# Parents: what do y'all do with your toddlers on cold, rainy weekends? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [October 16, 2009, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parents-what-do-yall-do-with-your-toddlers-on-cold-rainy-weekends/514018 "2009-10-16T13:32:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![drastic\_quench](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e36b37/32.png) [@drastic\_quench](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drastic_quench)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2009, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parents-what-do-yall-do-with-your-toddlers-on-cold-rainy-weekends/514018/21 "2009-10-17T00:27:04Z")
The mall has a large indoor play land for toddlers, and everything is rubberized so they can go nuts. It’s free, and a helluva lot more sane than Chuck E Cheese. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2009, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parents-what-do-yall-do-with-your-toddlers-on-cold-rainy-weekends/514018/22 "2009-10-19T01:47:34Z")
> [@drastic\_quench](#): > > The mall has a large indoor play land for toddlers, and everything is rubberized so they can go nuts. It’s free, and a helluva lot more sane than Chuck E Cheese. Our nearest mall has a pretty small indoor play land for toddlers - I’m guessing maybe a 40x20 oval. It’s certainly better than nothing, but it is kinda tricky to supervise him there. On the one hand, there really isn’t room for parents like me to hang too close to their kids, but on the other, he’s still at an age where he needs to be able to see Mommy or Daddy when he looks up and wonders where we are. He’s also at an age where he doesn’t really understand sharing and taking turns, so I need to be close enough to occasionally step in and make sure he gives way to a kid who’s playing with the thing that _he_ wants to be playing with. So it’s a resource that I’ll use, but gotta admit I’m not exceedingly fond of it. And the mall is a half hour away, which is kind of a long trip for something like that unless I’m going that way anyway, or unless I’m getting desperate. It’s just a function of living in an exurb, I expect: not much in the way of good indoor places to take your kid to, and a ways away to boot. Fortunately, there’ve been a lot of good suggestions in this thread for things we can do in the house itself, and they’re inherently less location-dependent. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2009, 5:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parents-what-do-yall-do-with-your-toddlers-on-cold-rainy-weekends/514018/23 "2009-10-19T05:36:31Z")
> [@Ceejaytee](#): > > We play Tickle Monster still (my kids are 7 and 5) which involves chasing the small people around the house and then tickling them when you catch them. You try not to catch them too often though so they do a lot of running. Wait, you don’t take turns? Turnabout is fair play, we started enforcing it because his grandmothers wanted to tickle the Kidlet without giving him a chance to tickle back. If someone tickles him, he can tickle back, and of course the recipient of the tickles is allowed to run away from the tickler. This also gave us the chance to teach him the difference between tickling, scratching and poking. ---
**Author:** ![Huerta88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/82dd89/32.png) [@Huerta88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Huerta88)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2009, 5:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parents-what-do-yall-do-with-your-toddlers-on-cold-rainy-weekends/514018/24 "2009-10-19T05:53:24Z")
Do a geographically-restricted search on “bounce house.” ---
**Author:** ![Ceejaytee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ceejaytee/32/2956_2.png) [@Ceejaytee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ceejaytee)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2009, 6:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parents-what-do-yall-do-with-your-toddlers-on-cold-rainy-weekends/514018/25 "2009-10-19T06:03:17Z")
> [@Nava](#): > > Wait, you don’t take turns? Turnabout is fair play, we started enforcing it because his grandmothers wanted to tickle the Kidlet without giving him a chance to tickle back. If someone tickles him, he can tickle back, and of course the recipient of the tickles is allowed to run away from the tickler. This also gave us the chance to teach him the difference between tickling, scratching and poking. They get plenty of opportunity to attack. They usually come after me though, and leave daddy alone. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Moto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de0a6/32.png) [@Mr.Moto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Moto)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2009, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parents-what-do-yall-do-with-your-toddlers-on-cold-rainy-weekends/514018/26 "2009-10-19T13:59:17Z")
Where do you live? We are lucky to have an Ikea close by - the kids treat this as a fun night out. They get to run around in the play area, we all have dinner and then the kids get cones while Mom and Dad drink coffee (and maybe have a cinnamon roll). If we don’t buy anything else, this will usually set our family of five back around 25 bucks. Ikea runs their cafeteria and snack bar as loss leaders. You have mentioned before that you are a bike rider - we had our kids in the bike trailer at that age. The trailer is nicely weatherproof, and is another fun thing to do. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2009, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parents-what-do-yall-do-with-your-toddlers-on-cold-rainy-weekends/514018/27 "2009-10-19T14:21:03Z")
