It seems like everything involving toddlers is loud, doesn’t it? Toys come with batteries in order to make sounds, kids are usually yelling, and even a lot of toddler books can start to make noise at the push of a button. If you’d like Baby to start finding some quiet time in their life, there are several strategies you can try.
Lost in a good book
Books are the first and most obvious silent or quiet activity. Books are already used before bedtime to calm toddlers, to cuddle next to them, to hold them still in one place long enough for them to become sleepy and ready for night-night. There are books you can read to Baby and if you’d like them to read alone, you can find picture books with thicker pages that they can look at and turn the pages to on their own. Cuddle up with a good book of your own beside them and let the quiet times roll.
All the colors of the rainbow
Coloring is also a quiet activity and one where toddlers can be left alone at the table to enjoy the silence as they pick which colors to use to color in their favorite pictures. When traveling, grab a few coloring books and some fun colored pencils or crayons and you have an instant activity on an airplane or at Grandma’s house. This can also be an easy activity to share with other kids and get toddlers all doing the same thing at the table.
Riddle me this
Puzzles can be a great way to pass the time quietly and get Baby learning shapes, colors and patterns. Many toddlers around two years old can use jig-saw puzzles and recognize where pieces go. This can be an activity you do together or a quiet activity that they can do alone or with toddlers friends.
Crafty, crafty
Having a craft bin stocked and ready to go at all times is a great way to ensure you have some quiet activities ready when you need them. Plenty of colored paper, toddler-friendly scissors, non-toxic glue, and other supplies go a long way and can keep Baby silently busy for long stretches. Try tracing and cutting shapes, finger painting and making puppets out of felt and popsicle sticks.
World of pure imagination
Lastly, figurines are a fun way to encourage quiet play. No matter what Baby is into these days, there’s probably a figurine to match their interest – there are figurines based on a wide variety of subjects and series. When traveling or in a pinch, a small bag of figurines is a great thing to have on hand to give to your little one to quietly entertain themself with. Many dolls and animal figurines come with a small house or barn to carry them in that allows children a space in which to have the figurines come to life. This is a fun, easy, quiet way to spark creativity.
Living with a toddler is not often quiet, but there are lots of ways to give both you and them a break from the noise. In the same way you pack a diaper bag, it’s useful to have a quiet bag handy with easy, silent activities that travel well.
