes."
That was so much fun that I was even sad when it was super time.
Let kiddos help...
I let her help feed the dogs, walk the dogs, wash the dishes. She loved carrying Bob's bowl over to his food stand, making him sit to wait for his food and then giving him the command to eat. She loved clipping and unclipping Bob's gentle leader when we went outside or came in. Of course, letting her help was more work for me, but she had a fabulous time and that was the whole point. Plus, she learned a few things.
Make play dough
My mom did this with us all the time growing up. It costs pennies and it's something kids can help make. Here's an easy recipe:
1 cup of flour
1 cup of water
1/3 cup of salt
2 tsp oil
1 tsp cream of tarter
Mix it all in a sauce pan over medium high heat until combined and a soft dough collects around the spoon. Let it cool, then add food coloring and kneed it in!
Buy second hand toys
I have toys that I have collected over the past several years for when nieces and nephews come to visit or other little people, but of course, all of it is packed away in storage while we wait to move into our house. So...we made a couple trips to the thrift store. I bought her a Frozen castle for 3.00, a little doctors bag with "medical" instruments for 4.00, and a stack of picture books ranging in price from .50 to 1.50. She had a good time with all of them, but especially practicing medicine on the dogs.
No animals were harmed in the making of this adventure.
Fun was had
There were lots of other things we did, but time is running out. But just one more...I hauled out some sidewalk chalk that was not in storage and we had a good old time painting the driveway red. Bob helped.
In conclusion, a good time was had by all for a minimal amount of money. Imaginations were stretched, including my own. And I hope she'll have some good memories to look back on.
Until next time, folks.