Wednesday or rainy weekend, extended vacation without traveling, or even an exceptional situation that requires you to stay at home: fill up on activities to keep your 2 or 3-year-old child busy and keep a good atmosphere at home!
You regularly experience it: keeping the attention of a 2 or 3 year old child for more than 5 minutes is sometimes a miracle! And you both often find yourself going around in circles at home when it's not even noon, after having covered all the activities you could have thought of for the day in just 2 hours. Don't panic, we've got you covered with our list of things to do with your little one, whether it's in bad weather or in confinement — and ideas, you're going to need it for the next few weeks!
And whatever activity you choose, keep in mind that it will take communicate as much as possible with your child, to develop his language and enrich his vocabulary, as his contacts with other people will be very limited during this period.
1 / I involve him in all tasks
Do not think that you are taking advantage of the situation to make your offspring “work”! As you may have noticed, 2-3 year olds love it perform household chores : sweeping, dusting, cleaning the windows … They are having fun, and not only will it keep them busy for a while, but it will really make them feel tall and make it useful. Don't forget to thank them, of course, it will make them even more proud.
You can also offer them to set the table, insisting that it does you a great service, and make them participate – at their level and with supervision of course – when you cook, mixing the appliance with quiche for example, or by cleaning vegetables from a salad.
And whether you have a terrace, a balcony, or simply a window, introduce your young child to the joys of gardening, even if it's just a matter of planting a few plants in a planter and watering them. He will certainly love to put his fingers in the ground and take care of “his” flowers.
2 / I bet on physical activities
Certainly children of 2-3 years old do not have the same needs when it comes to to spend, but everyone will want to let off steam at least once a day, even the calmest of them! And when you can't put your nose out, it can quickly turn out to be a hassle … Bet on prevention and get your toddler moving before he even starts to show signs of nervousness.
This could take the form of a improvised boom with the family in the living room, mini yoga session suitable for children, even small children, of nursery rhymes, of a fortress or giant hut construction, or gym with rolls and others no giants.
3 / I am full of artistic activities
To never run out of moneycreative ideas, gather all the material that will help you day after day to spend time with your child. We obviously think of the essentials such as plasticine, salt dough, paint, drawing, pads, stickers, pompoms and other chenille threads, magic sand, etc. Everything is good to take to create, manufacture, invent, and at the same time work the fine motor skills of your little one.
We also think of musical breaks, during which you can sing and discover nursery rhymes in another language, play harmonica, maracas, tambourine, or listen to different styles of music.
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4 / I don't forget the games
Since he learns by playing, we do not hesitate to offer him, if it does not come from himself, an adapted board game at a young age, or games like a lotto, puzzles, Lego, angling, but also imitation games like the doctor or the vet for example, and of course, the essential hide and seek. You can also disguise together, with a specific costume or using old clothes and accessories, which will certainly amuse your child, or even offer him a small puppet show, made by you if you wish.
Let your imagination run wild and also invent games, for example by finding all the objects of the same color in a room or by imitating the cry of each animal in a picture book.
5 / I break the routine
Even if young children need landmarks, they will also enjoy participating in surprising activities that change their daily lives, such as picnic organized in the living room for example or even a little party for no reason with garlands and inflated balloons.
6 / I'm inspired by the nursery
Childcare professionals know how to organize children's days like nobody, so let's take an example from them to structure these days and make them seem shorter for everyone. Set up rituals like the weather station in the morning, with or without support, or a dedicated song for certain activities such as hand washing or going over the potty.
Suggest activities he knows and enjoys like decanting or water games (with pipette and sponge, water pearls, colored water, or giving the bath to Doudou), improvise a motor skills course with cushions and lines delimited by big scotch tape.
Also be sure to do not offer too many activities at once or in a row, and make it choose between two or three. Let him have fun alone and be bored: it is not a question of constantly soliciting him and of stimulating him too much, he also needs to daydream.
7 / I anticipate calm times
Finally, you can offer your child quiet moments, to read, listen to stories or even look at photos and take the opportunity to recall memories of holidays, anecdotes with loved ones, etc.
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