YMCA Play Groups
This is by far one of our favorite activities. I feel most cities have a YMCA/YWCA and they likely have programming similar to us here in Moose Jaw. This play group is an excellent opportunity for Roman to get to interact with other kids and work on his playing/sharing/communication/negotiation skills. Plus I get to visit with other moms and dads which is critical in keeping your sanity when you spend 95% of your day alone with someone who can only say 20 words. I also love these play groups because they are offered every day of the week and they are absolutely free!
If you live in a smaller centre without a centre that puts on play groups, head to Facebook! It seems like every town has a mommy Facebook page these days and this is a great resource to find other moms and organize your own play groups!
Museums
Now you might think that kids Roman's age (18 months) are a little young for a museum, and I would probably agree with you, at least depending on the content of the museum. In Moose Jaw we are lucky enough to have the Western Development Museum that is dedicated to transportation, perfect for the boy who is obsessed with cars, trucks, buses, tires and any other vehicle that moves basically. In our museum they have all kinds of classic cars, planes, watercraft, and even a full size train! They also have a model train that Roman can turn on and off which he absolutely loves! The Snowbird exhibit also gets two thumbs up from Roman because they have a cockpit that Roman can climb up into and steer the plane himself. The museum is perfect for the afternoons when Roman just needs to get out of the house but it's too cold to go outside.
Roman's admission to the museum is free but it's $10 per adult to go, which can get very expensive. Solution? Get a family membership! We purchased a family membership for $60 for the YEAR and we can visit any of the four Western Development Museums in Saskatchewan!
McDonalds!
Whether you're okay with your toddler enjoying a happy meal or not, McDonalds is actually a great resource for a cold or rainy day. Why? Because they have a play place! Sure it's loud, and usually smells a little odd, but when you're in a pinch and need a place for your toddler to burn off some steam it's a great place to go. Again, completely free!
Dollar Store Crafts
I don't like to spend too much on craft supplies for Roman because he doesn't exactly have the patience for crafts just yet. He does seem to enjoy painting/coloring/gluing but when he gets bored with it things end up on the floor or in his mouth. The dollar store is the perfect place to buy supplies because you can get a wide variety of items very inexpensively, plus they always have cute themed items for all of the holidays!
Crafts with little ones can really take a toll on your sanity so here are some tips for survival:
1. Under no circumstances should you ever, EVER, give a toddler glitter. You're just asking for it.
2. When painting, put them in the tub. This makes clean up so much easier.
3. Avoid liquid glue if possible, but if you can't then try to apply the glue for them and allow them to
stick the items together.
4. Assume it's going to be a disaster. If it is you won't be so surprised because you expected it. If it's
not, then you can enjoy the shock and awe.
Winter can be a tricky time when you're trying to keep a toddler entertained and cabin fever can set in quickly. Save you sanity and your money and try out some of these ideas before winter leaves us and summer moves in! I think I'm being a little optimistic with that...
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