Summer seems to have come early this year and Leo and I are taking full advantage. Finding ways to keep your toddler entertained in the house all day can be challenging but stress no more my friends.. the sun has arrived to help relieve the pressure, hooray! Gone are mornings full of Cbeebies and gone are afternoons full of reading the same book over and over. Instead days are now being filled with outdoor fun and adventures and wonderful memories are being made.
However, unfortunately for us we live in Wales, famed for it’s cold and rainy climate. Everyday the sun is out me and Leo are also out. I’m not wasting a second of this weather as we know too well that when it rains it pours and the weather can change in a heartbeat in Wales!
5 ways to make the most of the sunshine with your toddler…
Have a picnic
Who doesn’t enjoy dining alfresco? Picnics are fun for all the family and make lunchtime a bit more exciting for your little one. If you don’t want to venture far you can always chuck a blanket down in the garden..that way you have easy access to the kitchen for more food too!
Go to the beach
I am so grateful we live where we do, we have so many beautiful beaches right on our doorstep. Not everyone is as lucky I know but if it is a glorious day a trip to the beach, no matter how far, is always worth it. Me and Leo love collecting shells, running in the sand, watching the waves and attempting to build sandcastles. There is so much space to let your toddler be free to run around, just don’t expect to get any sunbathing done..those days are gone!
Visit a farm
Leo has recently learnt all the animal sounds so he was in his element when we took him to Folly Farm. We also visited Margam Park in Port Talbot last weekend which has a small farm. Leo was excited to see the ‘peegs’ but seemed quite disappointed that they didn’t exactly look like his idol, George Pig! Going on a farm visit is fun as well as educational for your little one. It can be done on a colder day but is it really worth standing around freezing just to have a look at the baa baa’s and the moo moo’s?
Play in the garden
It is time to clear the cobwebs off the swing set, give the slide a wipe down and get the sand tray out the shed. Don’t have all these things? It doesn’t matter! Pretty much all toys are outdoors friendly, we like taking all the cars and diggers outside and driving them around in the bumpy grass. The garden is great if you want a more relaxed day in the sun and you have the house right there for an easy naptime, food and breaks from the sun. Oli is getting a fence put up this week so I can relax a bit more as I won’t be worrying about Leo escaping! The paddling pool will be out before we know it!
Go exploring
Wherever you live in the world you’re never too far away from something beautiful. As a family we love going for long walks and seeing what we can find. There are several parks, nature reserves and coastal paths around us and it’s great fun just ditching the pram for a day and going on an adventure. Who knows what’s hiding in the woods…we might stumble across a gruffalo! Nature has so much to offer you and your toddler, get out there and make the most of it before the rains inevitable return.
I know nothing on this list is particularly inventive but sometimes when you live a life dictated by the weather you can forget the fun there is to be had when the sun is shining.
The sun has got his hat on…hip hip hip hip hooray!
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