Easy ways to entertain toddlers during lockdown.

*Collaborative post.

Although there may only be a few more days of home schooling for the bigger kids left, us parents of toddlers still have the little munchkins at home to entertain. According to the UK government’s roadmap, it’s still going to be a little while before parenting go-tos, such as soft play reopen. Honestly, I can’t remember the last time I was actually looking forward to taking my kids to soft play, but the prospect of leaving the house and drinking a coffee in a sweaty room full of screaming children is actually starting to appeal to me.

For now, us parents are still looking for fun, creative ways of entertaining our children from home. Of course, there are lots of exciting sport games you could play outside if you have the room, for example, TennisKit24 has made a great list about why your kids should play tennis. I have found that the bigger children are more easily entertained – let’s face it, if all else fails, tablets and playing on the Switch are the way forward. However, for the littles, they need something a bit more engaging and exciting – who can blame them?

If you’re looking for quick, fun, and creative ways of entertaining your toddlers during lockdown – keep reading! 

Toddler dance parties with Captain Fantastic Nursery Rhymes

Looking for a way to get all those wiggles out? You need a dance party! Toddlers can become restless pretty easily, especially at the moment as so many places we’d usually take them are shut. I have found that a great way of entertaining toddlers is to host a dance party. Throw on some toddler-friendly music and get moving. Captain Fantastic has recently released a new album called “Nursery Rhymes” which features all the classics in an upbeat, modern way. I have to admit, Oscar loves it! Captain Fantastic’s music and books are inspired by the extremely popular children’s entertainment franchise, so you know that they’ve worked really hard to make their music as captivating and exciting as possible. 

Listen to Captain Fantastic album “Nursery Rhymes” on Spotify, Apple Music and YouTube. They also have a brilliant section on their website called the Kids Zone which has colouring sheets and games for Andriod & iPhone.

Nature scavenger hunt

Getting outside for daily walks has become essential during lockdown, if not only for a bit of exercise and fresh air, but also as a way for adults and children alike to stay sane! We love a good scavenger hunt because it’s a really easy way to teach kids about nature and it also distracts you from the fact that walking with toddlers is usually a very slow process. Use our free printable Nature Scavenger Hunt and tick off the items as you see them. 

Gloop

Warning: playing with gloop gets messy, but it’s a fantastic way of entertaining toddlers during lockdown. Gloop is made by slowly adding a cup of cold water to two cups of cornflour; you can then add some food colouring to really liven things up. Gloop is such a fun sensory play idea and, although it can get messy, it’s really easy to clean up. Just wait for it to dry and wipe it off or carry on the fun sensory play with an exciting sensory bath.

Sorting activities

My Oscar is 2 and a half and absolutely loves sorting items into groups. As well as the usual sorting of colours, he enjoys sorting his cars and cuddly toys. Grab yourself a collection of toddler-safe items from around the house and help your toddler sort them into relevant categories. 

Painting with water

Painting with water is a brilliant way of entertaining toddlers during lockdown. Having a garden is ideal, but if you don’t, you can use something such as a chalkboard or a large piece of cardboard. All you need to keep your toddler entertained for ages is a pot of water and a paintbrush. Now that spring is on the way, Oscar will be spending most of his time outside in the garden painting the walls and fences with water. It’s a mess free activity that gets your toddler outside and helps them to develop their fine motor skills and creativity.