Embracing Rainy Days with Toddlers: Fun Adventures Indoors (Or Out!)

Rainy days might seem challenging when you have little ones running around, but they can also be the perfect opportunity for creating memorable indoor (or outdoor!) adventures. Instead of letting the rain dampen your spirits, why not turn it into a day of cozy bonding and imaginative play? Every day is a chance for a new adventure, rain or shine. 

Crafty Creations 

Rainy days are made for creativity! Gather some art supplies and begin crafting with your little artists. Finger painting, making collages, or even just scribbling with crayons can ignite their imagination and keep them engaged for hours. Plus, you'll end up with some adorable masterpieces to hang on the wall.

Indoor Picnic

Transform your living room into a cozy picnic spot. Lay out a blanket, pack a basket full of toddler-friendly snacks, and have an indoor picnic. Your little ones will love the novelty of eating in a different spot, and you can even throw in some storytelling or sing-along time to make it extra special.

Sensory Play

Sensory play is a fantastic way to engage your children's senses and promote their development. Set up a sensory bin with materials like rice, pasta, or water. Let them explore different textures, shapes, and colors. This hands-on play is not only entertaining but also educational.

Storybook Adventures

Rainy days provide the perfect backdrop for diving into a world of stories. Create a cozy reading corner with pillows and blankets. Choose a stack of their favorite books and let your little ones choose the story they want to hear. You can even add some props or puppets to make the tales come alive!

Dance Party

Turn up the music and have a dance party right in your living room. Toddlers love moving to the beat, and it's a fantastic way to get their energy out while having a blast. Join in on the fun and show off your best dance moves – they'll love seeing you let loose!

Building Forts

Building forts is a classic rainy-day activity that never gets old. Use blankets, pillows, and chairs to create an imaginative hideout. You can have a tea party inside the fort, read stories, or simply have a cozy naptime retreat.

Baking Together

Whipping up a batch of cookies or muffins is a delightful way to spend a rainy afternoon. Let your little ones help with simple tasks like pouring ingredients, stirring, and decorating. The process might get messy, but the memories you create will be priceless.

Puddle Jumping (Indoors!)

Who says you can't go puddle jumping on a rainy day indoors? Lay down towels or a waterproof mat, put on rain boots, and let your kids jump and splash to their heart's content. It's a fun way to enjoy the rainy weather without actually getting wet.

Just Get Outside

Rain doesn’t have to hinder you from going outside! Dress them up warmly and take the littles for a short stroll around the neighborhood or just around the block! Let them play in the puddles, use an umbrella, or put a rain cover on the stroller and watch their amazement as they watch the droplets of water land on it. 

Rainy days don't have to be frustrating when you have littles running around. With some creativity and inspiration, you can turn them into wonderful opportunities for bonding, play, and exploration. Remember, the small moments and imaginative adventures make these days truly special. So, the next time the rain starts to fall, embrace it as a chance to create magical memories with your little ones right in your home. Until next time, stay cozy and keep exploring!

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What do you like to do with your little ones when it’s raining outside?

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My Word for 2023

Last year was a very successful year for my chosen word, wonder. I had a literal constant reminder stuck to me every single day of the year: my daughter. As she explored the world, I chose to wonder in it as well and it helped me to slow down and appreciate the little joys in life.

This next year, with a new addition on the way and many changes coming to our family, I wanted to choose something that would help as our foundation as our family is growing.

Build

“build

1) construct (something) by putting parts or material together.

2)make stronger or more intense.
”

This year, as we form a foundation, I want to continue being intentional about building our family in ways that uplift ourselves and those we encounter.

Building up others with my actions and words.
Building good habits that will last a lifetime.
Building a positive family environment.

…and more!

It’s the work of a lifetime, but something I want to focus on this year.

Here are some other words I have chosen in previous years:

2022: Wonder
2021: Create
2020: Growth
2019: Bold
2018: Liberation

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Did you choose a word for 2023? I’d love to hear about it in the comments below!

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My Word for 2022

Two thousand and twenty-two.

When I was young, that year sounded far off, and somehow anything that far away had to mean there were flying cars as a standard. My car still does not fly, yet here we are.

2021 was a surprising year that entailed much. I quit my teaching job, read a few books, found out we were expecting (I didn’t think my word of last year, create, would manifest in that way!), traveled to five countries, gave birth, and all the while learned much about myself.

