New Activities

Now that the weather is scorching and it is much too hot for Ellie and I to go outside to do our arts and craft activities, I have had to start thinking of new, different activities to keep her entertained. Many fail, she would much rather be outside painting and exploring. I don't blame her, I am going quietly crazy myself being cooped up like this. We do go out into the yard in the early evening, generally after dinner but it's not enough to keep her happy! Two 'activities' we have tried which were met with approval were cooking and saving. Cooking we have done twice now, it's hard to get to it as we have to be sure Kahlei's down for a good nap before we start otherwise it's a disaster! Yesterday we cooked some sultana scones and a banana loaf, Ellie loves to add ingredients to the bowl, mix the ingredients and taste test while I am not looking. She also loves to eat what we have made, I tell her that we cooked this as we eat it and she will say "Cook".

 

 

Saving is pretty much what it sounds like. My mum gave me a cow money box for Christmas as a joke (I'm terrified of cows), but it's really cute and somehow I feel like it's special because it's from her and was chosen specifically for me, so it sits right next to my bed. On this particular day, Kahlei was sleeping and Ellie was being a nut. I was at my whits end, nothing I tried to do with her was working and she kept going into our room, getting the cow and putting it on the bed. So, I went and got all my coinage out of my purse, laid it on the bed between us with the cow and showed her how to put the money in the slot. She was into it straight away, she would keep trying until she could manoeuvre the coin into the slot and then clap. She loved the sound of the coin dropping in. 

I have recently been thinking about ways to improve her patience, as she will very easily get cranky and give up when things take a little bit more effort or time than she would like and this was perfect. If she did get a bit frustrated she would sit back on the pillows, take a moment then try again! I was impressed. I figure it is also a good way to encourage her fine motor skill development as well as teaching her to save along the way and intend to do it regularly, once my purse starts to get full again.     

 

I would love to hear other activities you use to entertain your toddlers when you can't take them outside, feel free to comment and tell me!