We have a fabulous series of activities coming up over the next few weeks, from Matt Brown, author of Trapped Indoors with Kids: 100 Ways to Play, Have Fun and Stay Sane. This is available on Amazon for a staggering 99p – which frankly to keep us all from going mad, is well worth it. Go check it, and this printable for this fab balancing game for toddlers out! Matt has a fabulous sense of humour, which shines through in both this post, and the book. Laughter is a tonic, and we all need one of those at the moment; preferably mixed with a little gin….
“Okay, okay. You win. You can put toys on my head.”
It’s the end of the day, your batteries are low and you’ve run out of ideas. Here’s a really quick and simple way to help your kids wind down without expending any more of your energy. It’s also a great way to reconnect and bond. Your child will try to balance as many soft toys as they can on your head—with the added bonus of making you look very silly indeed! What could be better?
Materials
- Plenty of soft toys; not hard ones; soft ones
- A head; your head
How to play:
- Gather up your soft toys and also your child, and plonk them down on the sofa next to you.
- Ease your aching bones down into a comfortable position–one where you can sit happily for the next twenty minutes without moving. If this sounds like heaven, then this game is definitely for you.
- Challenge your child to balance as many soft toys on your head and shoulders as they can. Make sure they understand it’s soft toys only. I’ve made that error before and it has cost me dearly.
- Keep a note of the current record so you can spur your child on to have successive goes in order to beat their personal best!
One problem to look out for is the initial toy that’s placed on your head. It’s a crucial decision that should not be taken lightly.
“Dad, I need you to stay absolutely still.”
“Not a problem. You go ahead.”
“What do you think, Dad–Mr Unicorn first, or Mary?”
“Mary.”
“Okay. Here goes… Dad. I asked you to stay still.”
“Mary’s hair is tickling my nose.” [Pfff! Pffft!] “Sorry. You go ahead.”
“Come on, Twig. You next. And then the monkeys… Dad. You’re still wobbling.”
“It’s that hair. Better hurry up—I can feel a sneeze coming on.”
“Rose… Purple Baby… Midnight… Phil… Nearly the record, Dad. And you look really funny.”
“Agh-choo!!”
“Dad! I was so close!”
“Sorry. I blame Mary.”
This game seems to be as entertaining for your child as it is hassle-free for the parent. It’s quite a soporific exercise, so you may wish to swig down a coffee first. Unless, of course, you just want to enjoy that warm cosy feeling of drifting off under a mountain of cute animals. Bear in mind, there’s nothing more frustrating for a child than being just one toy away from the record only to see their parent flopping over and start snoring!
“Dad!”
“…”
“DAD!”
“Yep, yep. I completely agree.”
“Dad, you were asleep, weren’t you!?”
“No I wasn’t.”
“Yes you were. I can tell.”
“Nonsense! I was hyper-alert and ready to spring into action.”
“Then what was I talking about?”
“I know exactly what you were talking about. Um–food! There’s a good chance you were talking about food.”
“Okay, but Dad–you’ve got dribble down your face and you’ve fallen down onto the floor.”
“That means nothing.”
We think you will agree that this game is GENIUS – totally genius. Who knew that you could get away with being asleep on your kids if you are buried under a mountain of toys?
Other toddler activities
Some more fabulous ideas for fun with the toddlers - from painting to fun crafting activities for little hands. Check them out now.
Sand painting for toddlers
Sand is a fabulous sensory tool - but have you ever thought of painting with it?
Flower activity for toddlers
This is a simple little activity that your little ones with love.
Nature painting for toddlers
You have tried sand painting - so why not have a go at a spot of nature painting as well?
Sensory bottles for babies and toddlers
Sensory play is important for babies and toddlers - so here we show you how to make sensory bottles for your kids.
9 tips for raising confident kids; support your toddler to find their inner explorer
Finally - how about ways to help build confidence in your little ones?
We hope you like this balancing game for toddlers – don’t forget to sign up to our newsletter for more fabulous ideas and activities.
Helen
Helen is a mum to two, social media consultant, and website editor; and this site is (we think) the only Social Enterprise parenting magazine! Since giving up being a business analyst when juggling travel, work and kids proved too complicated, she founded KiddyCharts so she could be with her kids, and use those grey cells at the same time. KiddyCharts has reach of over 1.1million across social and the site. The blog works with big family brands (including travel) to help promote their services, as well as offering free resources to parents of kids under 10. It gives 51%+ profits to Reverence for Life, who fund a number of important initiatives in Africa, including bringing running water and basic equipment to a school in Tanzania. Helen has worked as a digital marketing consultant (IDM qualified) with various organisations, including Channel Mum, Truprint, Talk to Mums, and Micro Scooters. She loves to be creative in the brand campaigns she works on. Get in touch TODAY!