What do you do trapped inside w/ 2yo's?!?

Hi ladies! I'm not on here often because I CAN'T stay home. If at all possible, we're out and about. Not only do we live in a tiny apartment with horrible neighbors (and televisions at every turn), but I am incredibly squirrely and can't sit still. Suffice it to say, I don't have a lot of rainy day activities prepared. Now, I'm trapped here by weather and my son's cold. Please help! Any suggestions to get us through this day would be GREATLY appreciated!!

TIA,
Jenny

 

What about coloring books and crayons or finger paint? My kids also love play-doh.

 

Fun music, play doh, coloring, musical toys, diaper boxes to play in. . .

 

Art, art, and more art! I believe I introduced glue sticks around that age and they played FOREVER! Playdoh, sorting games, beans in bowls with spoons, Cheerios & string, and I will admit to mid-day bathtimes with lots and lots of toys when they drove me to the edge.

Also, don't be afraid to take them out in the rain and let them get soaked and filthy (assuming the sick child is well enough for it and it's not freezing rain...) There's nothing better than a good puddle splashing adventure and then you can follow it with a nice long bath since you'll have a very good reason for filling the tub!

 

Here are a couple of sites that I like....Toddler Station& Toddler Toddler. They always give me activity ideas.

Mine also like to pretend to cook: give them bowls of water and dried rice or pasta and some spoons.

Build a tent: Throw a sheet over a table, put a few pillows, stuffed animals & books and give them some flashlights.

 

LOVE the ideas, ladies! Please, keep 'em coming! I just had two "genius" ideas. First, I took dried tortellini and some shoe laces for stringing. No stringing, but a lot of dried tortellini eating. Second, I had the idiot idea to get out one of their sand toys and let them play with it using rice. I have no idea what I was thinking. They'll be finding rice looooong after we're outta here!! I'm also thinking of giving them washable crayons and letting them go to town on the bath tub (and then, a mid-day bath!). Yay or nay on that one?

Laura, I'm going to check out those sites now! Thank you so much. And, I think I'll try the tent idea as well. Bex, I have giant boxes I should drag out for them. Thanks for the suggestion! Debi, puddle splashing would be wonderful. But, with the way our neighbors drive around here, I think it would not end well. Yet another downside of apartment living. What kind of things did you make with the glue sticks?? I think I need to pick up some craft supplies.

Thanks again for the wonderful suggestions!

 

We have actual bath crayons (Crayola -- they sell them at Wal-Mart & Target & other such places) and they're terrific UNLESS you have caulking. The bath crayons wash right off of the tub but my caulking will be reddish until it gets replaced.

As for the glue, I gave them pieces of paper for a base and then little bits of colored paper from my scrapbooking scrap bag, some colored tissue paper cut into strips, advertising flyers from the recycling bin to tear up... whatever you have around the house.

 

Another fan of art projects! I use old magazines and cut out pictures and letters that they pick out and then they use glue to stick them on construction paper. They love making these 'post cards' for grandma, daddy, auntie, etc etc.

 

Throw some big blankets or comforters over the dining table, move chairs out of the way and boom, instant fort. Take stuffed animals inside with a flashlight...

Instead of rice or beans, I give mine those cheap bead necklaces to use with their toy pots -- they love moving them from one pot to another, serving them up on plates, etc. And, much easier to clean up!

I like to cut out body parts from magazines and catalogs -- eyes, ears, nose, arms, etc. -- and see if my two can create actual faces and glue them down. (They can't yet, but you gotta start somewhere. We go through and identify all the parts.)

Do you have any instruments? We have parades through the house -- my 5-year-old loves to lead them, and we sing as loudly as possible, march single file, and play our instruments. You can always use tupperware/pots and wooden spoons for this. (Get back at the neighbors with the loud TV's, LOL)

 

Okay, so another rainy day and my son is even more boogery than yesterday. I think I'm going to run to Target anyway to pick up some craft supplies. I hope all the other mothers there don't hate me. I honestly don't think I can spend another entire day stuck in here.

I love the idea of a marching band and pots and pans. But, with the neighbor from hell I'm sure he'll be over banging (not knocking, but pounding) on my door and screaming at me! I can't wait until we move. . .sigh. . .

Oh, btw. . .crayons in the tub were a complete success! Though, the wax did make it a tad slippery until it washed away.

Thanks again everyone for the suggestions!!!

 

I second the idea of anything with flashlights!! I read that on here a week or so ago and remembered that we had some cheap Halloween ones from last year. I brought them out the other day and what a hit!! They are fascinated with controlling the light! If you are stuck inside during the day - room with no windows or make a tent!!

The other big recent hit is paint brushes (they prefer the bigger fatter ones). Painting a waterproof area - maybe bathroom or kitchen - with water. Never imagined how much they would like that.

Good luck with your rainy day kids!! Mine are at school today - but tomorrow we will have to figure out what to do during a rainy day.