Indoor play for toddlers and preschoolers. Perfect for rainy days, sick days, snow days, homeschool time, you name it! Easy to setup and easy to cleanup!
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I have an easy, simple, low-prep, easy, no purchase necessary, free, (did I mention easy?) entertainment idea for toddlers and preschoolers. It involves two main ingredients, and the rest vary according to what you have on hand. Are you ready for this? Indoor water play! What toddler or preschooler doesn’t love to play in water? If you are looking for easy or free things to do with toddlers or preschoolers this is it!
As a homeschool mama of multiple ages, I know firsthand (oh boy, do I ever!) the struggle it is to keep little hands and minds occupied – and out of trouble – while trying to work with older siblings on their school assignments or even just to do anything besides chase little people around.
Some days are harder than others. Some days a movie or cartoons is the only possible solution. And you know what? That is perfectly ok. Other days we have the inspiration, time, and *ahem* cooperation to get the little ones doing something a little more constructive. My mom guilt is abated a little when I know my preschooler is getting some educational interaction instead of simply entertainment. Those are good days, aren’t they?
The good thing about this activity is that there are so many variations on this activity, making it always interesting and always fun!
Supplies
Here’s what you must have: a bowl and some water. Whew! That’s gonna take some effort to manage.
Optional but good supplies:
- a towel(s) to place under the bowl and child – I highly recommend this one!
- spoons
- measuring cups
- pitchers
- cups
- funnels
Alternate variations:
- bubbles
- tub-friendly water coloring
- rubber duckies
- boats
- plastic toys
No need to buy anything. Little bitties love to be allowed to play with the tools and dishes they see Mom and Dad using. Give them use of several kitchen utensils, and they will play to their hearts’ content!
If you spread out some towels, clean up isn’t too bad either. A friend of mine used to say that she would weigh the amount of clean up work against the amount of time the kids were occupied during the activity to decide if it was worth it to her. If you are looking for some indoor play for toddlers and preschoolers, this activity almost always falls under the worth it category!
For more ideas for things to do with kids of different ages see some of my other posts about indoor activities, activities with LEGOs, play dough for all ages, a different kind of yarn bracelet, and making chore time fun. You can find all these and tons more broken down by age group and category on the Activities page. I also share my family’s favorite kid-friendly recipes on the Recipes page and things I’ve gleaned along the way when it comes to parenting on the Moments page.
The Chasing Those Moments Shop has a little bit of everything from activity kits, lesson plans, my books, and more! I’d love for you to check it out.
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Do you struggle to come up with constructive, free things to do with toddlers and preschoolers? Are you on a tight budget? Do you have any other fun ideas to add to our list of options for indoor water play? I’d love to hear from you! Comment below!
