Cardboard Blocks

It's so easy. Plus, you start getting really excited every time you finish a box of waffles, cereal, pasta, whatever. 

Cardboard blocks!

I just cover the ends in duct tape and then cut out a piece of contact paper to wrap around the whole main part of the block. I'm not too careful about it and usually end up double wrapping a bit with my long sheet, and that way there are no rulers involved. Each block takes a couple of minutes - it'd be a good activity while watching a movie. 

N can stack them easily, and he likes carrying them around too. 

The Getaway Room

It's nice to be able to get away. In your own house. With your toddler. So breakfast went badly. Or maybe the train table just stopped being fun. Or it was really hard to say goodbye to Dad when he left for work. Or the main house is a total wreck and you won't be able to clean it until nap time.

Enter, the getaway.

We tipped a bookshelf on its side, added some toys, put a blanket on the floor and some boxes and books in the corner, and voila! A getaway room in the guest room. Sometimes a change of space turns a tough moment into a great chance to play. We getaway every morning after breakfast, and whenever the need arises. 

Who needs Expedia when you can just toddle down the hall? 

Tunnels

Inspired by N's love of playground and playroom tunnels when we go out, we've made a lot of indoor tunnels. We often make them with blankets over various sizes of tables, but we've also had great luck with cardboard sides. We got a HUGE cardboard box from Amazon filled with diapers a few months ago and after using it as a tunnel of its own for a while, I took it apart and created tunnel sides with the big pieces. I added some windows with an exact-o knife and N and I like to peek in and out of the windows at each other or push toys back and forth.

As fun as tunnels are, and they are very fun, they have a limited fun duration. It's nice to be able to take them apart easily after a day or two and put the pieces away. 

Climbing Play

Every few days I find a new way to add different levels to the spaces N plays in. Whether it's scooting a footstool over to make a step onto the toy box, dragging storage tupperwares into a giant platform and covering them with a blanket, filling shipping boxes with books and creating steps in the corner of the guest room, or making a giant multi-leveled play island from all of the above, these small shifts in furniture really add to N's play. He likes to climb on the different levels, stand by them, stack things on them, sit on them, and practice getting on and off them.

As you build climbing installations for your little one, consider his abilities to get off and on alone. If you want to be able to leave him in a room alone for a minute, be sure the steps are small and blankets and pillows abound. At the moment, N is very interested in practicing walking on and off steps, so I have to keep my eye on him when he's up on anything.