More Indoor Fun!

even though it is "spring" we are still stuck in our house, with wiggly kids (and adults). glorious mud, and still sooo cold!! indoor fun to the rescue!

idea #1: attach a blown-up balloon to string or yarn or ribbon, and attach that string to your ceiling. depending on the materials your ceiling is made out of a push-pin might work, or just regular tape is great too! try and have the balloon hang in front of your child's face so they can get to it. pass out wooden spoons for "bats", and encourage running around! my kids like using their heads, and laying on their backs and kicking with their feet too!



idea #2: pull out your crib mattress, and if no one is sleeping on it, put a crib sheet on. voila! toddler trampoline. make it safer by surrounding it with pillows, and have only 1 child at a time on it (i obviously like to dabble in danger, as seen in the photo above!). make this new bouncey spot a part of an obstacle course, use it for somersault practice, and don't forget to put it back before bedtime, which should be sufficiently sooner now that some serious energy has been burned!

i have used these (and other ideas) for some time, and i love new ones. i have 2 books which are excellent at helping find great and inexpensive ways to play with my little kids:

*the toddler's busy book, by trish kuffner
*parents play and learn, by editors of parents magazine (marge kennedy, karen white)

i am currently on the lookout for similar books, geared towards older kids, and i shall pass along that info when ever i find it!