What to Do?? - Blue Springs,MO

I don't know where you live, but some of the malls have fun things to do or crawl on. Independence Center has a large play area. Things for them to crawl on also a Large Merry-go-round and other rides. (those cost $). At Marshalls in Zona Rosa they have a large fruit plate (Foam) for kids to play on plus across the street at Bravo Italian Restraunt they have water that shoots out of the ground for kids to play in. (I heard that Marshalls was getting rid of the fruit plate but I don't know if it's happened yet. I try to do indoor activities when it get's hot. There's always Chuck-E-Cheese!!!!!!!!!!!!

I hope this will help! If you are north of the river, send me a message, we'd be glad to meet you out!
Lots of different types of activities also help to develop gross motor and fine motor skills.
I have a few ideas for you:
- Kaleidoscope at Crown Center is free http://www.hallmarkkaleidoscope.com/
- The Nelson Atkins during the day is a great way to just see a lot of great things! Check out the new sculpture garden!
-Kauffman Gardens is down by the Nelson too...free
-Check out Kansas City's Children's Garden http://www.kccg.org/beanstalk.htm
-PBSkids.org has great learning activities for free
-FisherPrice.com has great educational online games for free
-The fountains at Zona Rosa are always fun...and free
-During the school year, check into Parents as Teachers through your district...it's free!
-Your local library will give you a ton of finger plays and ideas for free!
-Story time at Barnes and Noble and Borders.

Good Luck and Have fun!

when my girls were little I used to spray shaving cream on the kitchen table and they could draw pictures in the shaving cream they loved it and the house smelled good afterwards. An outdoor activity we used to do in the summers is get a bucket, fill it with water and buy some inexpensive wide paint brushes and they would "paint the house" the water turns it a darker color and of course when it dries there is no damage.

Hi K.,

There are other things you can do out of the house when it's hot, like going to the library or to the mall! Take him on the stroller and you can have fun too! Wonderscope is a great place on a hot day, going to a public swimming pool like Splash Cove can refresh you both.
Even going shopping can make a difference, playing inside with a 20 month old all day long.....wouldn't be my choice.
You can also talk to some of your frinds and make playdates one time at your house and one time at the other ladies, kids like and need to be with other kids even if they are little, they keep them busy just by watching them.
A small pool in your backyard in the shade can keep him cool even if it's hot.
Hope it helps and you can both have some fun in the heat! :)

Mariana Abadie
www.MyKidsFirst.com

How about making edible playdough? I don't have any recipes handy, but I know you could google edible playdough and find a few.

What about free play? It sounds like you are a great mom that likes to spend time with your son and that's great. But it's never too early to teach them to entertain themselves. After all, the house doesn't clean itself and sometimes you need to watch a little tv yourself or read a book or sometimes just sit and think a complete thought.

Do you have any toddler age electronic toys that hold his interest? One of my kids favorite things to do was to bang on a piano. We have an electric piano with weighted keys and the kids can use it with headphones which gives me a break from the noise for a little bit. Then again, we have the child size piano that hooks up to the tv too. 20 month old children will just bang on it but that's ok. You can turn the tv sound way down.

Have you tried turning on some loud music and dancing? That might help replace some of the big physical things he is missing right now.

Suzi

If you're near the Independence area, you can go to Independence Center, they have a caresaul, and indoor play area, plus a pet store that's always fun. Also there's Adventure Oasis, it's a great water park for kids, lots of shade as well. There's also a couple spray water parks in Independence that are free. To find the locations just do a google search for the City of Independence website. Also try a YMCA with an indoor pool or play area. Or in Raytown there's Super Splash USA, also another good water park. Try the Deanna Rose Farmsted in Overland Park, it's outdoors as well, but lots of shade, and animals, my 17mo old made good friends with a goat ; ) LoL Try Crown Center as well...

Hi K.,
Here one for you go to like best buy, walmart, even sams club or costco and ask them for a box, a big one, big enough that you and him can crawl in it or through it. You can make a fort, turn it upside down, make a door. If you would rather go buy a small tent, like the kid ones. Put a blanket over the top and shine a flash light, hey thats another one a flashlight show him how to make birds on the wall, be creative. Also if you buy bulk size diapers and the refill box of wipes save them, the diaper box can be a car, get a rope hook it on it and it can be a buggy and you can be the horse. The wipe box you can put blocks in, toys in, whatever. My daycare kids love these. The diaper boxes only last a day so I ask the daycare parents to donate them when they have them. I don't think I have anymore ideas but maybe with something I have said it might spark your mind :). Just have fun. Oh I did think of one more make a tent, take chairs around the house and put a blanket or sheet on the seat part with something heavy to keep on it and have fun. W.

