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The Empowered Educator

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Rain, rain go away…

by The Empowered Educator 14 Comments

It's been raining a lot here over the past week which has been nice on one hand as it cooled everything down but on the other hand i have had 2 toddlers stuck inside! All this ‘inside together time' is now getting a touch less fun!

Tara hands me her shoes  every morning and goes and stands at the front door….a very pointed message indeed! We have done some splashing in puddles and mud but with the heavy downpours we have been having it gets a little too much (ok….for mummy it does anyway….the chooks and toddler twosome don't mind all that much if i am to be honest!)

I find you need to keep toddlers extra busy when cooped up inside the house to head off those tantrums and fights….and also make them tired enough for bedtime!So we have been doing all our usual block building and toy fun as well as some inside craft fun that doesn't make too much mess (you can never expect no mess with toddlers…we all know that!) These are some of the activities we have been doing inside….perhaps you are experiencing similar weather and looking for some ideas….these are very basic, my girls are only 18 months with short attention spans but there has been much fun (and only a few small meltdowns….mummy needed a cup of tea and some time out i'm afraid!)

We made a band with op shop saucepans and lids and raided mummy's drawers for spoons…
The lids made great cymbals…..and the spoons made very loud sounds on the saucepans and lids…and table….and tv stand…and wooden floor…..hmmm you get the picture i'm sure!
We also found a few of our shaker bottles…the toddler twosome have loved these since they were about 4 months old…different fillings make for different sounds…..different sized baskets from the op shop have also been lots of fun for filling with toddler ‘treasures'!
We also have a few filled with water and sparkly things that float around and make lovely patterns when we shake them…..they used to love these during tummy time on the mat when younger and for rolling when learning to crawl…now they are even more fun apparently!
 Unfortunately they were moving around so quickly and i was having too much fun joining in the noise making that i don't have many photos with them actually playing!!
We also did some crepe paper painting which is simply some wet crepe paper scrunched into a ball and tied inside an old mesh bag. The girls then stamped and swished away to their hearts content, no paint required! The dye in the crepe paper makes the ‘painting'….obviously darker colours do work better, i could only find red in the craft drawers so that is what we went with! It is a really easy and relatively mess free activity for inside play. You don't need the mesh bag but i love the pattern it makes and it is easier for little hands to hold. Older children can easily do without mesh if you want an even easier activity prep wise!
Lots of fun with pens and crayons too….finally we are beginning to draw with them rather than just eat with them!
We also revisited these favourites……No mess painting, sticky window collage and of course microwave playdough fun! .
I've just realised why i have been so tired this week! The sun is beginning to peek out through the clouds so perhaps it shall be time for a run outside this afternoon….do you have favourite rainy day activities? I love to curl up with a good book, do some baking or sewing…but unfortunately….or fortunately i guess…..i get to play instead!
Thanks for stopping by….have fun!
Jode x

Filed Under: frugal fun, no mess, painting, rainy day activities, toddler twosome

« The joy of laughter….
Beanbags and Breadbags….. »

Comments

  1. The Provincial Homemaker says

    19/01/2012 at 4:12 am

    Some great suggestions there – we might have to try making our own band some day soon.

    Reply
    • Jode says

      19/01/2012 at 5:34 am

      Thanks for stopping by…the band is great if you can stand the noise!

      Reply
  2. Tammi says

    19/01/2012 at 4:32 am

    Jode we have been having the same problem of being cooped up inside but for us it’s a dreadful heat wave that is keeping us from steeping foot outdoors. Each day we long for 6pm to hit as its cool enough to head out for a bit.
    I love the idea of crepe paper painting…must try that with our little one ๐Ÿ™‚
    Hoping you guys see some much needed sunshine real soon.
    Xx

    Reply
    • Jode says

      19/01/2012 at 5:35 am

      Hi Tammi…was the same for us a week ago and then the rain and cool blew in ….very odd weather! now the sun is back out it is so humid….guess we are never entirely happy, lol!

      Reply
  3. Brittney says

    19/01/2012 at 4:33 am

    Looks like a lot of fun! We have tons of half used rolls of crepe paper, so I might have to try that painting activity!

    Brittney
    http://www.moms-heart.blogspot.com

    Reply
  4. Jode says

    19/01/2012 at 5:36 am

    Thanks for stopping by Brittney….the crepe painting is great fun…and just throw it out for clean up!

    Reply
  5. Mooberry Farmwife says

    19/01/2012 at 3:02 pm

    Yes, entertaining little ones can be a challenge on those can’t-go-outside days! We have wind and snow, so we are spending our days indoors, too.

    You always have wonderful, fun ideas to keep your little ones busy, Jode!

    Thanks for sharing.

    Reply
  6. Partycraft Secrets says

    20/01/2012 at 5:09 am

    brave you! they’re having heaps of fun… and there’s always super-soaker if it gets out of control. great job. x

    Reply
  7. Lauzi @ Happy Little Munchkins says

    20/01/2012 at 11:47 am

    The crepe paper painting is a great idea! I’ve shared it to my FB page and also on Pinterest. Can’t wait to try it out! Thank you for sharing.

    Reply
    • Jode says

      20/01/2012 at 10:28 pm

      Glad you found some inspiration and are sharing it around! Thanks so much for stopping by my blog!

      Reply
  8. pink and green mama MaryLea says

    21/01/2012 at 5:43 pm

    So fun! I love the crepe paper inside a mesh produce bag idea.
    We’re iced in today and doing some creative play and crafting ourselves!

    : )

    MaryLea
    (pink and green mama)

    Reply
  9. Sheryl @ Teaching 2 and 3 Year Olds says

    21/01/2012 at 8:02 pm

    Love this idea! What a great exercise for those small hands and fingers. Thank you for sharing! I found you over at Fun Stuff Fridays.

    Reply
  10. C. Browne says

    21/01/2012 at 10:13 pm

    My boys (2 and 4) love to paint with anything…they will love this idea especially because it will be a surprise to them that color will come off the crepe paper. Thanks for sharing. I am new to the Fun Stuff Fridays linky http://trailstentstirelesskids.blogspot.com and it is so fun to be a part of such a great creative group of bloggers!

    Reply
  11. Beth (www.livinglifeintentionally.blogspot.com) says

    23/01/2012 at 2:12 am

    I LOVE all the creative instrument you made!! What fun! Thanks for linking up to TGIF! Have a great week,
    Beth =-)

    Reply

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Jodie
Hi, I'm Jode, Mum to twins and a teen, and an early childhood educator.
I love to share ideas & resources for play based learning
Find out more about me here...

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