Toddler Activities

The days are long.  (And so far, the years aren't short.)  Recently I've felt compelled to be more proactive in entertaining my toddlers.  It might have something to do with the fact that my kids subconsciously hum classical songs they've learned from Little Einsteins.  They get their fair share of that entertainment.

So as I've seen ideas for activities pop up, I've made a mental note and tried to implement.  Here's how it's gone.

Washable paints, inspired by a color-mixing episode of Blues Clues:  In short, I spent more time setting up than they did painting.  Our trip to buy the paint led to a lot of whining about not being able to buy all the other crayons/paint/glitter in the craft aisle.  They spent 30 seconds demanding different colors.  When I finished distributing paint, they were mostly done.  Then I cleaned up while they probably went to watch Blues Clues.

Colored vinegar dropped onto baking soda:  This activity was even shorter.  I showed them how to drop the vinegar onto pan of baking soda.  Tiago did it once and the chemical reaction (minor) freaked him out and he left the room.  Siena dumped the whole bowl of vinegar in all at once, and that activity pretty much fizzled.  Then clean up.

Popsicle bath:  I was sure this one was genius, because last time I gave my kids popsicles in the kitchen they made a huge mess.  This afternoon we gave it a try, since we had several hours to fill on a rainy afternoon.  Siena screamed as soon as I put her in the water, so she was removed after 60 loud miserable seconds.  Mila also screamed but I thought I could coax her into staying put with a popsicle.  But no, she wanted out, and she wanted to take the popsicle with her.  (Talk about a mess.)  Tiago ended up in the bath by himself with 2 popsicles, happy as could be, until the water was completely cold.  I was left dealing with two naked screaming toddlers, who never got their popsicles.

Since none of these activities lasted long enough to even take pictures, I forced myself to snap one of Tiago once the girls were dressed and settled downstairs, I'm sure watching TV.