I take my kids to Zona Rosa. They have a indoor play area for the kids. And outside there is a fountain for the kids to play in. Also in Liberty, off 291 there is a park with a fountain for kids to play in and it's under the shade. And all this is free. I hope this help.

What about a little playgroup? There are several listed in Mother/Child Reunion Magazine, Parents and The Kids Directory which you can find at consignment stores, KidsPark, etc. for free. The libraries also have storytime, which gets you out of the house and around other adults and kiddos your sons age. Do you live or know somebody who lives in a subdivision or apartment complex with a pool? The pool is cheap, cool fun...just pack snacks, sunscreen and some toys (watering can, small bowls, etc.) and he'll have a blast!

My youngest son is also 20 months. He is a little easier because older 4 year old soon to be 5 year old keeps him pretty busy. But when he DOES venture off by himself suprisingly he doesn't want to play with the fancy toys just stacking tupperware one inside the other in tupperware bowls in our kitchen floor and he has learned to put them away when he is done. Then my husband brought home some necklace beads given to him by hiss boss for some work reward thing and he has been obsessed with putting them on his neck then taking them off of his neck then doing it all over again, Also huge wooden puzzles he likes to do and of course coloring with supervision. He is also into the blocks that fit into a box like the stars and circle shapes etc. and he LOVES baby legos the HUGE ones they can not swallow he loves building things with them. My son even on most sunny days with a cool breeze can not go outside due to his eczema making him break out in hives and rashes and keeping him up all night itching them. He is quite content with staying inside most of the time though.

Also my "Perfect" 2 year old turned quite onry once I started showing in my belling and he could understand a baby was coming. Yours is a little young for that, since Aaron turned 3 3months before the baby came, but by the time your baby gets here he may be really jealous after 3-4 months though my older son realized baby was not going anywhere and they are best buddies now;)One thing I did was buy a present for my older son and put in my suitcase to go to the hospital and made a huge deal that the baby got the OLDER one a present and made a big deal to put attention on my older son every time he came to visit the baby in the hospital; He was excited for the baby to come home after that and kept showing visitors at the hospital what the baby got him since he was so proud.

Well good luck and remember summer is almost over I love Fall & Spring the best too!
A.

Have you looked into story time at a library? I do that with my boys when it is too hot or cold outside.
I know it can be hard to entertain a toddler around the house. Will he help you cook, clean or anything like that. It might be fun for him, and you might even get something done. My oldest (3 1/2) has always enjoyed helping me in the kitchen, but my youngest (2) just gets mad about something and neither of us have fun.
Do you have a kiddie pool. Just getting a toddler covered in sunscreen, and out in the yard is an adventure all on its own. Anyway, the weather will cool down before you know it and your 2nd will be here. Try to enjoy being a little board, because come January you won't have time to be board.

K.,

My sister-in-law had a big tub full of rice that she put on a big plastic picnic cloth. The kids would play forever with shovels, scoops, and other kitchen tools. They called it their indoor sand box. Making peanut butterballs is another great favorite. My daughter loves to help make her afternoon snack. Her favorite was a peanutbutter, chocolate and prezel birds nests with jelly beans for eggs.
At daycare they strip the kids to their diapers and let them play in foam shaving cream. It cleans the table and the kids. They just smell like menthol afterward. I also put my daughter in charge of the windex spraying while I clean. I point to where I need to clean and she carefully squirts. She is about a year older so wiping might be the better option for your son.

Good luck,

J.

Can you leave the house? I know my children just get absolutely stir crazy if cooped up at home too long. We take them to places that are kid friendly like the Great Mall with the padded kids' area or Oak Park to ride the carousel. Just walking around gives them stuff to look at, exercise and time away from home. Union staion, Science city, the Museum are all either free or very affordable to go to and are inside and air conditioned. What about visiting friends or family? Sometimes just a simple change of scenery is nice.