The Mom I Want to Be

Instead of spending money on activity gyms for your living room, position two sturdy wooden chairs back to back about 4 feet away from each other.  Insert a broom through the rails of the chairs so that that broom handle rests on the seat of one chair and the brush side sits on the other.  Using chain links, attach a few toys to the broom handle.  Position a soft blanket underneath, use duct tape to secure the broom to the seats of the chair, and allow baby to reach for and play with the toys.

 

Make sure you have a CD player in the living room.  Children of all ages love to rock and sway to music, so keep a varied collection on hand.  In addition to moving to classical music, dance with your baby to reggae, jazz and favorite rock and roll tunes.  See how he reacts and moves to a wide array of beats and melodies.  Listen to upbeat jazz rhythms to lift the spirits of a fussy baby, or gently lull baby into dreamland using new age music infused with sounds of nature like caressing ocean waves or the soothing night songs of crickets.  If you have a cable TV available, check to see if they offer music channels.  You might find dozens of styles available without having to spend another penny!

 

Keep a short, toy filled laundry basket in the living room for little ones to pull out and play with at their leisure.  Most babies love sitting in the basket and will spend more time climbing in and out than actually playing with the toys themselves.  Take this opportunity to teach baby about full and empty and in and out as she fills up and empties the basket.

 

Remove breakables from the bottom shelves of a bookshelf or cabinet and fill them with babies books, blocks and toys to give him his own personal storage space in the living room.  Babies always seem to receive more toys than they can possibly play with at one sitting, so why not present them with a new toy collection in their storage area every few days or so?  For instance, take 21 toys and divide them into three piles and sort them into 3 boxes.  Switch out the boxes every few days.  Reshuffle the toys and start again once you have used all three boxes.

 

Create exploration tunnels in your living room.  Remove flaps from large cardboard boxes and lay them on their side for crawlers to venture into.  Roll a ball into the tunnel for your baby to chase or place stuffed animals inside for her to find.  Consider using duct tape to attach two boxes together for a longer tunnel.  Cut out fun shapes along the sides of the boxes using cookie cutters as a template and a utility knife to let in light and provide peek-a-boo windows, then use a primer for learning about shapes.

 

Paper plates can serve as terrigic learning tools for toddlers.  Keep a stack of decorated plates in the living room.  Use markers to add alphabet letters to a set of plates, numbers to another, and splashes of color to a third.  Create an obstacle course in the living room, asking your toddler to step on the plate marked “1” for example, then move on to “2” until he gets to 10.  He may enjoy counting down from 10 to 1, walking backwards to step on the plates.  Place your alphabet letters in a circle and allow your toddler to jump onto the letters as you sing the ABC’s.  Use your colored plates to reinforce names of colors, body parts and concept of left and right – “Can you touch the green plate with your right foot?”

 

Throw down pillows and cushions on the living room floor so that toddlers can play leapfrog.  The object is to hop from one pillow to the next without getting “wt” (touching the floor).  This game refines dexterity and balance.  If cushions seem a bit cumbersome and difficult for your toddler to manage, substitute coloring place mats or bath towels.  For a challenge, use old washcloths or table coasters for tip toeing on the lily pads.

 

Excite adventurous crawlers by placing a large cushion on the floor in front of a sofa or love seat.  Sit on the couch with a favorite book or toy and encourage baby to climb up on the couch and sit next to you.  She’ll enjoy the thrill of completing the task all on her own and will love viewing the living room from a new perspective.  Be sure to remove cushions from floor when you leave the room.

 

Drape a large comforter over two or more sturdy wooden chairs to create an instant make believe house for dolls and stuffed animals.  The chair seats can serve as upstairs bedrooms, while the floor beneath and under the chairs is the kitchen, dining and living rooms.  To help them decorate their homes, supply show boxes for beds, wash cloths for quilts, sponges for pillows and a host of small plastic containers for make believe tables, chairs, couches and bath tubs.