10 Toddler-Friendly, Indoor Activities to Help Beat the Heat, Rain + Mosquitoes

It’s summertime and the heat, rain and mosquitoes have been here! I’ve found myself putting on my OT {occupational therapist} hat to come up with fun, creative, and engaging indoor activities for our four-year-old. 

This time it’s because the weather here in Mid-Michigan has been hot and rainy, plus the mosquitos have been thick!

After having been spotted with mosquito bites {even throughout the heat of the day}, I decided it was time to pull out the ‘winter fun’ indoor resources while we wait out the hot,  stormy weather, or the heavy mosquitoes!

These activities are hands-on and our daughter’s favorites. They can be gender neutral as well!

So here it is. Our top 10 favorite things to do when the weather {and mosquitoes} have us stuck inside:

  1. Beat the Heat, Rain + Mosquitoes: Sensory Bins – These can be customized to the interests of the littles in your household. You can make them by picking up items at craft stores, finding things outside on nature hikes, beaches, etc. Or if you’re in a pinch, Michael’s even sells them pre-made in several different themes. Here’s a list of some of our favorite sensory bin items:
        1. Magnetic/Sensory Sand/Rice/Dry Beans
        2. Rocks, Shells, Gems
        3. Water Beads {or water in a water bin}
        4. Small Trinkets, animal toy
        5. Spoons, small shovels, strainers, funnels, paintbrushes, etc.
        6. Beads, foam shapes, puffballs, etc.
  2. Beat the Heat, Rain + Mosquitoes: Making Homemade Slime – This is one of our favorites.  It only requires 3 ingredients and omits Borax.  We like to mix things up by adding glitter, different color glue, and then hide small animal toys in it. You can check out the recipe here: Homemade Slime with Only Three Ingredients.
  3. Beat the Heat, Rain + Mosquitoes: Making Flat Stanley – Do you remember making these in elementary school as a young child? Then mail them to a long-distance relative? All you need is a roll of white paper, a pencil and crayons or markers.  We took turns tracing each other on the paper (my daughter thought this was the best!) and then colored in our face, hair, clothes, shoes, and even painted nails. Activities to Help Beat the Heat, Rain + Mosquitoes
  4. Beat the Heat, Rain + Mosquitoes: Cardboard Box Crafts – Our neighbors recently got new appliances for their kitchen and gave us the stove box. We had an awesome time drawing a house, cutting windows, and a door.  Even small boxes can work for fun things.  I usually have spare boxes lying around from my business orders. We made butterfly wings with a box this summer and just needed some string, crayons, tissue paper {for extra pizazz}, and tape or glue {to apply the tissue paper}. Our daughter wants to make a castle next! PS – Pinterest has lots of great ideas, tips, and tricks too!
  5. Beat the Heat, Rain + Mosquitoes: Painting Hands and Feet – I will preface that this craft is not for the tactile defensive or the parent who doesn’t like getting a little messy. However, it was a huge hit for our toddler. She loves crafts, loves to paint, and loves to get messy {aka; sensory seeking}! I am not going to lie. I don’t love messes. However, I like painting, crafts, and ooey-gooey fun. {It’s an odd combination but it’s who I am.} So I took one for the team and let our daughter paint my feet and hands and “stamp” them on a canvas. I then got to paint her hands and feet and “stamp” them on the canvas. She loved painting mom and loved the way the paintbrush felt on her feet. I loved the quality time and the final work of art; which sits in my office today. Activities to Help Beat the Heat, Rain + Mosquitoes
  6. Beat the Heat, Rain + Mosquitoes: Tea Party – This activity I saw a friend do with her daughter on social and had to try this with our daughter. It was a major hit! A tea party and a snack, all in one! This activity uses pretend teacups, chocolate cereal, mini marshmallows, and sprinkles for fun, fine motor development, and interactive snack. We used the chocolate cereal for the “hot cocoa” and topped it with marshmallows and sprinkles and had our very own tea party, then ate the snack! She loved making the ‘tea’ and then getting to eat it too! *You can always call it a Hot Chocolate Party vs a Tea Party if that interests them more.Activities to Help Beat the Heat, Rain + Mosquitoes
  7. Beat the Heat, Rain + Mosquitoes: Yoga – When it comes time to needing to wind down, stretch, and move; we like Yoga. Over the last couple of years, I have found some great children’s Yoga resources. My daughter has been watching me practice Yoga in our home as well as participate in a Mommy and Me Yoga class since she was a year old. I have recently come across Yoga Pretzels cards for kids and the book Yoga Animals in the Forest by Christine Kerr and Julia Green. Both of these have been fun for teaching breathing and calming techniques as well as promote balance. 
  8. Beat the Heat, Rain + Mosquitoes: ‘Spa’ Day – This is mom’s favorite too! Using a small Rubbermaid bin or dish bin, I fill it with warm water, garden stones, and bath salts. Then we soak our feet in the bin and use a body scrub on our feet. Typically, my little one likes to scrub my feet because she likes the way it feels –and I let her because it’s so nice to be on the receiving end once in a while! After, we dry our feet and apply a nice body lotion. Sometimes, we will even go the next step and paint our toenails! At-home spa days are the best! 
  9. Beat the Heat, Rain + Mosquitoes: Chelsea Treehouse – For those days when you just have to get out of the house {and mom has to get a little work done too}. Located in Chelsea, this indoor playground {free of mosquitoes!} is great for meeting new friends and for all ages! This has become a favorite hangout this summer. We use this when the weather is not cooperative or when we need to stretch our legs outside of the home. If climbing, sliding, swinging, playing ball, and dress-up are your things, this is your place. Parents –there is even Zingerman’s Coffee {from Ann Arbor} for sale. The Chelsea Treehouse is offering some awesome summer membership deals right now through September as well!
  10. Beat the Heat, Rain + Mosquitoes: Dance Party – When all else fails and time and resources are limited, we dance it out in the kitchen.  We love music in our home and we love to dance! It’s great exercise and an awesome stress reliever!

How are YOU beating the heat, the wet and stormy days, and avoiding the mosquitoes?

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Hi! I'm Cassie Butters and I am an Occupational Therapist, run my own health and wellness business, while juggling all things 'mom.' On various days you can catch me running, crafting with my kiddo, exploring the great outdoors, helping others with their wellness goals, or writing on wellness and mom life. While I don't punch in a "full-time" work schedule; running a business, treating clients, and being a mom keep me well occupied! My husband and I are natives to the Mitten State and we reside in Jackson, Michigan with our fun-loving, 4-year-old daughter and our fur-baby; Lambeau. I'm so excited to be a part of this amazing group and having the opportunity to share motherhood and adventures in Mid-Michigan with all of you!