In this post I am listing the scientific benefits of spending time outdoors and why it’s a good thing for both kids and adults. Now, I’ll write about how indoors can also be fun and educational for toddlers.
When indoors, we have to be careful with the amount of screentime a toddler is exposed to.
The American Academy of Pediatrics discourages media use by children younger than 2 and recommends limiting older children’s screen time to no more than one or two hours a day. (More on this here).
When she has to stay indoors all day, Bianca, my eldest ( 2 years and 9 months today), has the below schedule:
- wakes up around 8
- has breakfast at 9
- morning activity ( cooking, painting) at 10
- snack around 10:30
- dancing at 11
- independent play while mum prepares lunch 12
- lunch time around 12:30
- nap time 13-15 (1.5 hr – 2 hr)
- evening activities / English cartoons ( Romanian is her first language, but she knows plenty English words from books and cartoons) around 15:30
- snack time at 16:00
- independent play ( sensory activities: she likes water a lot) / crafts with mum at 17
- dinner around 18
- independent play at 19
- bath time at 20
- bedtime routine (reading 2/3 books and practicing English) at 20:30
- bedtime between 20:30 and 21:00
Below, I have posted some videos and pics to show our indoor activities. They are super fun, but independent play is key! You should encourage your toddler to play by themselves daily ( in an incremental manner). They also need to explore the world with their tiny eyes. Make sure you give them toys age appropriate, so it won’t get dangerous, boring or frustrating when they play by themselves.
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Indoor Toddler Activity 1 – Cooking:
- Our kitchen helpers:
Indoor Toddler Activity 2 – Painting:
Indoor Toddler Activity 3 – Crafts:
One of my few hobbies is creating interior design pieces with paint and lichen / moss. Bianca helps me and really enjoys the activity. I’ll create a separate post on it, but I’ll drop below some pics and what you need if you want to try it at home:
Indoor Toddler Activity 4- Sensory activities:
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