8 Ways to Create Summer Fun for Toddlers
Summer can be a wonderful time to let your active little one discover some of the sights and sounds of the season. Mighty Mommy shares eight ways to create summer fun for your toddler.
Cheryl Butler
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8 Ways to Create Summer Fun for Toddlers
As the mom of 8, many of my favorite memories from when my kids were younger were their spirited toddler days. Toddlers can sometimes get a bad rap with comments about how exhausting and thankless it can be to parent a little one who always seems to be creating messes or throwing a tantrum if they don’t get their own way, and while that is certainly part of their deal, I always enjoyed their curiosity about life.Â
It’s a toddler’s job to explore his surroundings and investigate all the things that are new to him. Summer can be a wonderful time to let your active little one discover some of the sights and sounds of the season. Mighty Mommy shares eight ways to create summer fun for your toddler.
Tip #1:Â Backyard Waterbed Retreat
Keeping cool in a pool isn’t the only way to stay refreshed on a hot summer’s day, you can also have tons of fun in your very own backyard waterbed, which is also referred to as a water blob. What is a “water blob,” and how do you make one? Simple. A water blob is a large piece of plastic sheeting (a clear thin tarp) filled with water. When it’s done, it makes a cool, dry play surface. For added fun, you can even turn on a sprinkler on top of the blob, which then turns it into something similar to the popular slip’n slide. There are many renditions of the “water blob” available on both Pinterest and the internet.  The one we made came from directions shared on PBS Parents. The materials couldn’t be more simple: plastic sheeting and duct tape.
Instructions:
Fold the plastic sheeting in half and tape the three open sides with duct tape. (It helps to have assistance!)
Insert the hose and fill the blob with water. When it’s full, tape the small opening shut and let the kids loose.Â
If you like, you can add some blue food coloring for a little extra fun.
Tip #2: Backyard Tee Pee
One activity that my kids always loved as little ones was finding nooks in the house to turn into a cozy place to hang out or hide in. With tweens and teens, those days are pretty much behind me, but memories of them snuggled up in a corner with a blanket and pillows still makes me smile. Earlier this summer I noticed my neighbor had a fun tent arrangement up in her backyard. She has twins who are 18-months old. I could hear them laughing and having a ball so I went over to investigate, and when I realized the tent was a homemade tee pee, I even squealed. When she shared how easy this backyard tee pee was that she found on-line, I wished I had been able to do this for my 8 kids when they were younger.Â
The materials were simply six, 6-foot bamboo stakes found in a gardening department, a king-sized flat bed sheet, jute, and 10 – 12 clothespins. For directions on this easy and clever tee pee that is sure to keep your toddler entertained on a hot summer’s day, visit mama.papa.bubba.com.
Tip #3:Â Do Nothing Together
Dr. Hirsh-Pasek, co-author of Einstein Never Used Flashcards: How Our Children Really Learn and Why They Need to Play More and Memorize Less, says, “There is a myth that doing nothing is wasting time, when it’s actually extremely productive and essential,”she says. “During empty hours, kids explore the world at their own pace, develop their own unique set of interests and indulge in the sort of fantasy play that will help them figure out how to create their own happiness, handle problems with others on their own, and sensibly manage their own time. That’s a critical life skill.”
Spending time just chilling out with your toddler this summer is one of the best gifts you can give him. Unscheduled blocks of time throughout your week can be a wonderful way to connect with your toddler and at the same time, let him just putter around his environment investigating and entertaining himself with whatever his little heart fancies. I referred to this as “lay low” time with my 8 kids and made sure we had chunks of this unstructured time on a very regular basis, especially on hot summer days when we didn’t feel like being hot and busy.
Some days they would get completely absorbed in pretend play or looking through their books and coloring, other days they would just meander around being silly or seeking me out as a playdate. It really didn’t matter how that time was spent, as long as it was unstructured down time.
Tip #4:Â Bathtub with Stuffed Animals
Let your toddler enjoy the tub without actually taking a bath.  Simply let your child gather his favorite stuffed animals and dolls, put them in an empty bathtub and let them play. Because the tub is a small contained area, they can let their imaginations run wild as though they were on a safari adventure, or a big steam boat or even a jumbo jet. See Also: 5 Clever New Uses for Stuffed Animals
Tip #5: Toddler Hide and Seek
In Why Playing Hide-and-Seek is Good for Your Child the article points out that hide and seek is not just fun and games but great for your toddler’s development as well.
“Searching for objects or people encourages children to use their imagination and helps them develop problem-solving skills as they try to work out the best place to hide or find their target. They can even start to appreciate the concept of volume as they try to find the smallest hiding place they can fit into. It also gives them an opportunity to develop their social skills as they play with others, learn to deal with conflicts between participants, take turns, and practice the other skills that will enable them to work effectively in teams.”
Get your child outside and enjoy the warm summer air with a game of hide-and-seek. Â Hide behind the swingset or next to your big oak tree. Â You can take turns hiding and enjoying the excitement of finding one another. Â It’s a great game for siblings as well, and best of all you don’t need anything but yourselves and some space in your yard, the park or even your living room to play.
Tip #6:Â Find and Collect:
Just as toddlers delight in playing hide and seek, they also love to collect things. When my kids were inquisitive toddlers, one of our favorite ways to spend a nice afternoon was to grab some sand pails, our wagon and take a stroll through the neighborhood. I would pull them up and down the street and let them get out and explore. They would find twigs, little rocks, feathers, dandelions and everything else in between and excitedly place these neat finds in their buckets. This not only great exercise for you and your toddler but also a wonderful opportunity to work on language development by labeling things and a fun way to get some fresh air and get out of the house.
Tip #7:Â Back-to-Basic Bubbles
My first experience with kids and bubbles was over twenty years ago when my two oldest children were crawling and learning to walk. Bubbles have held a magical power over kids for decades and still do. They’re simple and fun to play with yet can keep kids mesmerized and entertained for hours. Whether your toddler is learning to blow bubbles or enjoying the chase to catch and pop them, getting back-to-basics with bubble play can entertain your little one all summer long. If you’re feeling adventurous, you can make your own giant bubbles with this super easy recipe from the Happy Hooligans.
Ingredients
6 cups water
1/2 cup blue Dawn dish detergent liquid, NON ultra, original works best
1/2 cup cornstarch known as cornflour in the UK
1 tbsp baking POWDER
1 tbsp glycerine
Instructions
Dissolve the cornstarch in water, stirring really well.
Gently stir in remaining ingredients.
Avoid creating a lot of froth.
Allow mixture to sit for at least an hour before playing with it.
You can stir very gently if you see ingredients settling on the bottom of your container.
#Overcast/humid conditions are best. Wind, dry air and sunlight will wick the moisture out of your bubbles.
Tip #8:Â Outdoor Bath
Take advantage of a warm summer evening by bathing your toddler outdoors. Fill a kiddie pool with water, bath toys, and bubbles and turn a ho-hum bath into an exciting event.
What fun activities keep your toddler busy during the summer months? Share your thoughts with us in the comments section at quickanddirtytips mighty mommy, post your ideas on the Mighty Mommy Facebook page, or email me at mommy@quickanddirtytips.comcreate new email.
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About the Author
Cheryl L. Butler was the host of the Mighty Mommy podcast for nine years from 2012 to 2021. She is the mother of eight children. Her experiences with infertility, adoption, seven pregnancies, and raising children with developmental delays have helped her become a resource on the joys and challenges of parenting. You can reach her by email.