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Indoor Fun for Toddlers
Turn Your Home into an Imagination Station
By Renee Roberson
Does your child love to dance? Don't worry about enrolling her in dance classes just yet. Ellison says you don't have to be a dance teacher to teach your kids to dance. One of her favorite indoor activities for toddlers is called "scarf dancing."
"Find some old scarves or scraps of fabric," Ellison says. "Give one or two to your child and hold one yourself. Throw the scarves up in the air and watch them float down to the ground. After each scarf has settled, imitate the scarf movements in the air as you move down to the ground. Turn on music and move rhythmically around the room. Imitate each other's movements as you play follow the leader."
Have a roll of masking tape handy? Ellison recommends using it to make an "obstacle course" on the floor of your home. You can also use other things around your house to keep your toddlers entertained. Make circles 
with the tape and have your child do a dance each time he lands in a circle. If you have room in your garage or storage area, save up large boxes cartons for when the weather keeps you and your child indoors.
"I used to tape boxes up and leave them sitting out empty, and my kids would build 'cities' with them," Ellison says.
Robin Nolan, a mom from Raleigh, N.C., suggests turning a hallway into a bowling alley by stacking plastic red cups and rolling a tennis ball at them. This can also be done with building blocks. "Another thing to do is take some balls, like ping pong balls or those soft small plastic balls, give your kids big spoons and have them balance a ball on the spoon and have a walking race inside the house," Nolan says. "This is really fun. It is a version of the egg race that is not messy."
