From the Amazon to Saving Gotham City!

Have you ever just had the LONGEST day in history with your toddler or big kid? They have these abnormal amounts of energy and you just don't know what to do with them anymore? It may even be approaching bedtime and all you want is just a few minutes of down time and relaxation.

I wanted to share a few of my techniques that I have used on toddlers and big kids while nannying. The best news is that all of these activities require little to no equipment or toys and just a touch of your imagination ;)

The first activity you could try is pretending to be a wild animal or a fairytale character. It is always fun to prowl through the jungle and make different animal noises. You can visit the jungle, rainforest, zoo or even the farm. It is great for your child to hear all the different animal noises and they will be able to identify them through practice. All the boys that I nanny for LOVE to be different Superhero's! Whether it is Superman, Spiderman, or Batman, who needs to save Gotham City from all destruction, my boys are always all about this! Most of the time I get stuck playing Superman... they can't even let me be Wonder-Woman! Sheesh! On the other hand all of my girls thus far have been top notch GIRLY GIRLS! You already know that means its Cinderella, Belle, Tiana or even better... the entire cast of frozen! Ahhhh! (If I have to hear the song "Let It Go" one more time...) One time when I was working, I had a little girl who was into being a Princess but she also looked up to her older brother so she had to hold a light saber. I swear ... a princess with a light saber. It cracked me up! For all the men out there, if you ever wonder how us women run the house and keep things in order, its all because of our superpowers & light sabers ;)

For my older girls, who range from six to eight years old I love to put my music folder on for them and we have the time of our lives coming up with random dance routines. They get to use their imagination and tire themselves out at the same time.

We would also pretend to put on a, "Rock Concert." I would put the music on blast and sing off key to all the words while the kids pretended to be playing an air guitar, a piano, or a saxophone.

Another great indoor activity is if you have a small beach ball or even blow up a small balloon. Play, "Air Ball." All it is, is the children have to keep the ball or balloon in the air. If it touches the floor the other person or team gets the point and vice versa. This is great for teaching your child some skill and coordination.

Well, now that I have done a great job at showing you activities that will get your child moving here are three fun bedtime activities where they still can use their imagination and relax at the same time. Before bedtime I enjoy building a small fort with the kids. Just using two chairs and a blanket. You can even put a couch pillow under it along with a flashlight. You can read your bedtime stories in your fort and pretend that your camping out in the woods under a starry night sky. It is SO much fun! When it comes time to cleanup before bedtime I will put on a calm or even classical song. I tell the children that they have until the end of the song to finish their cleanup and whomever wins can pick the bedtime story. Trust me, it beats repeating myself five times over! Lastly, you may think I am crazy for this... however, it works. I will do night time stretching with the kids after they put on their pajamas. Some call it stretching, some may call it yoga. You can call it whatever you wish. Stretching before bedtime promotes a healthier and deeper sleep. It allows your blood to flow properly to all your organs and it relaxes your mind (along with taking a few deep breaths!). If your one of those people who lay in bed at night with a million thoughts running through your head.. try to stretch or do some bedtime yoga. I bet it works better than counting sheep. For me, it always goes one sheep, two sheep, ugh I have laundry in the dryer to I need those shoes I saw at the mall. It never goes according to plan ;)

Hope you get to try some of these ideas for yourself and all your little ones! What are some activities that you do with your children or babies that require little to no equipment? Please comment and share all of your ideas! We love hearing from you!

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-D