How do you entertain your toddler on a rainy day?

It's hard isn't it?! I work 3 days a week Mon-Wed, and my husband works Mon-Fri. On my Thurs I go to the play centre with our daughter and sometimes to toddler groups. On Fridays we go swimming. When it's sunny we go to the park and to the local farm to see the animals. If we're unfortunate and it rains into the weekend (like last week) we tend to see what's on at the local schools - fetes and galas with colouring, cake making etc.

If we stay at home we make cards for the family, do baking, decorate wooden spoons and paper plates, paint (Early Learning Centre do good paints at £1 each and they are completely washable), colouring, jigsaws, reading, buy some socks and make sock puppets etc. And if we get really bored we just go to the park anyway and wrap up well! Just take a tea towel to wipe the slides and swings :-D

My toddler get seriously wound up sometimes when it's raining. I have an excellent suggestion that will also allow him to sleep like a rock at naptime, if you're open-minded enough.

Embrace the rain. What do I mean? I take my son every now and then to our local walking trail parking lot when it's raining. On rainy days, there are far fewer cars, but LOTS of puddles. Put on clothes you don't mind getting filthy, put on some shoes that will dry out fine and let them go! It's hysterical! They absolutely love the experience of splashing around! If the idea of a filthy child makes you cringe (as I did at first) just try and remember how fun it was to do as a kid!!! Then all you'll want them to do is have that memory too!

Strip them down when they get back in the car, turn up the heat, and by the time they're home and put in warm, dry clothes, they'll pass out from happiness and exhaustion!

Hi, where I live has been raining for the past four days. I have kept my children entertained coloring, painting, reading, singing, dancing and today we pushed matchbox car around the house for probably 30 minutes.

I know what you mean because sometimes I just want to go out even in the rain just so that I can have 30 minutes for myself while they run and get wet (also fun and I did it with them yesterday).

I do not usually like them watching TV but if you are tired and he seems bored, turn the TV for 15 or 30 minutes and get yourself a cup of coffee while you think of more ideas.

Another thing to do is have a play-date.

Good luck the sun will come out soon, I hope

A cardboard car...wow! That is awesome! Reading, coloring, rolling balls back and forth. When my oldest daughter was that age, she loved playing hide and seek. I would hide behind a door and would call her name. She come running and when she got close enough to me, I'd peek my head around the corner and say, "Boo!" She'd run away laughing! I don't know how you feel about the whole TV watching thing, but my little ones (20 months & 3 1/2) LOVE Blue's Clues. I let them watch that while I'm making dinner. It keeps them occupied for 30 minutes to an hour. We have a DVR, so I record them ahead of time and play a couple. It's amazing how quiet they are and not to mention, they are LEARNING!!! Good luck!

Check Start Nursery.com for ideas - suitable for your toddlers age, and there's also the free Preschool Parent Magazine which has ideas every month - links are below.

http://www.startnursery.com/

http://www.preschoolparentmagazine.com/

Have Fun!

*Build a tent *finger painting *blow bubbles *stomp in mud puddles *living room picnic *baths(with bath paints or something) *popcorn and a cartoon* read books *Find indoor play groups in your area, *find a McDonald play land *set up play dates *guess this animal/sound game *songs and dance *make music with pots, cans with beans in them, anything that makes noise really *balloons, bat them around, blow them up and let them zip around, or fill your living room with them * Hide and seek *scavenger hunts *simple cooking, put together a pizza, decorate cookies, help layer a casserole, make sandwiches together *make rice crispy treats and when they cooled down enough let you kid shape them *let them help with simple house chores, sweeping, washing plastic dishes, ect *print out new coloring pages from online *do an exercise video together(its hilarious!) *flashlights and glowsticks *dress up * cheerio necklaces *

18 months? Just give it some keys, go watch the new Weeds and check back in about 5 hours.

go to this site.

http://fun.familyeducation.com/early-learning/fami...

there is a huge list of different ways to stimulate your toddler while inside