Beautiful weather is an amazing invitation to take your toddler to the nearest park for some outdoor fun. The majority of parks around us have a section for our kiddos that are still toddling around. Although these sections are designed for smaller hands, feet and bodies, they still require a bit of hands-on monitoring from adults. Sometimes your peanut can be totally satisfied by just swinging, but others may want to test drive every single gadget for a mere 3 seconds before moving on.
There are a few things you can do to help keep your little one from throwing in the towel too early on such a lovely day. Prepare your child accordingly with meals, sleep and diaper/potty needs. Lay out your expectations of their behavior even before leaving and reiterate them on the way there. Then, pack up only a few things you have lying around your house.
Grab some plastic toys that can easily be washed off, some rarely used/old measuring cups/spoons, paper or plastic bowls/plates, funnels, tennis balls, empty boxes, ice trays, handkerchiefs, scarves, towels (capes), empty paper towel rolls/tubes, buckets, shovels, large handled magnets, plastic plants from the dollar store, empty water bottles, etc. Take only a few for easy clean up and to avoid overwhelming your nugget with choices.
Let your child find a spot in the sand (if there is any) or a place on the grass. Let them pick and choose what they will use and how they will be using it. Not much sand nearby (ugh, those pesky wood chips)? Grab a shallow storage tub and put a safe amount of water in it for some water play! Let your wee one’s imagination go! If Junior wants to measure with a hat and wear a measuring cup on his head…let him do it!
Giving your child the opportunity to “choose” from the items you brought and using their choice any way they like can leave them feeling confident, curious, brave, experimental and most of all, HAPPY! That is what we parents like best, right? Happy Toddlers, Happy Life.
