3 Family Parenting Tricks to Keep Older Babies and Toddlers Busy Without Screens

Toddlers are naturally curious and are very enthusiastic helpers! Toddlers approach the most mundane of tasks with the type of excitement us parents still wish we had. But sometimes the nature of the task, or simply time, just doesn't allow for a tiny helper. This can be super disappointing to your little one. It might be tempting to just throw on another Disney Channel show but what if screen time has lost it's luster for the day? Here are 3 ways to keep your toddler busy without screens!

Pretend Chef
Little ones absolutely LOVE to help out in the kitchen, and this can be a really fun way to bond with your son or daughter. But if dinner needs to be on the table in 30 minutes and you need less cooks in the kitchen, try setting up a pretend cooking station for your toddler! When it comes to helping in the kitchen, toddlers are most excited about the equipment and the process. Instead of letting them help you get dinner prepared, set them up on the floor with mixing bowls, wooden spoons, pots, pans and spatulas. Younger toddlers might be all set with just the tools, but your older toddler might want some ingredients to work with. Uncooked rice, dry beans or even water would be enough to jazz it up. And if you own one of our Comfort Design Mats, then you already know that it makes for an awesome water-proof surface!

Recorded Books
Toddlers really enjoy reading and as parents, seeing our children get excited about books is so touching. But because they can't read to themselves yet, they might not be satisfied with the suggestion to "read books while Mommy cooks." That's when Recorded Books come in handy! While you work on your monthly budget or scrub the toilets, set your little one up with a "book on tape" of sorts. Your child will still be read to and enjoy books without needing your help. Best of all, you can find tons of recorded book options free at the public library!

Busy Basket
Trying to keep a toddler entertained while you get a non-kid-friendly task done will inevitably come up several times a week. If you want to streamline your method of keeping your little one busy while you work, then create a Busy Basket. A Busy Basket is a collection of books, toys and even snacks that your toddler loves and can use independently. The trick to making the Busy Basket work is to put it completely away when it's not one of those times you need to distract your child. This will help keep the Busy Basket's allure alive. You may find that your child actually looks forward to your tasks just so they can get their hands on their Busy Basket again!