Toddler Summer Activities

As my oldest is about to enter Kindergarten, I’m making extra special effort this summer to cram in as much fun as possible. With a 5, 3, and 1 year old, the list of things we can do and all enjoy isn't very big, Since the oldest and youngest have hardly any of the same interests! I've come up with a few ideas that have, or will keep us occupied with lots of summer fun!

• Water kickball- Each base is a 5 gallon bucket. There is a slip and slide between third base and home, and a sprinkler by the pitcher’s mound. We obviously do this one when friends are over so we have more kids to play with, but it is so fun to be active, and stay wet and cool in the meantime! Even if the 1 year old can’t play kickball, he sure can have a blast toddling through the sprinkler! 
• Sidewalk chalk- It took a couple times of doing this to convince Baby E that it wasn’t okay to eat chalk, but after that, this is an activity that we love doing as a family. We practice spelling words, numbers, draw outlines of our bodies, hopscotch and make up fun games.   And Baby E has a blast scribbling in 5 different colors.  Another fun twist is to wet down the concrete before we sidewalk chalk. It makes it a little more messy, but the colors are much more vibrant! And let's be real, who doesn't like to get a little dirty?
• Library Story Time- Our local library has a fantastic children’s summer program. They have activities every week for all different ages. They are versatile enough that all of my kids can enjoy them. A benefit is that it’s fun to be able to check out new books on a regular basis.
• Family Exercise Time- Every day we decided to do family exercise time. We all run (or ride in the stroller) to the park that is 2 blocks from our house. When we get there, we do a 5 minute workout session, complete with jumping jacks, monkey bars, and stretches. Then we get to all play on the play structure for a few minutes, before we run home. It’s fun to burn some calories together and encourage family laughter and togetherness

It has been such a fantastic summer with more outings and experiences, and I hope that we can continue making memories like these because we’re having a ball. I can’t wait to see what other fun activities we are able to add to our list as my children grow and start contributing ideas of their own!