5 Tips to Keep Kids Entertained & Learning

I love my friend's description of her toddler, “he’s just so busy!” It can be challenging to keep toddlers and preschoolers entertained in a productive way. The question becomes "What do I do?" or "How do I find balance?"

One of the best strategies is to create a routine. For example, maybe Mondays are art days, Tuesdays are nature days, and so on. Also, create realistic expectations for each day and be mindful of your child’s age. You know you won't be able to do an art project, bake cookies, take a 2 mile walk and go to the zoo in one day.

Part of this balancing act is being aware of resources in the community - playgrounds, trails and storytime (online right now) to name a few. This balancing act also applies to resources at home - many of these are available at your fingertips online.

Here are my “go-to” resources:

• Take a walk in your neighborhood or discover one of the numerous trails in our community. I also like taking advantage of open space at the park. In addition to being active you and your little one can talk about what you see during your time outside.
• Get your creative juices flowing with Creativebug. I found a cool recipe for making bubbles and learned how to make a bubble blower!
• Check out Miss Humblebee’s Academy. It’s a great free source (with your library card) for online educational fun.
• Listen to a story online from one of your favorite librarians and make a craft with Stories & Crafts.
• Sing and dance with Kyler during virtual Musical Storytime.

For other resources, check out these books at your library.