How to Make Toddler Quiet Bin Activities for Non Nappers

 

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Guest Blogger

Having a toddler at home means constantly needing to find the balance between keeping them content while also making sure they’re learning and reaching milestones.

It also seems like once they hit a certain age, they’re “too old” for nap time even though they are a wreck by bedtime. Even if they’re only preschoolers or even 2 year olds in some cases.

That’s why I put together and organized my own toddler nap time busy boxes for each day of the week. By using these toddler quiet bins, I knew that my son would also have something to keep him busy.

He may be a non-napper, but mama still gets a little time for herself, even if it’s just to clean the dishes.

 

Why a Quiet Bin Nap Time Activity for Each Day of the Week?

 

Simple. Your toddler won’t get bored playing with the same bin. He’d get variety throughout the week, helping him with multiple skills instead of just one.

 

Do I Really Need to Stick to Letting My Toddler Play with a Busy Bin Each Day?

Mom life is busy, especially if you more than one toddler at home. So no, you don’t have to play with the activity bins every single day. In fact, you can take breaks from them whenever you would like.

Even when we used them regularly if we had errands to run one day then I didn’t worry about getting a toddler quiet bin out.

Just go with the flow of life and schedule day to day. The busy bins are meant to help you out, not cause stress. So, don’t stress over getting these nap time activities out each and every day.

 

 

What Do I Put in My Toddler Quiet Bins?

Good question! That’s primarily why I wrote this post; to give you ideas of what you can put inside the busy bins for nap time activities. Whether or not you want to make one for each day of the week is up to you!

Below you’ll find a list of things you can put in your quiet bins for non-nappers, including items that I put in my own toddler’s bins. Don’t fret, most of this stuff is inexpensive and can be found at the dollar store, Target’s dollar spot, etc.

You don’t have to drop a handful of cash for these nap time activities to have a fun time. Plus, they’re perfect for the cooler months when you’re stuck inside and can’t enjoy the outdoors. Honestly, they’re well worth the money to put together.

Supply Ideas:

• Stickers
• Paint
• Paintbrushes
• Rocks
• Construction Paper
• Markers
• Crayons
• Colored Pencils
• Pre-made quiet book pages
• Match cards
• Coloring books/pages
• Printable activity pages
• Rice
• Noodles
• Play food for sorting
• Pipe cleaners
• Rubber ducks
• Kitchen utensils
• Foam letters and numbers
• Balloons
• Fake flowers
• Fake soil (you can get this at the dollar store)
• Small pots
• Toddler garden tools
• Muffin tin
• Dixie Cups
• Cupcake holders
• Ice cube tray
• Cars
• Farm animals
• Little People
• Little cotton pom poms
• LEGOs
• Dice
• Playdough
• Cheerios
• Magnetic letters/numbers
• Buttons
• Shoelaces
• Seashells
• Mini Umbrellas
• Spray bottle
• Plastic cookie cutters
• Small plastic shovel/rake
• Toddler safe scissors with activity kit
• Glue stick (keep separate)
• Googly eyes
• Figures to paint (I was able to find a pumpkin at Target in the Fall. You may be able to find some stuff like this at the dollar store too!)
• Paint paper/book

Related Posts:

The Best 2 Year Old Games (Includes Board Games!)

How to Survive 3 Day Potty Boot Camp

5 Ways to Use a Backpack for Exploratory Play

 

 

Breaking this list down into different days is simple. You can put a few like items together to theme each busy box or you can keep it completely random.

It’s up to you and what your child likes. When putting them together, ask yourself if your little one would enjoy playing with what’s inside of their busy bin.

You can theme a toddler quiet bin to one of your toddler’s favorite books. You can have story time then dig into the fun bin for extra play.

Another fun idea is to make a quiet bin for each season and holiday. Remember, you can always switch items out.

Try not to put too many items into one bin. You don’t want it to be overwhelming for your toddler. In time, you’ll figure out the perfect ratio. Below are five themed bins for Monday to Friday.

 

Themed-Bin Ideas:

• Monday – Baking/Cooking – Cookie cutters, play dough, muffin tin, cupcake holders, kitchen utensils
• Tuesday – Gardening – Fake flowers, soil, flower pots, rocks, shovel/rake, seashells, spray bottle
• Wednesday – Craft Time – Crayons, markers, construction paper, scissors, glue stick, googly eyes, cotton pom poms, pipe cleaners
• Thursday – Paint Time – Paint, paint brushes, figures to paint, paint paper/book
• Friday – Learning Time – Magnetic alphabet/letters, match cards, printable activities

 

 

As you can see, each nap time quiet activity bin is different. You have room to work with each theme, creating the perfect bin for your little one.

Remember, this is to help create a fun balance of keeping your little one content while working on skills to reach milestones month to month. It’s also to help you stay sane when your toddler depends to become a non-napper as a naptime alternative.

My son always loves when we get out one of his quiet activities. He’s always ready to play and discover what’s inside. And it keeps him busy for a good amount of time.

This is also a great way to make quality time for you and your child if you have multiple kids, work full time, or just want some extra time with your little one. Really, you can’t go wrong with a toddler fun bin!

 

Do you have quiet bins for your toddler? Are you excited to make one of your own if you haven’t yet? Or, are you looking for ideas for naptime alternative?

 

 

Meet Guest Blogger Tallary

 

Tallary is a stay-at-home-mom to two boys and wife to an entrepreneur. Between spending time with her family and trying to keep up with housework, she writes fiction work since 2017.

 

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