toddlers and winter

what are your days like with toddlers in the winter? in my summer we like to go swimming, take walks, go to festivals, play at the park, etc but I'm in MN and it's cold as hell here in winter. I am a part time sahm. I go to school full time also, but I want to keep her busy and entertained on the other days. Today she's been watching tv for a couple hours straight, and I hate that : ( any ideas?

crafts
mall
museum

We do crafts. On warmer days(30 degrees+) we go outside for a little bit. Every once in a while we go to the ski hills and go swimming. Otherwise we watch a lot of movies  

You can still go outside, bundle up and go make a snowman, go make snow angels, try ice skating, go to a museum, go see a movie in a theater, go to the library for reading time, find a mall that has an indoor play structure. Just because it's winter doesn't mean there are less activities.

Crafts. Make musical instruments and act like fools. Children's museum. I'm sure you can look up your city and find a list of activities for kids you could go and do. If it's a warmer day I bundle him up and take him outside for about 10 minutes. Look on Pinterest for ideas  

there's an open toddler gym with all kinds of trampolines and foam pits and stuff I take my daughter to on fridays. Other days we go to the mall and I let her play in the play area, we do crafts, dance, color, it gets pretty boring I admit in the winter. Especially since my kid LOVES the outdoors and asks me every day if we can go outside lol, my husband works 24 hour shifts so somedays it's just me and her all day long. Oh and I also try and do playdates with my neighbor and get together with friends who have kids. Hanging out with just her all day I crave adult conversation lol

Quoting K[♥ E&C]:" You can still go outside, bundle up and go make a snowman, go make snow angels, try ice skating, go to ... [snip!] ... reading time, find a mall that has an indoor play structure. Just because it's winter doesn't mean there are less activities."

I should have clarified that we live in rural Minnesota. our town doesn't have anything like that with the exception of a library, which she does love going to. The next town over is 40 miles away and we do go there quite a bit for the children's museum but they don't have a whole lot else either. The next town over is a college town, not really catered to families-in fact the children's museum just opened last year. Any specific crafts that are young toddler appropriate? The other day she made a planet earth out of a coffee filter, glue, and food dye which was super fun.

Quoting Tasha Norman:" what are your days like with toddlers in the winter? in my summer we like to go swimming, take walks, ... [snip!] ... and entertained on the other days. Today she's been watching tv for a couple hours straight, and I hate that : ( any ideas? "

Color, Crafts, we bought LO a bike at the beginning of summer, and was totally the wrong time to get because she has no place to ride it, so she rides it around in our basement or she will color with chalk on the basement floor while i am doing laundry. We try to get outside once a day for fresh air, but its hard when it is really cold.

Quoting Tasha Norman:" I should have clarified that we live in rural Minnesota. our town doesn't have anything like that with ... [snip!] ... toddler appropriate? The other day she made a planet earth out of a coffee filter, glue, and food dye which was super fun."

We live 30miles from the nearest town. We dont even have a library here.

We read...a lot. They like hearing stories. We color, craft, etc. My oldest is 5 and likes to do the educational activity books. We make blanket forts and what not. I still take them outside a lot, but it doesn't get freezing here. Other times, we it play around. They like to jump on my back for piggy back rides around the house, and they can be tickled for hours. My youngest is sitting on my shoulders right now.

Quoting Tasha Norman:" I should have clarified that we live in rural Minnesota. our town doesn't have anything like that with ... [snip!] ... toddler appropriate? The other day she made a planet earth out of a coffee filter, glue, and food dye which was super fun."

You could make ornaments one day, either salt dough or paint clear plastic ornament balls. You can make a fort, you can make snowmen, santa hats, color pictures.. Try picking up a preschool curriculum book, it can produce a lot of ideas for indoor crafts.

I live out of the major city I'm near as well. It's about 20-25 miles out of the way.. I'm not sure why that's an issue though? I could care less to drive 30 miles into town to do something, it's not a big deal. It's not that far away.

<blockquote><b>Quoting K[♥ E&C]:</b>" I live out of the major city I'm near as well. It's about 20-25 miles out of the way.. I'm not sure why ... [snip!] ... an issue though? I could care less to drive 30 miles into town to do something, it's not a big deal. It's not that far away."</blockquote>



Yes but that's where i go to school three days a week so I already drive 80 miles a day three days a week plus appts etc
. I've put 50000 miles on my car in less than two years because of it so Im trying to cut down so my car isn't ruined and i don't spend 400 a month in gas lol. And like I said, that town doesn't have much either. The town with lots stuff to do is 2.5 hours away.

I'll keep checking pinterest for crafts. Maybe during her nap that'll be my mission ha