For new parents, the demands of child care are as extreme as they will ever be. Waking up at all hours of the day and night, not being able to travel anywhere too far or stay up too late and, in a house with two parents, relying on shifts to make it work, not unlike two nurses at a hospital.
But once your infant transitions to a toddler, the dynamic completely switches. While the child is still by no means self-sufficient, they are beginning to show signs of what person they might become.
They also cease to be largely immobile and start to learn to travel—and once they get a taste of that, they won’t be stationary again until they have children of their own.
When toddlers start to explore, it’s time to take them out into the world and let them begin to process everything.
Exploring Nature
One idea is to get out in nature. It has less overwhelming sights and sounds, fewer people and vehicles and peace and serenity, which might be enough to stop a 2-year-old from crying, even if just for a second.
A 2018 study by the National Trust, the largest conservation charity in Europe, which cares for farmland, coastline, historic properties, gardens and nature reserves, shows that the average child in the United Kingdom spends about four hours outside per week, which is about half as much as their parents’ generation.
Time outside has been shown to have benefits on a child’s mental health, creativity, sleep and more.
A tip for playing outside: Find something safe yet messy for your toddler to partake in. The dirtier a 1- to 3-year-old gets, the more fun they’ll have!
Popular options include a sandbox, mud pit or something that involves spreading paint or shaving cream. Make do with what you have, of course. If your child can handle it and you have the facilities, introduce them to gardening, for example!
Familiar Faces
Another good option is to make it a family-wide activity. If you have older children, turn it into a family trip. If you don’t, bring along nearby extended family, close friends or even pets. Familiar faces are welcomed by toddlers, and that could help encourage them to leave their comfort zone indoors.
Learning to Build
For many toddlers, the early years of their ability to move and think for themselves come with experimenting with controlling their own body and interacting with the world around them.
What better way to unite these activities than by going outside and building something?
From an activity as simple as stacking firewood (or kindling for the toddler) to something complex like having your young one “help” build a treehouse, constructing something outside is like playing with real-life LEGO bricks.
Fun with Water
Another favorite for young kids is any sort of activity with water. Between the various rivers around the city and the nearby Atlantic Ocean and Chesapeake Bay, the area is ripe with opportunities to experience water in the natural world and not just at bath time.
Exploring Your City
Toddlers are malleable, curious and full of life. Taking them outside to experience all of the colors, noises, smells and more helps develop their brain, as well as giving them lived experiences that will help guide them whether they know it or not.
Philadelphia is a great place for anyone, but there is a special appeal for children and their parents.
From world-class facilities that include parks, museums and historical sites, and children’s hospitals, school systems and more, parents know that there are a number of places for children to play once they reach the appropriate age.
Toddlers aren’t ready for those experiences yet in full yet, but that doesn’t mean they can’t sample them.
