We've been following a flexible routine while we have been at home, and that has really been helping us! I say flexible because we don't stick to it like glue, and I usually rotate activities and virtual events each day. I also set up a few activities each night for my son to find when we go downstairs - this grabs his attention and starts play (they take 5 minutes or less to set up). With two little ones, I have to maximize nap time: when my daughter is asleep, my son and I are outside playing. If we go on an afternoon adventure, my 9 month old will sleep in the baby carrier or stroller.
In our schedule, I have "activity" place holders, and those alternate daily. If the day has been particularly rough, we use screen time more. Let's be real: right now anything goes!
30 minute activities:
1. Puzzles: I usually set up a puzzle play area after the kids go to bed. This grabs my 2 year old's attention as soon as we come down stairs. Since we are currently learning shapes, I set up 2-3 shape activities.
2. Miss Anne's Music and Movement - Miss Anne creates a new video every Sunday. You can watch it anytime, and they are perfect for babies through kindergartners. These music classes are $5 per child and $2 per siblings, and you can send payment through Venmo.
2. Homegrown Studio's Art Class - Miss Meredith hosts art class live on Zoom on Mondays, Wednesday and Fridays at 11 or 1. A week of classes costs $30, and you can purchase them on her website. Theses classes are designed for children 2-6 years old. I've reviewed this class on @thewestendmom - check it out for more details!
3. Storytime with Mom - I let him pick out 3-4 books and we all read them together outside, in a tent or fort. My son loves trucks and vehicles, so I usually pull books about them. We have truck books on shapes, numbers, letters and more. The Goodnight, Goodnight Construction Site series has a lot of options for truck lovers.
4. Romp N' Roll Classes - These classes meet everyday at 10 on Facebook Live. They last about 20 minutes, and I have my toddler collect the materials for the day before class (sometimes he needs my help, too). Collecting the materials takes about 15 minutes. I've reviewed this class on @thewestendmom - check it out for more details!
5. Cookie or Cupcake Decorating - We love the DIY kits that our local bakeries are selling. I will pick these up as a special treat, and we will decorate a couple cookies (or cupcakes) at a time. Depending on the day, my 2 and a half year old will spend between 20 minutes and 45 minutes on these treats! Check this post for more details.
6. Pre-writing Activities: We use pom poms, Do-A-Dot markers and stickers to learn and practice writing skills. Sometimes I make our own activities and sometimes I use Little One Learn's packet ( @littleoneslearn) ; it just depends on what topic we are talking about.
Hour Activities:
1. Making and playing with play-dough - We usually make a new batch every 2 weeks. My son will play with play-dough anywhere between 15 minutes to an hour.
2. Making and playing with cloud dough - I have a recipe & play activities on my insta ( @thewestendmom )
3. Multiple art activities- I'll put together a theme for the hour, such as "his name." He will go on a name scavenger hunt after I have hidden the letters in his name around the house. He will color in his name on a large piece of paper.
4. Playing with water beads - We have regular water beads and the jumbo ones. My son has as much fun with the little beads (before they expand) as he does with the finished product. He loves to scoop, pour, squish and stomp them. These beads are slippery, so play with them outside (especially if you have a baby around).
5. Playing with puffy stickers - Get puffy stickers in your LO's favorite theme (animals, vehicles, butterflies) and let him create a story! My son loves his puffy vehicle stickers and he's been using a "road" (printed on printer paper) to create traffic jams and other stories. He will play with puff stickers for 30 minutes - 1 hour, even reusing the stickers when he runs out. These are a HIT!
6. Playing with water - This is one of my go-to activities, whether it is taking a bath in the morning, playing in the plastic pool, taking a sink bath or playing with a water sensory bin. Kids love water and it wears them out!
7. Free the Toys (frozen addition) - This is one of our favorite activities! I even keep frozen toys in our freezer, so I can pull them out when we are bored. I've done this activity on @thewestendmom - check it out for details.
8. A Neighborhood Walk - This is one of our favorites and we go on a walk daily. Sometimes we will go on a scavenger hunt, play eye spy or even go puddle hunting.
9. Magnetic Blocks - My 2 year old loves magnetic blocks. We have been using PicassoTiles, but there are a lot of brands. We've been using them to practice shapes, follow patterns and to build. These blocks have been a huge hit for us and a lot of our friends.
10. Afternoon Adventures: During the week, we have found some safe places to explore outside of our neighborhood. We've been exploring Crump Park, RF&P Park, Deep Run Park, Short Pump Park & Kanawha's football field, and more. These are usually empty Monday-Friday between 2-4, and children can run around - they don't have to be confined to a stroller! I have a bunch of reviews and tips to add to my insta ( @thewestendmom).
Some of my favorite places to find ideas for children are:
1. Local mom of twins Valerie McFarland - @valeriesmcfarland
3. Beth - @dayswithgrey
4. Myriam Sandler - @mothercould