fun with toddlers!!

my kids are GREAT.

and, they are very good at playing by themselves...

for a few weeks.

this week, i am feeling the fact that i've been organizing and not nurturing.

so, here is my list... fun things to do with the little girls during the day.
[beware-- it's profound.]

-go for a walk

-practice writing our letters, abc's

-sing abc's

-make abc's out of pretzel sticks or play-doh

-dance to our dancing cd's

-take a bath with lots of plastic animals

-finger paint

-make cookies

-dress-up and act out 3 little pigs or Goldilocks and the 3 bears

-invite a friend over

-eat ants on a log

-play play-doh

-make a restaurant

-have a picnic in the house
-go to the gym (they LOVE the daycare part)

-take the girls swimming ($5 at the gym)
-go to McD's for lunch
-have a "red" day... dress in red, eat red, color with red, play i spy-- where everything is red, put red food coloring in their milk...  oh the possibilities!

-clean-up playing Cinderella (mom is the evil step-mother)

-make paper airplanes
-make them dolls out of aluminum foil

-clean the windows together!!

-blow bubbles

-make a tent under the table and read books with a flashlight

-put newborn diapers on their baby dolls

-cut a piece of fabric to make them a new blanket for their baby doll

-dress up as princesses and watch a Disney movie... drink apple juice in a stemmed glass for lunch.

-put curlers in their hair at night

-go to the library, read them as many books as they bring me

-write little shopping list, let them push the small carts with their list and a pencil

-stay in our pjs all day, do no housework, just read and sing songs and laugh together...

-take a nap in the same bed

-put makeup on them

-paint nails

-play hide n seek

-swirl in circles and get dizzy

-play ring around the rosie, hokey pokey, where is thumbkin, once their was a snowman, and even peek a boo... again for as many times as they want.

-make a line of tape on the floor and let them try to walk on it (with leotards on of course)

-teach them how to do jumping jacks, stand on one foot, walk backwards, do somersaults and skip

-play tickle monster

-play memory

-do puzzles together

-make play doh

-let them be an animal all day-- serve lunch in bowls on the floor, with a drink bowl that they can lick

-go to the store and let them pick ANY ice cream they want... have ice cream for lunch.

-color in coloring books together

-melt broken crayons in a muffin tin and make new crayons

-put bubbles and food coloring in their bath
-get a piece of wood from the garage and make a fast ramp for your matchbox cars (you can find fun tunnels with oatmeal boxes, old wrapping paper tubes, etc.)
-build a zoo out of blocks or things you find around the house
-pretend they are tigers and put them in upside-down laundry baskets while you fold laundry (every now and them throw them a sock as their bones)
-make a fort out of pillows and couch cushions... feed them lunch in their fort
-make inside mailboxes, send them mail throughout the day
-get boxes from your garage and wrap up old toys, have a pretend birthday party!!... let them wrap little things to play birthday with their dolls
-make funny faces with their lunch on their plates (olive eyes, carrot nose, sandwich like a smile)

-ask them what they want to do... and do it.

i've found that doing one small thing with them each day, changes things.
it really doesn't take long... and, it's FUN!!
sometimes i just need to remember and readjust.

gratefully, kids have a way of reminding you when they need some loving!

honestly-- organizing is VERY difficult for me... playing with toddlers-- this is my PASSION!!

what do you do for fun with your toddlers?