glanIt is easy to feel frustrated or impatient with a toddler underfoot during summer housework and yard work but sometimes all they need is five minutes of direct, focused attention and they will all of the sudden be content to play on their own again. Here is a simple 5-minute activity to do with your toddler that will brighten up both of your summer days! With minimal change, this toddler activity can be adapted to most ages and situations.
The Backstory:
On a very hot July morning, I brought my toddler and infant with me to pick up glasses and contacts. I was feeling irritated because it felt like such a waste of time because all I had to do was run in, grab them, and leave, but the car ride was 25 minutes both ways. Because I was having a crummy attitude, I didn’t do any focused toddler activity before we left. I was huffy and impatient as I got them out of the car and put the infant in the stroller to walk to to the back of Boscovs in the mall. As we walked to the door I remembered the Lowes, walking distance away, and thought, “Ah, my trip is redeemed.” My dill had died and I wanted a new plant for pickles.
After picking up my glasses and contacts I hyped Ellanor up for a walk to look at flowers for mommy and away we went. She loves to walk, and sometimes at home a walk to the park or around the canal can replace a toddler activity. The herbs were all outside and of course, they were all out of dill. (Since then I still haven’t found one place with a dill plant. Let me know in the comments below if you know of a place where you can buy dill in July and August.)
Even though I wasn’t going to be buying dill, I figured I might as well look at their “death’s door” plants. That’s what we call the ones that have been fully killed or almost killed and have been marked down. Ellanor was hot and frustrated by the speed that I was moving and I wasn’t being patient. I was perusing the plants and either hushing her or rushing her around the shelves of mostly dead plants but found a raspberry bush for $7 so I grabbed that and went to leave. I was about to call her when I heard her in the most enamored whisper go, “Mommy, look at the flower. It’s beautiful!”
The cost of this toddler activity:
She had found a red geranium at her eye level and thought it was the most beautiful thing. I almost dismissed it with a, “Yeah, alright let’s go,” but then I was hit with the realization of how much I rushed through the morning and how dismissive I was of her. A quick glance at the price showed that it was marked down to $2.
I think she was ready for me to tell her no, so when I bent down to her level and asked if she wanted to take the flower home and put it in a pot, her whole demeanor changed and she jumped up and down in excitement. When I went to pay for my raspberry bush and the plant, she didn’t even want to let go. Two dollars, that’s all this toddler activity cost and she was so excited. That is a small price for the intentional mommy-daughter time. She carried it the whole way back to the car and it drove home with us sitting in her car seat cupholder.
How do you turn a flower into a toddler activity?
By the time we got home and had lunch, she was ready for her nap. As soon as she woke up we went out front. I found a couple of pots that were not in use and let her pick out her favorite.
Then I gave her a shovel and let her fill it with dirt. It was a messy experience but she was so proud of herself.
I loosened the plant from the container that it came in and she put it in the pot, patting the dirt into place.
We added some more dirt to fill in the pot and she patted the soil around the plant.
Then she decided where on the porch she wanted it and watered it thoroughly. (Probably too thoroughly, but it survived)
How long did planting the flower take?
The start-to-finish of Ellanor transferring the flower to a new pot and watering was 5 minutes. This tiny red geranium now sits on our porch and while most of the time she doesn’t even mention it, every so often she goes up to it and tells me about how it’s her flower, and that mommy and Ellanor did it together. Two dollars were well spent. 
This “flower activity” is great for toddlers but I think that most children up to maybe even going into 4th or 5th grade would enjoy this. You can do this for your kids, kids in your family, or a classroom.
This can be done any time of year with any flowers that you can find in the price range you’re willing to spend.
Tips for this Flower Toddler Activity.
If you don’t have any empty flower pots around, grab stickers, markers, or paint and let your toddler decorate the outside of the pot it came in.
You can use plants and flowers around your house instead of purchasing a new one if you have the resources. I have succulents that I grow and I propagate them often, so I will be doing this activity again in the winter for free!
If you don’t want the hassle or don’t have the space for a real plant, go to the dollar store and let them pick out one fake flower and pot and let them “assemble” their arrangement. It will cost almost the same price and won’t die in the winter.
This can become an educational toddler activity by being prepared ahead of time with questions like:
- What colors do you see in the flower?
- What shapes are the petals?
- Are all flowers the same?
- What do flowers need to live?
You can also keep this toddler activity relational by remembering patience and that dirt can be cleaned up easily. Some questions to promote conversation with your toddler include:
- What’s your favorite color flower?
- Did you know that flowers are a type of plant like fruits and vegetables? Which one is your favorite?
- Why do you like flowers?
- Who do you know that likes flowers the most?
Make sure you answer these questions too! Share a little bit of yourself with your toddler now so that it doesn’t feel like an interview. When they get older they will know how to start asking you relational questions too!
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