Fun Twists on Ways to Play with Toddlers & Preschoolers

As a stay-at-home mom, it can sometimes be hard to find new ways to have fun with your children. I love to play and enjoy the time I have with our daughter. I thought I'd put a list together of some of the ways we find to enjoy the day, rain or shine.

We like to:
1. Have a party-for no reason at all. We get out streamers and hang them from the doorway, and now that she's a little over 2 I let her hang them along the hall as well. Then we make cookies or some kind of snack and "party." By party, we simply enjoy our day and walk repeatedly through the streamers saying, "Ta-Da!"

2. Play with sidewalk chalk...try this, draw white lines all over your driveway making shapes of all sizes, then have the kids color every shape in solid! It looks very fun when it's all done.

3. Cook together. No matter what you're making you can let your little one help. From cookies and cakes to mac-n-cheese I let her help. Typically she is simply standing on a chair next to me stirring some water in a bowl while I do most of the cooking. Sometimes I pour some sugar in the water for her to stir around or some dried herbs. When we bake I let her hold the mixer with me and stir the batter while I add ingredients.

4. Read books upside down on the couch with both of your legs up on over the back of the couch as you look up at the ceiling and read and snuggle.

5. Run up and down the halls playing chase or kickball with a beach ball. Chances are there isn't anything in your hall that can get broken and if there is, move it for the afternoon!

6. Lay your toddler on the floor with white computer paper taped together covering the ground underneath her. Trace her whole body and then color it together...then of course hang it on the wall!

7. Plant flowers together and let her water them...and the side of the house.

8. Color on the windows with washable markers made for glass.

9. Paint...paint with fingers, paint with brushes, paint with feathers, paint with grass, paint with wadded paper, paint with sponges, paint with fabric pieces...paint with anything and everything you can find-then frame your work!