Head Out On The Town

When you have a very active toddler (hello, boy moms!), you understand that sometimes it is best to just leave the house. They're bouncing off the walls, overstimulating you with mess after mess, and cabin fever is building quickly. Sound familiar?

If this sounds like you, then buckle up!

Literally, buckle up in the car and head out. Toddlers are plenty entertained with car rides and simple errands.

Here are some ideas that don't cost any, or a lot of money:

• Head through the drive-through car wash
• Bring your toddler with you to run all your errands
• Head to a local pet supply store to check out the fish tanks
• Start frequenting your local library to grab new books and attend their story time hours, if your local library has one
• Head to a large hardware store, such as Lowe's or Home Depot, and let your toddler check out all the flowers, lights, and lumber

For many parents, the saying "I am a better parent when I am not at home" can ring true! Time passes more quickly, your toddler gets to explore a new place, and air conditioning is everywhere.

Mud Play Station

Toddlers absolutely love getting messy, as you are already well aware. If you have the space and are feeling adventurous, mud play is a great long-lasting activity that your toddler will love!

Some ideas include:

• Set up a mud kitchen with spoons, measuring cups, muffin tins, and plastic plates
• Hide small toys in a mud pit and let your little explorer use their construction vehicles or sand toys to find everything
• Grab some paintbrushes and let your child enjoy some mud painting on canvases or on the cement
• Set up a toy wash station to clean outdoor toys, trucks, dolls, or cars

This long-lasting play idea, although messy, will bring your toddler so much joy. It also comes with a secondary activity: Bathing afterward! Mud stations are a great way to beat the heat, ditch the screens, and let the afternoon fly by.

Bubble Play

Chalk and bubbles are a staple in any toddler's outdoor space, so you're probably wondering why such an obvious suggestion is listed here.

It's listed because you hate bubble play!

Let's be honest: Bubble play is messy, drippy, sticky, and pretty annoying overall for parents to deal with. 

However, the Spike bubble wand was created to be toddler-friendly, which gets you out of bubble duty and lets you sit back and relax.

Bubble play doesn't have to be stressful anymore. All your kiddo needs to do is dip, twirl, and blow!

Our bubble solution is indoor and outdoor friendly. Made without harsh soaps and detergents, our bubbles pop dry and wipe up easily with a paper towel. No more streaky messes, no more sticky children, just fun bubbles all summer long.

Sensory Activities That Last

When you see the phrase "sensory activities", chances are you immediately equate it with a gigantic mess.

Yes, sensory activities can be messy. They can also be a ton of fun, and a great way for your toddler to spend their time away from screens!

Here are some ideas; some messy, and some not:

• Dry sensory bin with objects such as craft supplies, packing peanuts, sand, rice, beans, or pasta
• Play-Doh sensory bin with, of course, Play-Doh, cookie cutters, rolling pins, stamps, toy hammers, and more
• Silicone sensory toys, such as Spike sensory fish scrubs, tossed in a simple bin of water or even at the sink