Five Ways to Keep Toddlers Occupied

As someone who no longer has little toddlers pitter-pattering around the house, I sometimes "borrow" my friend's children. Both boys, one is in diapers and one is in the process of potty training. I usually have enough time between visits that I tend to forget just how active the little ones can keep a person. If it isn't physical, it is definitely mental; but it is certainly one or the other if not both during the entire visit.

Attention Spans

Children these days seem to have less attention span than did my own children when they were toddlers. I may have just forgotten exactly how active they were! But I do know that attention span deficit has received more attention over the years. I believe some of it is normal, of course. But some is also caused by the type of stimulation the child is accustomed to receiving. It is a fact that children from different areas will have different interests. It is also a fact that children raised in the country are used to a different lifestyle than children raised in the city. So, their attention spans may be different somewhat because of the different stimulus in environments.

Keeping the Little Explorers Occupied

One of the winners for occupying toddlers at my house is the cabinet that holds my plastic dishware. These are Tupperware bowls, empty Cool Whip bowls, empty yogurt containers, and plastic lids among other items. I became aware of keeping the non-breakable items in the bottom cabinets while raising my own children. So, this cabinet was a treat for my children and is now a treat for little visitors who want to explore my kitchen. I let them take out the plastic items and play to their hearts' content. They may abandon their post once the cabinet is emptied of contents, but they will return within minutes. A patient person who likes to observe can replace the plastic items so the toddler will once again find the joy of emptying the cabinet upon returning.

The number two winner of toddler attention is magazines. It is always interesting to see how amazed a child can become when they are allowed to tear into magazines. Although there are parents who wouldn't wish to encourage this behavior, I believe a compromise can be reached. You can teach a child when it is ok to tear books and when it is not ok. But tearing paper is one of the ways a child learns about the things in the world. It is an avenue of exploration which introduces them to different sounds, feelings, touch, and their abilities. So, keep a stack of old magazines for your visiting toddlers and watch their joy when they are allowed to rip the pages and scatter the papers. Just make sure you watch closely so they don't eat the results of their labors!

A third winner of toddler attention is a set of drink coasters. I keep coasters that children can't harm within reach so they can take them out of the container and put them back. They seem to find a small thrill in working the puzzle and banging the coasters on the furniture and floor.

A fourth winner of toddler attention is the remote control. If you want to delight a child, give it a remote control. I would recommend keeping an old one around that won't be harmed, or keeping a toy one just for the visiting toddlers that makes noises when the buttons are pushed. Keep in mind that this will also give the teether something to slobber on, so make sure you are ready and that the device is not made of parts that can come loose and choke the child.

A fifth winner of toddler attention is an inflatable ball. It is soft enough to avoid breaking any valuables and should remain full of enough air that a teether cannot bite a hole in the ball. If you play toss and catch with the children, they are delighted.

Regardless of your creative ingenuity, there are plenty of low cost ways you can allow a visiting child to have fun while at your home with things you would use every day or that are small enough to hide away in a closet or cabinet until their return. If you want to encourage little visitors, or if you wish to encourage a friend to return who has a little visitor, it is courteous to keep things the child can use for play while visiting. It will also take some of the stress off yourself if you have things that can be used for play so that the child is not constantly being told only "no".