This will be my first year surviving summer with a toddler. My baby is no longer an infant 🙁 . I need a new strategy for getting through these long, hot days and making sure she is occupied.
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Surviving Summer with a Toddler
Keeping them Occupied
I won’t lie, Pinterest has become my best friend. I get so many great ideas for fun activities to try with my toddler. We don’t do a whole lot of crafts but we did try a flubber craft recently and it was a hit!
We will probably make it again. She played with it for hours!
When in doubt, you can always break out the parachute. I like doing these parachute games with my daughter. They are great to do both indoors or outdoors.
We are lucky to live in a neighborhood that has a little playground and a pool. We will spend a lot of time by the pool! She is getting braver and loves swimming around.
This is a great way to get all of her energy out for a nice long nap, too!
Another fun way we can spend a day is at our local aquarium. She loves looking at the fish and I love getting out of the heat. We have a SeaLife aquarium that is only 15 minutes away so I bought a season pass.
It is well worth the price. They have fun activities as well as the awesome exhibits.
If you have museums, water parks, theme parks, or a zoo nearby. It may be worth getting a season pass so you can take them weekly.
You can also check out these mess-free kid activities to keep them busy on rainy days.
Keep them Learning
I also like to make sure she is learning and getting ready for preschool so we will do 15-30 minutes a day of her ABCMouse learning program. She really enjoys it and she is learning so much!
I recently bought her the Teach My Toddler learning kit to help prepare her for preschool. You do different activities for only 20 minutes a day.
It’s such a fun way for her to learn her shapes, colors, numbers, and the alphabet.
Surviving a Vacation with a Toddler
It’s never easy going on vacation with a toddler. I love these tips for how to enjoy a family vacation without losing your mind.
Sunscreen can also be a hassle with young kids but it is so important to remember to apply it every two hours.
You can use these sunscreen hacks to make it much easier on the both of you. Make sure you also figure out which sunscreen is right for you and your child.
Sometimes it is better to skip a traveling vacation if you have young kids. It just may not be worth the effort. It all depends on your child. We didn’t go on a family vacation until my daughter was four. We used some of these staycation ideas for families instead.
Stick to a schedule
Toddlers thrive on structure. Keep to their normal schedule as much as possible throughout the summer, even when you are on vacation.
Make sure they have their lunch, snack, and nap at the same time everyday. Keep this in mind when planning any activities for the week.
This will make for a much happier child and save your sanity as well.
Surviving Summer on a Budget
Sometimes going on a new outing everyday just isn’t in the budget. That’s OK! There are so many great options for surviving summer with a toddler, even when you are on a budget.
Library
There are so many ways the library can save you money. Make sure of the free storytime hour, free books, movies, and music that you can use to keep them occupied at home.
Some libraries even offer free classes and crafts that you can do together.
Dollar Stores
Stock up on supplies at the dollar store to keep your little ones busy. You can get craft supplies, puzzles, crayons, coloring books, kites, and more.
Summer Movies
Every summer, select movie theaters offer summer movie deals. This year AMC is offer a kid’s movie and kid’s pack for just $4 on Wednesdays.
Regal is also offering kid’s summer movies for only $1!
These aren’t new released movies but they are a fun way to get the kids out of the house.
You can check out these other frugal summer activities for even more ideas.
If you have any great ideas for surviving summer with a toddler, I’d love to hear what you do. I can always use more ideas to keep my little one busy.
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