How do you keep your toddler(s) entertained on rainy days? Here are the Smith household's top 5 favorites! 1. Dance in the rAIN - Record a "YouTube" VideoThis might only apply because we live in Arizona and see minimal rain, but the kids hardly ever get a chance to actually play in it. If it's not too cold and definitely not storming, the kids LOVE to take their umbrellas out and just experience a little rain. I wish my kids had rain boots to splash around in, but I just can't justify the investment for as little rain as we get. That being said, let them be their own little Peppa Pig and jump in those (muddy) puddles! My kids also get excited when we pretend we are going to record a YouTube video. Maybe one day I will get around to posting them. Teddy likes to plan out exactly what he is going to do in the video - so maybe singing and dancing in the rain - maybe telling a story using the rain. Rainy days are fun days to use the camera on my phone to record them acting like their fun little selves! 2. The Forgotten Shopping MallI don't know about your town, but our mall is only ever busy around the Christmas season. This last rainy day, the kids and I went to the local mall. They have a climbing designated play area, a train that rides around the mall, stuffed riding animals you can rent, and a carousel! I used to travel around the country for work and visiting shopping malls was always something I loved (shopping addiction). I know every mall is unique and they all have some sort of charm. We had a blast! They even like going to the food court and smelling the smells if we don't want to get a treat! 3. The LibraryWe LOVE the library. There is always something new to see and do at the library. One of our favorite games to play at the library is to think of an upcoming holiday, a topic that we want to learn more about, or something we recently talked about. Then we go on a hunt to look for books related to these! We can talk about searching for books on the computer. They also love the really organized nonfiction section of our local library to meander through. Our library hosts regular read-alouds and activities for kids, so if it's raining, you might be able to tag onto one of these that you don't regularly attend. Our local events are all free and a great break in the day! 4. Children's MuseumsMy kids love their museums. For me, museums have to be structured and planned out ahead of time. I get too stressed when I let my kids just run free in a museum and have to corral them both. That being said, rainy days are great days to visit their favorite local museums. While my kids love the children's museums we have here in Arizona, they also love off-beat museums too - Arizona History, Fire History, Aviation. They love looking at new and different things! 5. Run Errands - Target and a Craft? Hair cut?I love Bullseye's Playground at Target. I am guilty of buying lots there! I also love the little bins near the Michaels checkouts that have fun activities too. Hobby Lobby sometimes has some cheap themed crafts closer to holidays and the beginning of seasons. If we want to get out of the house on a rainy day, sometimes I take the kids to my favorite craft stores (or Target) and we find a cheap activity that will keep us busy. I can also get some shopping done (or at least a curbside pick-up). We avoid the toy aisle because we aren't looking to pack the house with more stuff, just find something different to do!
I am also reeeeally bad at getting haircuts done in a timely manner for my kids. What an easy, quick trip out of the house to get something productive done? My kids love getting their hair cut because they get little dum dum suckers after. They also think they are pretty cool to go to Sports Clips where adults get their hair cut. Let's face it, if it's a week day, it won't be too busy and you can cross something off the to-do list!
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