Sometimes you just gotta get out of the house. We say it all the time. You might not really want to, but if its noon and you haven’t showered yet or if it’s 4pm and you’ve been rattling around your cage all day, IT IS TIME. I’m getting stir crazy on your behalf.
Armed with a little one and a stroller, here are five super duper easy activities to do right NOW (and please girl, if the baby is crying, just push through, $5 says he’ll chill out once you get rolling):
- Take a sensory tour of the neighborhood. Stop and smell the roses and crinkle the trash beneath your feet. Enjoy a baby’s eye view of the world. And chill the eff out.
- Walk or run your errands. Put on your jogging shoes and make it all the way to the post office or take-out restaurant. Impressive, you just got something done!
[Preschooler variation to engage cooperation: go huntin’] - Take a walk on the wild side. Rather than strolling your usual haunts, seek out the bizarro sights and sites. Take photos.
- Pretend you’re in Paris. Is your baby small enough that you could enjoy cafe culture without whining? Go for it.
- Scope out some big wheels. This activity is perfect for those vehicle-lovers out there. Can you park in front of a construction site and entertain your kid? For how long?
All you need for these mini adventures is a small child with age-appropriate carrier and yourself. Report back on your success stories or botched attempts! Now, git.
Oh yes. I love the stroller. Isn’t it magical how calm a baby gets when you just get out of the house and explore the world on wheels?
These are great suggestions. I love your site.
I really like taking my kid on geocaching excursions.
I was sitting inside the house feeling stranded in the cool waether outside, when I noticed that the cherry tree had blossoms. Well being the little ball of energy that my 18 month old son Nathan is I took him out to the cherry tree. We looked and felt smelled he even tasted it. Then he was standing under it and I hit a branch the little petals started falling all around him. He loved it! He just kept asking me to do it again and again. It was a grat half hour and it broke up the dull day
After a trip to the park a couple blocks away I took the looong way home and familiarized myself with the surrounding neighborhood. My 10 month old fell asleep in minutes and I was able to take my time admiring homes and landscapes.
We moved when I was 7 months pregnant, and I knew no one. My husband started his PhD program when our daughter was 2.5 weeks old. I sat at home alone, nursing all day, watching Netflix. And I got a massive headache around 4 pm every day — finally figured out it was from being inside, alone for hours at a time.
Just getting out for a short walk every day (sometimes much more activity) made a huge difference in my emotional and physical well-being!