> [@Nava](#): > > Wait, you don’t take turns? Turnabout is fair play, we started enforcing it because his grandmothers wanted to tickle the Kidlet without giving him a chance to tickle back. If someone tickles him, he can tickle back, and of course the recipient of the tickles is allowed to run away from the tickler. This also gave us the chance to teach him the difference between tickling, scratching and poking. That’s a _great_ idea! ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2009, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parents-what-do-yall-do-with-your-toddlers-on-cold-rainy-weekends/514018/28 "2009-10-19T20:06:14Z")
> [@Mr.Moto](#): > > Where do you live? Northern Calvert County, MD. > [@](#): > > We are lucky to have an Ikea close by - the kids treat this as a fun night out. They get to run around in the play area, we all have dinner and then the kids get cones while Mom and Dad drink coffee (and maybe have a cinnamon roll). > > If we don’t buy anything else, this will usually set our family of five back around 25 bucks. Ikea runs their cafeteria and snack bar as loss leaders. The nearest IKEA to us, the one right off the Beltway in College Park, is probably about 45-50 minutes away. But I’d forgotten about their play area - it’s really quite good, IIRC, and I’d say it’s more worth the longer drive than the play area at our mall is worth the shorter one. Thanks for the suggestion! > [@](#): > > You have mentioned before that you are a bike rider - we had our kids in the bike trailer at that age. The trailer is nicely weatherproof, and is another fun thing to do. That’s another of those instances where the advantages of being in an exurban environment turn into at least a perceived disadvantage. There’s a lot of good cycling around here, but unlike DC and northern VA, it’s all on public roads. I feel safe riding on them, but outside the mile or so of roads in our neighborhood, I’m a bit queasy about taking the Firebug in a trailer on them. That may be irrational, but aren’t we all. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Moto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de0a6/32.png) [@Mr.Moto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Moto)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2009, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parents-what-do-yall-do-with-your-toddlers-on-cold-rainy-weekends/514018/29 "2009-10-19T20:23:59Z")
> [@RTFirefly](#): > > There’s a lot of good cycling around here, but unlike DC and northern VA, it’s all on public roads. I feel safe riding on them, but outside the mile or so of roads in our neighborhood, I’m a bit queasy about taking the Firebug in a trailer on them. That may be irrational, but aren’t we all. 🙂 Stay in your neighborhood then. Those are the same streets the small one will ride with you when he gets his bike. It is monotonous, I admit, riding around the same blocks all of the time - but kids don’t feel that kind of monotony when they’re on or around a bicycle. Besides, he’ll probably be telling you to go faster, so you won’t be bored for long. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Aspidistra](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspidistra/32/3894_2.png) [@Aspidistra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspidistra)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2009, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parents-what-do-yall-do-with-your-toddlers-on-cold-rainy-weekends/514018/30 "2009-10-19T22:25:19Z")
I was going to say “ride the bus” - but given your location maybe you don’t have one? Worth considering if you do. Second, third and fourth **norinew** ’s suggestion of a sink-full (well, half-full…) of bubbles. My Small Boy _loves_ “doing the washing up” Ever made playdough? Playdough is great. Lots of recipes on the intarwebs. Play puppydogs. Throw the ball. He fetches the ball. Throw the ball. He fetches the ball… You get to sit down for that one! Do bouncing rhymes (I do this with me lying in the middle of the bed. Even MORE relaxation for mummy!). These two are good for about half an hour… _Mother and father and uncle John Rode to the market one by one Mother fell OFF (fling him to one side) Father fell OFF (other side) But uncle John rode on and on and on and on and on…_ _This is the way the ladies ride (jiggity jig, jiggity jig)x2 This is the gentlemen ride (gallop a trop gallop a trot)x2 This is the way the farmer rides (THUMPETY THUMP THUMPETY THUMP)x2 And this is the way the butcher boy rides (over and over and over and OFF!)_ ---
**Author:** ![crowmanyclouds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crowmanyclouds/32/19884_2.png) [@crowmanyclouds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crowmanyclouds)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2009, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parents-what-do-yall-do-with-your-toddlers-on-cold-rainy-weekends/514018/31 "2009-10-20T03:46:04Z")
I’ve heard that helium filled UFO shaped balloons are fun for the whole family! It’s too soon … isn’t it? 😃 CMC fnord! ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2009, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parents-what-do-yall-do-with-your-toddlers-on-cold-rainy-weekends/514018/32 "2009-10-20T04:07:24Z")
I just throw em outside and hope they go into hibernation till spring time. Doesnt always happen, but it at least always turns out I get a peaceful winter no matter what. ---
**Author:** ![salinqmind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ec8ea/32.png) [@salinqmind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2009, 4:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parents-what-do-yall-do-with-your-toddlers-on-cold-rainy-weekends/514018/33 "2009-10-20T04:32:49Z")
My toddler used to make “potions” - mix a little oil, vinegar, jelly, honey, corn syrup, salt, sugar, and everything from the spice rack - stir up with water, and voila, there’s yer potions. Also, washing (plastic and unbreakable) dishes and cups and such, standing on a chair at the sink (under supervision, of course) took up a surprising amount of time. Washing toys in the bathtub - God knows, they needed it! Fingerpaints. Having a sockball fight (yeah, pairs of socks rolled up in balls) across the bed. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parents-what-do-yall-do-with-your-toddlers-on-cold-rainy-weekends/514018.md?page=1)