Superbowl Fun for Toddlers

Every February the ultimate test of the Gladiator takes place. Players will bash, beat, smear, pound, and race until only a select few, battered and bruised, will remain standing. Fans will jump, shout, swear, dance, clap, and thoroughly absorb every sweat-spattered moment. Yet there, standing off to the side, a little excited and a little scared, watching their parents and relatives avidly but with slight concern as well, is Every Toddler In America.

The Superbowl is a concept that frequently isn't shared with little ones. They get an early dinner and an early bedtime, and are then expected to sleep peacefully through three hours of Mommy and Daddy's shouting, laughing and screaming.

Let's get real people.

Who says your toddler can't get in the spirit of things too? Who says your two foot tall Peyton Manning wannabe, (who doesn't understand football because, well frankly, Barney the big purple dinosaur hasn't bothered to explain it just yet), can't have Superbowl fun along with everyone else?

Here are some great tips for getting your little one involved!

1) Give up on bedtime. If you have guests over, or even if you're just watching with your Bears obsessed husband (and yes, having "DA BEARS" tattooed on any body part classifies you as obsessed), there will be noise. And worse yet it will be noise that sounds suspiciously to your toddler like fun noise. Plan on letting your little cheerleader take an extra nap the next day and just give in. Late bedtime is super exciting to a toddler in itself, so you're already established as "Awesome Mom" from the get go.