Any stuff you do with your kids, grandkids?

[Matthew Lau]

Hey MIMF,

I've been off for a while, and likely will be taking a long time before going back to building (but no regrets).
My main focus right now are my kids, and my wife.

However, I don't have a ton of creativity in how to play with my toddler son.

Do you have good game/activity/teaching ideas?

-Matt

ps. WIll be trying to clean up my garage, so that it's usable for future projects like a squatty potty.

[JC Whitney]

I’m blessed with a better half that is a born baby whisperer - she’s magic with little ones. Me? I’m usually too busy, have too many irons in the fire, and not so good at slowing down.

Three (now adult) kids, five years of fostering little ones, and now our first grandkid have gotten a few things through my thick skull. In my experience, a toddler’s number one job, and they take it very seriously, is to explore. Just taking a slow walk/crawl around outside and taking time to touch/mess around with/talk about all of the neat sticks, stones, and stuff of the world is worth its weight in gold. As your little one ages, there will be more and more opportunities to start putting those sticks, stones, and other neat stuff to use… plopping rocks into water, building piles of stuff, things with wheels - before you know it you’ll be in the workshop together.

My two cents: enjoy it, there’s no better (and exhausting) job on Earth.

[Matthew Lau]

Thanks. That was actually really useful.

I've created a safe(enough) are in the backyard where the kiddo can splash, get dirty, throw rocks, and play with dirt.
It has greatly helped him with behavioral issues.

[JC Whitney]

Have fun.