The holidays are always a time of joy and celebration. Toddlers and young children, however, may not understand the holiday break as an opportunity to take it easy!
They need their daily sensory input to thrive. Here are five activities for toddlers at home this holiday break.
Mini camping expedition in the back-yard
Pitch a small tent, take a few camping chairs and spend some time outdoors. Meland has great kids pretend outdoors set just right for this activity.
With everything from a pop-up tent to a stove, pots, and pans and pretend bugs to investigate. This is an ideal way to safely instill a love of nature in your child.
If you've not got an outdoor space at home, pick a good day and visit a nearby park.
Find a park near you with plenty of open space for running around or play equipment that your toddler can explore. Pack a picnic lunch, warm clothing if needed, and spend the day outdoors.
As a bit of a bonus game, we love spotlight tag, which can be played safely at home with the kid's flashlight that comes with this Meland camping set.
Just turn off the lights in the evening, everyone hides and whoever's turn it needs to safely creep around with the torch, spotlighting people.
This is a great way to help scare away any night-time fears too.
Glam up for a fashion show
Toddlers love to dress up and show off their style. Allow them to play with mommy’s scarves, hats, handbags, or even an old shirt that can be made into a fashionable cape!
How about the child puts on mommy's heels and walks around? Or try having your toddler model some of dad's clothes - suspenders over pants are quite popular these days!
There are so many fun ways for toddlers to get in touch with their creative side and we like to think the best finishing touch to any child-runway look can be found in Meland's princess dress-up accessories and washable makeup kit.
Hit the runway with next, next season's looks this holiday!
Arts and crafts (particularly great for Christmas ornaments)
Toddlers love to see their artwork on the fridge or the tree!
Painting, coloring, and drawing are great activities because they help little kids learn skills such as motor control, hand-eye coordination, and fine motor movement.
It's a good idea if painting or coloring with a toddler to you put a sheet down on the table first!
Toddlers enjoy using their hands for art projects that allow them to make messes.
Finger painting is another easy art activity that toddlers can do inside or outside.
A bit of food coloring is a safe way to mix up your own paints, and means less worry about your little one licking their fingers as they create!
At Meland, we love our fuse beads kits for a bit of holiday decoration DIY. Put together patterns or pixel images, then safely iron the artwork to "fuse" the beads in place.
Such a wonderful way to personalize your Christmas decorations this year.
Burn some energy
Toddlers love to sprint, jump and climb on furniture.
So make up a silly game for them to play by bouncing balls off the walls or taking turns making tall towers with books and blocks.
If you're looking for something a little more structured in the chaos of young children at home for the holidays during bad weather.
We could suggest a game of H-O-R-S-E with our indoor basketball set.
For those new to the game, we've already written out the rules in an earlier blog however the game is simple.
Players take shots at the hoop and for each miss, the player gets a letter against their name. It's a classic for a reason!
A Marble Run Build-off
Toddler-safe crafts are good for them because they can learn motor skills, coordination, and movement.
Some examples include finger painting and making something with beads (different colors).
Stretch your kids' creativity by getting them a marble run kit to play with.
Compete to see who can build the highest, longest, slowest, or fastest track. Older kids even work to develop a Rube Goldberg machine.
A Holiday to Remember
Toddlers are full of boundless energy and creativity.
They also love to explore the world around them, so we recommend getting out there with Toddler-Friendly Activities for Toddlers at Home this Holiday Break!
These activities will encourage your child's curiosity and spark their imagination while helping you bond as a family during the busy holiday season.
If you want more ideas on how to keep those little ones entertained or need some tips on what games they may enjoy playing indoors, Meland has plenty of toys that could be just right for your toddler in our toy store. We hope these ideas help make your holidays merry (and bright)!