Summer is an especially exciting time for everyone, even more so for those of us who live in a place with four distinct seasons. Summer means long days and sunshine, it means playful hours and late nights. The Twinkle family have been so lucky to have daddy off work for our first week of summer. And now that we are all in summer mode:
I'm coming up with some summer plans for toddlers. T and I have our favorites.
The Zoo - We are lucky enough to live a short 12 minute car ride from a smallish zoo.
The first Friday we took T to the zoo, we plan to get a year long membership to our zoo. We spent 2 hours looking at the animals and the pathway artwork.
The park - we have several parks in the area so we can visit a different one every day and not get tired of it.
Our favorite park is a 3 minute car ride and always busy! We are able to interact with other moms and toddlers.
Sunday, our last day with dad, we went back to the park, T and daddy ran off to play on their own and I made friends with another mom with her sons at the park. We bonded over names we picked for our babies. And the conversation shifted to several different topics.
If you find your family has a free morning or afternoon I highly recommend checking out a park near you.
The beach - we are about a 35 minute drive from Lake Michigan and had lovely visits. Daddy and I just took T for the first and second time this summer. We bought our first foldable wagon to help carry snacks, T and our umbrella.
Wednesday was our first trip to the beach this year.
Friday we went back to the beach.
Walks in the wagon or stroller - I love walking T up and down our driveway and road with her stroller or new wagon.
Walks with the harness - T loves the freedom of walking with her harness and leash, we used this at the tulip festival a few weeks ago and plan to take her on walks on the bike path near our house, as well as hiking trails in the wooded park. We are vigilant about poison ivy.
I'm also coming up with rainy day or extreme heat alternatives. That's an equally long list.
Jump time - our kid's activity Center has a toddler jump time every Friday from 10 to 12. T has only been once but she enjoyed it thoroughly. It's only $5.
The activity Center near our house is a Craig's Cruisers. But I am sure of many other centres offer this same type of accommodation.
Library visits - T and mama love the library, we go at least weekly and our libraries have lovely play rooms for toddlers and children. We have 3 or 4 within 3 miles of our home.
Thursday was a library day.
I definitely recommend checking out a library near your home, many of them have summer programs with even more activities!
The children's museum - we haven't yet taken T to the children's museum near our home but we have a wonderful museum about 10 minutes out. With wonderful exhibits to teach children the importance of teeth brushing and dental hygiene.
I have found most metropolitan areas have a children's museum with many different exhibits and programs.
Indoor crafts - I have created a long list of sensory crafts and easy craft projects for T and myself.
Store - like many other toddler girls my baby loves to visit Target. She loves to see the puppy at the entrance. She loves the colorful discount section.
The mall - T is obsessed with the mall.
Tuesday we went to the mall, we just walked around and looked at the murals. We also actually went into some stores, this was the first time we brought T into the shops.
The mall also has a play center that happened to be closed for cleaning during our short visit, but mall play centers are also a great way to make friends for yourself and your toddler.
The last 10 days have been all about our family. We have played everyday with daddy and taken a trip each day. It's the longest stretch of days T has kept so busy in her life. We are paying for it now, but the memories will last a lifetime. It was a great time for each of us.
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