Weekends!
Most of us look forward to them as it’s a time for relaxing. But what happens when you have small children added to the mix as well? Your lie-ins and long baths are but a distant memory.
Now, for a new chapter in your life.
I’ve compiled a list of fun activities to keep you and your toddler sane for the weekend.
1. Visit the Local Library
Some libraries run story-time sessions on Saturday mornings and one local to us has a Lego and board game session on in the afternoons. We live in a big city and have four libraries which we regularly visit. Our daughters have a look at the books, we read some stories, they pick some books, we pick some books and an hour has passed already. It’s also a great place for them to make new friends and read stories to each other.
2. Go to a Park
Check out your local playground. We’ve been playground hopping and seen so many in the past couple of years. It’s fun to see what equipment they have in different parks and we’ve found some gems which we never knew existed. I found them by searching on Google Maps for playgrounds near me and from driving past and from word of mouth. It just makes going to the park a bit more fun if it’s not the same one each time. You could also go and see the ducks or go for a bike ride, fly a kite or kick a ball around.
3. Go for a Walk at an Old Property and its Grounds
We are National Trust members and like to make the most of our membership, so even when it’s cold and not very inviting outside, we try to make an effort to get to one to have a walk around. Often, they’ll have put on special walks for families where you lead yourself and follow a trail around. We’ve been to a Peter Rabbit one and a Percy the Park Keeper one too. And in summer, they’re just beautiful places to go to, to soak up the history and see all that countryside.
4. Visit Family
Take them round to someone else’s house to have a play, see their family and let you have a semblance of a rest! I always look back fondly on times when we went to my grandparents’.
5. Go to a Soft Play
See whether your local soft play has any specific toddler times or deals on at the weekend. Go and spend an hour or so letting them run wild. I have never been able to sit and chat with a friend while at soft play but if you can manage that – go you! Haha!
6. Sign up for classes
Rugby or football, ballet or gymnastics. Sign your toddler up for classes to expose them to activities they wouldn’t usually do at home. Let them make friends and have fun.
7. Bake
Bake some cookies or fairy cakes and ice them together. It’s so fun mixing and weighing, pouring and sprinkling.
8. Arrange a Playdate
Sort out a playdate for a couple of hours with a friend of your toddlers. Let them play with all the toys and make a massive mess. Encourage sharing and turn-taking and show them it’s ok for others to play with your toys because you’re making them happy. Before the friend comes over, put away any toys that you know your child won’t want the other one playing with.
9. Visit a Child-Friendly Museum
Has your local museum got a child-friendly exhibit or have you got a museum near you that’s all for children? Make it a day out and go and have a mooch around.
10. Play Board Games
There are some great toddler games out there. Orchard Toys is a company who we love in our house. They have a great range or games which teach turn taking and inspire a love of board games from a very young age. Their bright and colourful tiles and different themed games bring variety to a games afternoon too.
11. Visit a Local Farm
Pop down to your local farm to see which animals are about. You’ll see more animals in the warmer months of the year so check what animals are around before you go.
12. Swimming
Check out your local swimming pool to see when they have their family sessions on over the weekend and go swimming as a family. We’ve got into the habit of just taking our daughter to her swimming lessons during the week but actually I’m sure she’d love it if we all went swimming with her at some point too.
13. Go on a Bike Ride
Have you got a park nearby or a wood or disused rail line? Somewhere with reasonably flat terrain would be ideal for this. Get your toddler on a balance bike with their helmet and off you go.
If you want to cycle further, why not get yourself a toddler bike seat for your bike and they can be a passenger while you go travelling through the countryside.
14. Playdough
You can either make your own playdough or buy ready-made. Whichever you do, your toddler can use cutters and rolling pins to make whatever they like with the playdough. There are also different playdough 15. Painting
Let them loose with a piece of wallpaper lining paper and a paintbrush and see what they come up with. Otherwise, provide a theme or some inspiration. Paintbrushes, pads and rollers all provide different ways of painting. Finger painting is also a favourite for little ones. We have a waterproof tablecloth laid on the floor and an empty ball pit put on top, then a tuff tray inside that and our toddlers sit inside that and paint in there. We find it contains the mess. And then it’s straight into the bath afterwards. 
16. Lego
Toddlers can start making simple Lego sets now with the help of an adult. Duplo is the toddler version of Lego so start with that if you think they need it. The pieces in Duplo are larger than your typical Lego so it’s easier for smaller hands to play with it.
17. Trains and Cars
Get a train set out and a garage and create a little city in your lounge. Play along with them driving the cars around and sending the trains on their way.
18. Help Around the House
It’s ok to get your toddlers to help you around the house. Just pick age-appropriate tasks. Toddlers need training in how to help so show them. Get them to help with emptying the washing machine, folding clean clothes, hanging clothes up on an airer, tidying up a section of their bedroom. Help them be successful. Don’t just leave them to it, help them and encourage them as you go.
19. Watch Their Favourite Show/Film
Pop a DVD on, let them sit down with a blanket or play while it’s on. They’re only little. Their attention and concentration spans aren’t long so if they get up after a few minutes, that’s perfectly normal and age appropriate. Just don’t expect them to sit through the whole film in one sitting.
20. Independent Play
It’s ok to just let them play with their toys for a bit. It’s their weekend too. Everyone deserves a rest from the rat race of early mornings and rush, rush, rush from one place to the next.
21. Sensory Play
Dye some rice or grind up some cereal, pop it in a deep dish with some scoops, spoons, tubs and maybe some of their favourite plastic toy animals. My daughter loves this kind of play. She invents tea parties and just loves scooping the rice back and forth between different tubs. Rice crispies are another favourite in our house. Just as they are. I pour them into an empty fold up ball pit (to contain the mess) and get them to sit in there and they play with the scoops in the rice crispies. We also save the rice or rice crispies in a plastic bag and they can be played with multiple times. Just keep an eye on toddlers who like to mouth everything (like my youngest!)
22. Play a Ball Game
Catching and throwing practice is a great activity for little ones. So is football. Find a local green space or your back garden and let them have a good run around to wear them out.
23. Do Some Arts & Crafts
If you’ve got any kits at home, give them a go. Rock painting, paper plate crafts or simply a box of crafts for a free activity are all suitable for this age. Just don’t expect a work of art like on the box. Let them have a go and allow them to use their creative side.
24. Visit A Child-Friendly Cinema Screening
This idea is completely dependent on what your toddler is like. Mine would not want to sit still for so long, so we would save this for when she’s older. Plus, I’d much rather she watched something at home where she can get up and play and then carry on watching as she plays, she can get drinks and snacks when she wants and go to the toilet without missing any of the film.
25. Treat Yourselves at a Local Café
Act like you’re on a date with your toddler. Get a nice hot drink. Some cafés provide Baby Chinos which are small cups of frothy milk. Or go to a dessert shop or ice-cream parlour and share a sweet treat.
26. Do a Jigsaw
What is your toddler interested in? Search local charity shops for toddler jigsaws. Start off small with the wooden ones with handles and then move onto the ones with 4 pieces and then to more and more.
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