Happy Sunday to my beautiful friends! It is another sunny day where I live, and I am so excited to get outdoors today! I wanted to talk about someone that is so important to me today and that is my son Lucky. My son is 19 months old, so I pretty much only know parenting through a pandemic and not “normal” times. My son was around 7 months old when the world got shut down due to the pandemic. At the time I was working in a hospital and my husband was home with my son. I have a lot of family members who work in the medical fields so for the safety of our family, we were just at home quarantining besides me leaving for work. I am sure many of you can relate to this and it really made raising a child completely different than what I thought my son’s first year of life would have looked like. I am grateful that things seem to be slowly improving, although I know we are all ready for this all to be over. Today, I wanted to talk about some fun activities you can do with your toddler to keep them busy and entertained while things continue to get back to normal.
Get outdoors. If you live in a warmer climate year-round this may be a bit easier. It is finally starting to warm up a bit where I live, and we have thankfully had some amazing days where we have been able to get out and enjoy the weather. Go to the park for a nice long walk, head out to your driveway with some chalk or a bouncy ball, take a ride with the windows down to go get an ice cream cone. One thing that I have noticed about my son as he is getting more into the toddler phase is that he does not like to be tied down in one spot for too long. It is hard to be stuck mostly between the walls of your house. Getting outside and being able to breathe in that fresh air makes everyone feel better and allows kids to really explore and not feel confined in their house.
Go places during the week. I know people have different opinions on taking children out during the pandemic. Some people take their kids everywhere, some people do not, and others are in between. I am not here to debate on this topic because as a parent that is a personal decision and people are doing what is best for their families. However, I am here to offer a suggestion for parents who may be nervous to take their kids out and about. If you head out to places during the week it is most likely not going to be as busy out. My husband and I took our son to an easter display on St. Patrick’s Day and there were maybe about five other families in the whole place that we saw. Weekends are the days a lot of people are off and when they head out for family activities, so if you feel safer and want to be around less people head out on a weekday.
Get creative. My son has a ton of toys that people buy him. I am sure just like most other kids, he would rather play with random household items versus his actual toys. I always heard before becoming a parent that would happen and it is so true! There are so many ways to get creative with your kids. Set up a painting activity, get some cardboard boxes and make a little spaceship/ castle. There are a so many crafts that you can do. Hit up Pinterest if you need some examples because the ideas are endless. Finding creative activities will help your children’s imagination and limit screen time which I know as parents we all try our best to do!
Find group activities. There are many groups you and your kids could get involved in. Take them to a swimming class, music class, or gym class. There are so many classes that are out there. This will not only help your child socialize with other children their age, but it will allow you to get out and about. These places take covid precautions to keep you and your family safe. So, find a class you think your child would enjoy and go have a fun time.
Educational Activities. My son is still at that age of running around constantly and does not really like to sit still for very long, but I try my hardest to get some form of an educational activity in during our daily routine. Whether it is singing the ABC’S, reading books, watching an educational show, or teaching him how to do something and watching him learn and flourish. Educational activities will help keep them active and engaging in something and they are always so proud of themselves when they learn something and show you what they can do.
Parenting is different right now during a pandemic. Just know that you are doing your best and that what your kids need most is your love and attention. If you have a family friendly activity that you would like to share with others, leave a comment below so that we can check them out. Sign up with your email to stay updated when new blogs are posted.
Xoxo, Bri
Numbers 6:24 – “The LORD bless you and keep you.”
Brianna Santoro 