Rainy Days with Toddlers
We’ve all been there. We have a wild toddler who wants to run and be free. They need tons of stimulation, and the house has become boring, despite owning 1,000,000 toys and books. If you live in a climate like us, long and cold winters are even harder. Finding activities that are appropriate for young toddlers can be difficult (especially in the midst of a pandemic!). Here are my top three, untraditional, rainy day activities to keep your kiddo on the go and your house free from chaos:
Dick’s Sporting Goods - It’s highly unlikely that DSG would appreciate this shoutout (shhhh!). But for some reason, T has the best time cruising around the store. He likes to meander through the clothing racks, and then take a detour to the Yeti section where he attempts to pull down the entire shelf. He points to every single ball, and excitedly exclaims, “bumba!” which means “ball” in Latvian. I can usually spend 30-45 minutes in there, and try to at least by something small each time because it feels like the right thing to do.
The Mall - Some malls have incredible activities and play areas for young kids. Trains that circle the food court and merry-go-rounds. If you have a mall like that, it’s an excellent choice for a day out with a toddler. Our mall is more like a mostly-abandoned skeleton of a mall, and it is equally as great! T enjoys running down the wide hallways, and looking in the store windows. He waves to every single person walking by, which is just about the sweetest thing ever.
Ikea - Find me one person, besides my dad, who doesn’t just love a good cruise around Sweden’s most popular cheap furniture super store. They have a kids area, although most have been closed during Covid. But you can also just walk the store with your littles. They enjoy those staged showrooms as much as we do. They sit on every couch, touch every knick knack, and are usually thrilled with the lunch options of Swedish meatballs, mac-n-cheese, and french fries!
There are tons of more traditional rainy day activities, but if you’re trying to find something new, have a field day with these three!
