Try these Afternoon Activities with your Little One

It’s five o’clock in the afternoon. That time of day where everyone in the family is tired and grumpy, and you’re trying to put together a healthy, baby-friendly meal while your kids crave your attention. Sounds familiar?

At FLEXA, we want to help you in every way we can. So, we asked family advisor, Lola Jensen, to share her best ideas for afternoon activities that will entertain the tiny tots during those critical hours before dinner time. 

1. Choo Choo, Honk Honk! 

“One way you can charge up on cozy family time (and leave the electronics in their chargers) is by bringing the toys into the kitchen. With your son’s Car Tracks or train set placed strategically next to your feet, you can play with him AND peel potatoes at the same time. Pretend your legs are a bridge that will open and close every time one of his little cars are passing by, or let your foot jump up on one of the little train carriages that is choo-chooing its way across the kitchen floor. Yes, this might feel a bit comical, but I guarantee you it’s a win for your child.”    

2. Puzzles & Stacking Toys 

“A puzzle, like the Ice Cream Puzzle or a stacker, like the Lighthouse Stacker, is a surefire way to entertain your little one on the kitchen floor while you’re occupied. Little children find it endlessly amusing to place puzzle pieces or stack blocks on top of each other (only to knock them over a second later) and though you might not think it, these games are actually quite educational. Small children learn about gravity, while their older siblings are busy analysing what went wrong with the toppled stack, trying to make the next one perfect.”      

3. What’s cooking? 

“Babies and toddlers love to observe their parents, even when they complete the simplest everyday tasks. Try placing your curious little girl or boy in a highchair next to the kitchen counter. Hand your child some child-friendly kitchen utensils, like a pot or a pan, along with some baby-safe ingredients and watch how your child tries to imitate movements like chopping, mixing, and stirring. What are you and your child going to cook for dinner tonight?”