10 Indoor Activities for Toddlers on Hot Days

Heat got you beat? If extreme temperatures are preventing you and your little one from enjoying your regular outdoor time, here are 10 indoor activities to try instead.

1. Peanut Butter Playdough
What is fun to make, more fun to play with, and fantastic to eat? Peanut butter playdough! You can make this treat/toy with basic ingredients you probably have on hand. The recipe we use calls for 1 cup of creamy peanut butter, 2 cups of powdered sugar, and ¼ cup honey mixed in a medium sized bowl with an electric mixer. You can add more honey if the dough doesn’t seem to be sticking together. Once you’ve made your playdough, craft shapes, creatures, and sculptures with it. Use chocolate chips, sprinkles, and pretzel sticks to jazz up your peanut butter creations.

Erik (HASH) Hersman. flikr

2. Treasure Hunt
For slightly older toddlers, pass the time by hiding a few objects around the house. If reading is still an anticipated milestone, you can draw the list of objects for them to find. You will have heaps of fun watching as they scavenge the house looking for the hidden treasures. They will be pleased to undertake a personalized adventure, and bigger kids can have fun with this too!

3. No Bake Goodies
Want to spend time crafting and enjoying sweet treats with your little sweetie, but don’t want to turn on the oven? No problem, hot days are a great time to make no-bake treats such as fudge, no bake cookies, and so much more. Check out this list from Country Living of easy, no bake delicious desserts for ideas: https://www.countryliving.com/food-drinks/g2141/no-bake-dessert-recipes/?slide=4

4. Art Extravaganza
Art projects offer hours of entertainment for even the youngest toddlers. Whether they are scribbling away with a marker or building a castle out of construction paper, a blazing hot day is the perfect time to bust out the art supplies and put on your creative cap (or make one!) and get to crafting and coloring with your tot.

Seamus McCauley.flikr

5. Build a Blanket Fort
Help your rugrat tap into their inner engineer by constructing a pillow and blanket fort. A cozy fort is the perfect place to lounge around and read to your toddler or an excellent backdrop for a game of make believe.

6. Go on an Adventure
If you or your toddler are overtaken with cabin fever on days when the weather forces you to stay inside, take the opportunity to get out of the house and go on an enlightening adventure. Your little one will love a visit to a museum or aquarium. No children’s museum near you? Even toddlers can enjoy the new environment and fresh sights of a natural history or art museum. Use the displays at an art museum as a color and shape learning exercise.

7. Spread Some Cheer
You are not the only one who can benefit from your toddler’s smiling face. Take your child on a journey to spread some cheer in places that could use a happy toddler, such as a nursing home or the animal humane society. Call ahead to ensure you are visiting within the allotted visiting hours. Your little one will learn the importance of supporting their community from an early age and you will love seeing senior citizens and puppies light up as they interact with your little guy.

Lablascovegmenu. flikr

8. Make Popsicles
There’s no better time for a frozen treat than during a heatwave! Enjoy a homemade childhood favorite with your little one without the added sugar you will find in the grocery store renditions. In a blender, puree fruit, juice and honey, then pour your mixture into popsicle molds and freeze for four hours. For a creamy boost and extra protein add greek yogurt to your mixture.

9. Go to the Library
Escape the heat by escaping into a book. Many libraries offer activities and story time for local toddlers, and they tend to be amazingly air conditioned!

10. Balloon Games
Have a pack of balloons leftover from a birthday party? Blow them up and watch as your tot delights in batting them around. Be careful to discard any popped balloon pieces, as they can present a choking hazard.