How to Plan Fun Summertime Activities for Your Toddler

Summertime means long days of sunshine and playtime. If you have a toddler, you may be wondering how you are going to occupy their long days. The great thing about toddlers is that they are easy to please. However, they are also a bundle of energy that can get in trouble if they are not kept occupied.

Here are some suggestions on how to fill your toddler's days without spending a lot of money.

Toddlers are fascinated by everything, so it doesn't take a lot to interest them. Here are some suggestions for simple fun that takes very little planning or props.

• Blow bubbles. Go outside with your toddler and blow bubbles that they can chase. If you want to get elaborate, you can buy bubbles that come with different sizes and shapes of wands. Your toddler will probably be just as happy with an ordinary bottle.
• Draw with sidewalk chalk. Let them decorate your driveway or sidewalk with their own masterpieces. You can sit in the shade and watch them or get involved yourself.
• Have a water fight. Take an afternoon, put on your swim suit or old play clothes and have a water fight with your toddler. They will love shooting you with water pistols and it is a great way to burn off energy before naptime.
• Have a tea party. You don't even need tea for this one. Make lemonade or fruit juice and include a healthy snack. You can have this one outside on the patio or deck and invite the dolls to come. This simple activity will kill at least an hour.
• Go on a nature walk. Take a bag and let them pick up interesting items that they find. You can talk about them and let them ask questions. Once you get home, you can make a scrapbook for the items.

Some of the best summer activities for your toddler is doing a craft with them. Since it is warm outside, you can set up a table outdoors for messy projects. Simple fingerpainting can keep them occupied for hours. Here are some other ideas.

• Help them paint a flower pot. Once it is dry, they can plant a flower in it and either keep it and watch it grow or give it to someone. They could take it to a nursing home to brighten someone's day. That would turn this into a two-day activity for your toddler.
• Paint with KoolAid. This is a cheap, fun project for little ones to be involved in. Get a few packets of KoolAid and sprinkle them on some construction paper. Let your toddler have an ice cube and rub it over the KoolAid until the ice is melted. They will have a picture to hang on your refrigerator.
• Make a collage. Gather old magazines and allow them to use safety scissors to cut out the pictures. If they are really young, have them point to the pictures and you can cut them out. Let them glue the pictures onto a piece of posterboard. You can choose a theme, like their favorite things about summer, or let them pick random pictures that they like.

You don't have to plan a big getaway with your toddler, but a day trip to a museum or park can be a fun way to spend an afternoon. Even young kids like to see new sights and will enjoy looking around in a historical or science museum. End the trip with a stop for ice cream.

If you choose to visit a park, pack a picnic lunch. Let your toddler help choose what you will eat and gather the plastic utensils. This will be a grand adventure for them. You can buy a cheap throwaway camera and let them practice taking pictures. When you get home, create a photo album to save the memories.

You don't have to work hard to find fun summer activities for your toddler. They are more interested in spending time with you; the rest doesn't matter. The important thing to remember is that you are creating memories that will last a lifetime. As long as you both have fun, the idea will be a success.