• Let’s face it. It is hot outside. Some days are much too hot to even begin thinking about going outside. The temperature here is well into the hundreds, and don’t get me started on the humidity. It has been so tempting for me on those ridiculously hot days to just sit inside and watch some TV with the kids. The exhausted, nine month pregnant woman in me can justify this, but the parent of a preschooler and toddler cannot. Here are some of the ways that we have beat the heat (inside) and without the TV on.

    Along these same lines are your basic forts. Pillows, blankets and cushions make magnificent toys!

    Try acquiring a large box or two. The kind that your kids can climb into. We had a few of these the other day and my kids played with nothing else. The boxes were castles, houses, treasure boxes, the list goes on. They had so much fun hiding in the box and jumping out at me. One day we let them color the boxes with crayons, writing their names on them and drawing pictures of goodness knows what.

    Along these same lines are your basic forts. Pillows, blankets and cushions make magnificent toys! Our favorite game was pretending our fort was a restaurant, and we served food to anyone who came inside. Try putting your kids on a scavenger hunt, this can reinforce reading skills, and problem solving skills all at once. Total win! Kids get to use their noggins and run around the house. I’m pretty sure I sent them both upstairs and down several times trying to wear out their endless amounts of energy. Of course there is the always useful coloring time (see Playdate Creative Corner for more ideas). My kids adore it. And if I print out coloring sheets of their favorite characters it buys me some extra time too!  When all else fails, I break out with the play-dough!