Quarantine Activities: How to Keep Your Toddler Occupied for More Than Five minutes

“Silence is golden. Unless you have kids, then… silence is just suspicious.”

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Toddlers have a very short attention span. No matter how expensive, or interesting, their new toy may be — it’s unlikely it will captivate them for more than five minutes.

So, unless your activity involves playing with electrical outlets or any other forbidden fruit, finding something to entertain your baby with at length can be difficult.

Nonetheless, when in quarantine, a difficult task that may give you an hour of peace is worth the challenge. And, given how fascinated toddlers are with household items, you don’t have to spend a lot of money to keep them busy.

The key is to give your toddler access to things they want to play with (but shouldn’t) in a controlled environment.

SENSORY PLAY

Sensory play is a great way to keep your toddler busy, and rice is the cheapest, easiest way to engage in this type of activity.

It’s as simple as emptying some rice into a wide dish, and giving your toddler a plastic spoon to aid their imagination.

A few suggestions: if you have an outdoor patio, you may consider doing it outside. This activity can get messy. Also, the wider and heavier the dish, the less likely your baby is to tip the entire thing upside down.

Lastly, while using a larger item like beans or noodles may seem less messy and easier to contain, it’s important to remember that these could pose more of a choking hazard than small grains of rice.

WATER PLAY

There are few things toddlers love more than splashing in water (when hygiene isn’t involved), and if the weather permits, then this is a great option to keep your kid busy.

A water table is a toy actually designed for this purpose, but they can be costly and impractical in a small outdoor area. For this reason, you may consider using a blow up pool, a baby bath tub, or even a large bucket filled with warm water.

Add a few empty cups to the bucket, maybe a hose, and watch your baby leave you alone for a solid 30 minutes.

BOXES

Babies love cardboard boxes, and if you have some to spare, the possibilities are endless.

Your toddler may enjoy something as simple as hiding in the box; stacking them and knocking them down; using them as tunnels or even just sitting in a box while you slide it across tile.

If you need some inspiration, there are literally whole websites dedicated to the craft of toddler boxing: https://kidscraftroom.com/cardboard-box-activities-art-crafts-kids/