Ideas for entertaining kids

*This is a guest post

Anyone who has been blessed with a toddler knows that it can be difficult to keep up with their endless craving for adventure and entertainment. Finding personal time to get chores and errands done is hard enough, and many mothers end up neglecting their personal fitness as they struggle to keep up with their children. While we might want to play with our little stars at all hours of the day, mothers need some time to themselves for their own mental and emotional health. Here are some ideas for fun activities your toddler can do that require less interaction on your part, so you can get in a quick workout to get fit for the swimsuit season.

If you haven’t already begun investing in building blocks for your children, you are truly missing out. Building is a classic activity for kids and is sure to be hours of fun for any tot. Materials come in all shapes and sizes, from Lincoln Logs to LEGO, and they will provide your child with possibilities as endless as her imagination. If your little engineer is prone to sticking things in her mouth, you can always look around for jumbo blocks that are a safe alternative to the smaller, bite-sized blocks. Not only can this activity distract a toddler for a decent period of time, it is also mentally stimulating and can help build their motor coordination and creativity.

Of course, movies are a tried and true way for parents to entertain their children for extended periods of time. While less intellectually building, many children’s movies still teach great lessons and can be one of the few ways to truly get a young one to quiet down for a while. There is a huge selection of movies from the array of Disney movies to the famous The Land Before Time franchise. Even if you do not want to buy a whole collection of works, many children can be easily entertained by the same movie many times over. Picturebox offers the ability to watch movies on any mainstream device (be it through video game console or mobile phone), and with movies such as The Jetsons you can keep your toddler busy anywhere. As they say, introduce your kids to own childhood favourites! Just make sure not to wear yourself out watching the same movies repeatedly, because your patience for them will probably run out long before your child’s!

If you’re looking for something more on the cheaper side, there are activities you can organise at home with things you already have lying around the house. Finger painting is a great pastime for kids who love to get messy and creative, and it is a sure way to occupy their attention. You can make some yourself at home, and provide a safe, edible version for your kids to paint with. If you take the time to set up a safe area for your toddler to get as messy as they wish, you can relax and enjoy this activity with as little stress as possible.

There are tons of activities for parents and their toddlers, and not all of them require direct interaction. As long as you can supervise your child doing something they love on their own, you can take the moment to get some personal time in. Whether you need to keep up your workout routine or simply catch up on the latest Internet gossip, some spare time on your own is important and should not missed. Even half an hour a day can go a long way toward keeping parents low on stress and happy.