What do/did you do for fun with 1 yr. olds in wintertime?

Hello :wavey:,

I was just thinking about what we can do for wintertime activities. We have playgroups, playdates, etc. and storytime set up for this winter. Did anyone have any other suggestions on fun with 1 yr. olds during wintertime? For instance, we have a lot of ice rinks around here. At age 2, they can start going on the ice for fun during an open skate with a bar to hang onto (best way I can describe it) and one on one attention with an adult. However, we have a year before this would be appropriate. TIA for the help .

 

Here are some of the suggestions I've seen (but haven't tried them all):

Spend an hour in the bathtub
Play with dried beans, measuring cups, spoons etc.
Let them take all the clothes out of your bottom dresser drawers (I did this one!)
Explore rooms of the house they're not normally in
Walk the mall

Mine were not very interested in being out in the snow at that age. Their 1-year Christmas card photo showed them both wearing snowsuits, sitting in the snow, but we basically propped them there for the picture and then they got mad and wanted to go back inside.

I feel for you -- mine are in daycare, but we had a few blizzards over Christmas and New Year's the year that they were one, and they were home for practically two whole weeks. We nearly all went stir-crazy.

 

Oh we've done the bathtub thing. I've let them play until they were prunes and practically falling asleep in the tub!! LOL

I used to fill up either small 8 oz. coke bottles, or the Breastmilk containers you get with dry noodles. I'd add a couple drops of food coloring to them for added interest, and let them have them. The loved those homemade rattles until they were well beyond a year old. We'd do colored water too. They'd look and turn and just play with it in those bottles.

Put them somewhere that you don't mind getting dirty (ceramic floor maybe) and give them some crayons and a LARGE sheet of paper (rolled paper is good) and just let them color. I've left mine in their diapers and let them go to tow with crayons, washable markers, etc. We even did face paint one day! THAT was fun to watch! They ate a lot of it, and a lot got all over them, but it was fun and the bath water was an interesting array of colors as well!

 

We got the boys a ball pit for their first birthday and they loved it (and still do). We got it at toys r us for about $50.00. I think that would be a cool thing to have for winter.

 

Any old about to go out of date dried spices in the cupboards? Let them "cook" with a big bowl and loads of wooden spoons and things where you can just sweep up.
Pudding and squirty whipped cream finger painting is great. (and yummy!)
If they dont like being *in* the snow, just bring a bowl in. By the time it melts they'll have lost interest.
I second the idea of "Thank God for the bathrub!" Owen was the worlds cleanest kid at that age...
Let them pull all the cushions off the couch.
Put a ring of wide masking tape loosely around their wrist sticky side out, then give them some large-sish paper shapes and let them makes bracelets.
Let them "fold" a load of warm laundry. This may have the affect of making them sleepy-yay!
Make them a tent from sheets and chairs and play camping out.
Big fat pastas that are stringable (penne) make groovy jewellery!
Teddy (or baby doll) is sick! The toy needs great care and attention for several minutes (or however long you can get them to stay interested!), then it will be magically "cured". At our house this has involved band-aids, clean plastic medicine spoons, big paper aspirin, pretend bowls of soup, etc, etc...

I got a million of em!

 

We do a lot of baths just for distraction. Sometimes I spray a little shaving cream on the wall in the tub for extra entertainment. And when they are old enough for a spray bottle with the shaving cream, it's even more fun! Also, I bring their bikes (ride on toys) in during the winter and occassionally just let them ride around.

As for out of the house things...there's always the play area at whatever little restaurant (Runza, BK, McD's) for coffee, or the mall play area, or just walking in the grocery store (without expecting to get groceries...to make it fun). And in the house activities: giving them old magazines to look through, tear pics out of; playing with your pots and pans and spatulas and etc; laundry basket fun; scooping up things with a small hand held shovel (like dried lima or kidney beans) and putting them into something; making a fort out of a blanket and some chairs. Just some ideas for you!