I dread the winter months. I love Christmas and decorating, the holiday cheer, but I hate that it gets cold. My toddlers want to go outside and be active and crazy. The days that we stay in are hard on me as a mom because they get stir crazy being in the house all day.
Here are 5 ideas to get your toddlers energy out while it is cold outside.
#1 Find an indoor playground.
Now I know this isn’t for everyone and it is based on where you live but this year our indoor toddler playground will be my lifesaver.
Ours is a small childrens museum for ages 0-6. It has a ball pit, a soft area for climbing, and a bunch of dramatic play areas set up. They do music class once a week and even have a sensory bin area that gets changed weekly with a theme.
Now our children’s museum/ indoor playground, whichever you want to call it, is about an hour away but so if my chiropractor and other doctors appointments we have to go to so I plan on going to the indoor playground on the days that I know we will be in town.
My kids have so much fun, I get to watch them explore new things and we get to play without having to be in the cold.
#2 Indoor Active Play
I prepare for the winter months because my girls are extremely active and I don’t want them running up and down the hallway all day. Someone seems to always get hurt.
We bought an indoor bounce house a couple years ago for my oldest first birthday and it is small enough that I can air it up in the living room when they need to jump off some energy.
We had a small indoor trampoline that they would take turns on for a couple of years but they recently outgrew it. I still miss it and wish we had it. They would jump and it was small enough that it fit into our living room furniture without having to worry about moving things around every time I got it out.
Then there are items that aren’t jumping related. We have a Wobble Disk that they can spin around on, and we have a sit and spin that helps them get those wiggles out.
Some other options can be the climbing triangles or even foam blocks for soft play that they can climb all over and build with.
All of these options create an indoor activities area for your littles when the weather outside is too frightful for them.
#3 Bundle Up
This one probably seems self explanatory but as long as the weather is warmer than 30 degrees F then put on those coats and go outside.
I recommend only going outside for 15 minutes at the most, because toddlers bodies cool off fast and any longer could cause sickness that no one wants to deal with.
I use this one in connection with another option listed. If we go outside we usually wait until the afternoon when it is the warmest. We bundle up and go outside for 10 minutes, I will walk with them up and down the driveway or do some activity that requires running so that the most energy is burned in the short amount of time. When we come inside we get our water and have a moment of rest by reading books or watching an episode of Bluey.
This isn’t for everyone. I know from experience. Some days the idea of bundling up the girls for only 10 minutes of fun isn’t worth it, but I have learned to do this more often as the 10 minutes are better for my mental health than all of us being inside for multiple days on end.
#4 Let’s go shopping!
This is the top favorite for my girls if we are leaving the house for a short amount of time.
I do a weekly grocery pick up and can schedule it around some time to run inside our favorite hobby store or even Target. We go inside and walk the aisle looking at Christmas decorations or toys they may want for Christmas. Since we have a baby on the way, they love to go look at baby toys and things that the baby may want.
It is a small move but it gets them out of the house, doesn’t cost me any money unless I cave and buy something, and is a bonding experience for my kids and I.
#5 Local Rec Center
An option is always your rec center. They usually have open gym times were the kids can go and play in their gym area. Some rec centers have year around indoor pools if you are up for taking them swimming.
Check out your rec centers front desk and see if they have any learn and play groups that meet weekly, or other activities for younger kids.
Even if they don’t, using the gym on those days when the temperature is too much to bare can be the difference between the kids having a meltdown and you having a mental breakdown this winter.
Other options not mentioned are trampoline parks, science museums, aquariums, and even searching out a mom’s group or a MOPS group in your area that has planned meeting times or planned activities for toddlers.
What activities keep the winter blues away in your house?
The Messy Grateful Mom
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