I’m really interested to know what this next year holds. I never know, and I’m always surprised, yet every year, I never fail to wonder. And what, pray tell, is this year’s chosen word?

Wonder

“wonder

1) a feeling of surprise mingled with admiration, caused by something beautiful, unexpected, unfamiliar, or inexplicable.
”

While growing a tiny human, while everything was new and strange, I never really stopped to wonder. I was too distracted by the lists of things I should or shouldn’t eat, do, or think (yes, think, because someone tried to convince me that any passing negative thoughts were somehow going to ruin my unborn child.).

This year, I want to reclaim that and wonder at the world. I want to see it in a new light - and I think with Baby Z, it will be especially fun to see things in her eyes - everything really is new to her! I want to stop and acknowledge and wonder at the beauty that is the life gifted to me.

Here are some song lyrics to a favorite song:

May we never lose our wonder
May we never lose our wonder
Wide-eyed and mystified
May we be just like a child
Staring at the beauty of our King

'Cause You are beautiful in all Your ways…

“Wonder” Bethel Music

Here is to a year of wonder!

And in case you’re interested, here are some other words I have chosen in previous years:

2021: Create
2020: Growth
2019: Bold
2018: Liberation

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Did you choose a word for 2022? I’d love to hear about it in the comments below!

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My Word for 2021

Here we are once again at the beginning of a brand new year and to the annual “word of the year” post. If you have been reading along over the years, you know that I choose a focus word at the start of every year. While I usually end up making the decision in transport at an airport or on an airplane, circumstances would have it that I’m actually at home while reflecting this year.

I am certain that my sentiments for last year may sound a lot like some of your sentiments when it comes to disappointment and loss. Upon reflection, while I cannot say this last year was the best I’ve ever had, it also was not the worst. Even though I personally lived through a lot of disappointment and loss both due to and unrelated to the pandemic I survived, that was just it - I was surviving. I was not able to do anything that I loved doing!

This thought led me to the word I chose for this next year.

Create

“create

1) bring (something) into existence.

2) cause (something) to happen as a result of one’s actions.
”

Last year, with the craziness of trying to cope during the Pandemic, creating was put on the far back back back burner, if that back burner even exists. The moments I actually took time to create - something I love doing- were the moments that brought the most joy.

This year, I am going to be taking more time to slow down and create! Not just for myself, but for others. I want to create joy in others’ lives. I want to be creative in the way I do that. Creating that goes beyond my next crochet or Cricut project, or the next product I put in my online store. I have a lot of plans for this upcoming year that I will slowly be revealing to everyone as time goes on, but trust me, a lot of creativity will be going into these projects.

I am definitely going to put this word up on my office wall as a not-so-subtle reminder to do so.

Here is to a year of creating!

And in case you’re interested, here are some other words I have chosen in previous years:

2018: Liberation
2019: Bold
2020: Growth

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Did you choose a word for 2021? I’d love to hear about it in the comments below!

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My Word for 2020

If you have been following along for a while, you know that 2020 will mark year four of Maple Alps! I can hardly believe that my little corner of the internet has been here this long and I could have never imagined how it has grown and developed. This past year has proven a difficult one, but it was totally worth it.

Last year, my word was, “bold.” Boldness to try new things and taking risks. My word proved pretty relevant for my life, as boldness was definitely required of me. I moved to a new state, got a new job, added new resources to Maple Alps, and even started a new website! Phew. As a result, doors opened up that led to me choosing a word for 2019. Are you ready to find out what I chose?

Growth

“growth

1) the process of increasing in amount, value, or importance.

2) the process of developing physically, mentally, or spiritually.”

Just based on how last year went, and how this year is shaping up, I see a year of growth ahead of me. I see how I will be (and have been) pushed outside of my comfort zone and how God can use these circumstances to grow as a person and in faith.

I’m ready to embrace it all - hard lessons and all - and see what God has in store for me this next year!

Oh! And just as a fun fact: last January (and the year before that!) as well as this one, my word of the year has been formed while in transit in an airplane. In fact, I’m writing this while sitting in an airport. How’s that for patterns?

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Did you choose a word for 2020? I’d love to hear about it in the comments below!

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