10 Ways To Spend Time Together As A Family With Toddlers
Do you ever get to to Monday morning and think, “Where did the last week go?” I do all the time. It seems like with everything going on and balancing the schedules of a dental school student, a mom, and two kids gets intense, and my kids are only toddlers! It is amazing how much just going to preschool two days a week can make your week feel overbooked! We try to reserve at least one night a week in addition to all day Sunday to just be a day for family. Here are 10 of our favorite ways to spend time as a family. Al of which a free or pretty affordable.
Go To The Movies: My kids are finally to the point where they can sit through a whole movie at the movie theater which is so fun! If your kids are still too young, see if your area has a drive in movie theater. They are perfect for fussy babies or noisy toddlers!
Head Outside: Kids love to be outside. We frequent a nearby park, but your backyard will do the trick more often than you think! When was the last time you actually played outside with your kids? I 聽mean played with them, not just watched them play (I am the worst at this). They will LOVE it!
Read Books Or Head To The Library: My kids love reading, but sometimes it feels like we can only squeeze in reading time before naps or bedtime. My kids think it is so fun to head to the library for new books and then come home and make some snacks to eat while we read and explore their new books. I know they will not be this small for long so we try to do this as much as possible.
Take A Walk: Grab the kids bikes, or scooters, and head out on a walk. Even if it is just down to the mail box and back. A few minutes of walking and talking with your family in the fresh air will be good for everyone!
Bust Out The Board Games: There are so many games that are fun for kids of all ages. Pop up some popcorn and start playing. Even though some kids games are meant for older kids, you can divide up in teams and help your youngest family members out.
Go Grab A Treat: Our go to at the moment is froyo. We also love the local bakery. If you have a spot you love, make sure you follow their social media. We get coupons and promotions for our favorite froyo shop on Facebook all the time. It saves us money and we all love it!
Visits at Work: My husband is a student in dental school and some weeks require him to be away from home late into the night. It can be hard on my kids and I know many people have similar situations with their spouses. My kids adore to take daddy lunch or dinner at school when he has long weeks like this. It breaks up his long days and gives us a chance to see him! Sometimes we grab sandwiches somewhere but most of the time we just pack a lunch from home.
Go Out To Eat:聽We don’t do this too often because eating out adds up fast, but it is a special treat when we do! We have our favorite local spots to hit up and I love a night off from cooking and cleaning up dinner. It is a great chance to teach your kids how to behave in public too, which all toddlers need!
Do A Puzzle Together: Puzzles are such a fun way to spend some quiet time with your kids! Learning how to do puzzles is huge for toddlers, so know you are teaching them problem solving skills at the same time.
Take A Hike: Kids naturally love nature I think. Going on a hike is a great way to keep your kids active and explore the world around them. The most important thing to do is let them hike at their own pace. You will be amazed at the little things your kids will notice. I always feel like I have a better perspective on my life after spending some time on a trail with my kids!
Cooties! I love that game, I need to get it for my son!
My 2 years olds most favorite thing to do is to take walks. She would be outside all day if you let her.
My son loves going for walks. We have a wagon that I take him around in. I am so glad the weather is getting nicer so we can do that more often.
Great choices. My toddler likes to sit and play Play-doh with me and his siblings.
What great ideas… My two older ones are at a sleepover tonight so it is just me and the toddler. What fun we have had. I love our one-on-one time
These are all great ideas. Getting outside and playing is one of the best and most fun ways to spend time when you have toddlers.
We have been doing all those things since my kids were little. Now that they are almost grown, they still insist on doing some of those things together.
These are some really great ideas. My kids love to do so much of this, except maybe hiking 馃檪
Great tips! It seems even with out kids life is just flying by. Your kids are adorable!!
Now that it’s getting colder, we’ve been going to the movies more – it’s something we don’t really do in the summer at all. Love the movies!
I don’t have kids, but some of these would be great to do with my husband, actually. I think we’re overdue for a puzzle!
we are always trying to find new things to do with the kids haven’t done work visits yet so thanks for the idea!