My kids are past the toddler stage, but even when they were just barely walking we had tons of hobby fun. Recently I had a Mom post on our facebook wall that she was looking for some great hobbies that she can enjoy with a 20 month old. So here’s my list of top top hobbies for Moms with Toddlers (and of course these hobbies would be great for grandparents or dad too!)

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Hobbies for Moms with Toddlers

Walking/Hiking/Camping

We have always enjoyed being outdoors with our kids – at all ages. When the kids were tiny, I carried them in the snuggly. I have used single strollers, double strollers, baby backpack and my favorite front baby carrier.

Baby carriers have evolved quite a bit in the past 10 years. This backpack that I used back in 2007 was functional but pretty bulky. The ones you can buy now look like they are so much more comfortable!

We even went camping when we had a 2 1/2 year old and a 4 month old. There was light snow in the Smoky Mountains and we had a tent. Maybe that’s not the best planning for a camping trip, but we had a ball!

Reading

I nursed my 3 kids till they were 14, 12 and 10 months old. That means that I spent many hours late at night sitting up with just me and the baby. I read alot of books in those hours (when I could stay awake). We also read many children’s picture books during those early years.

Play with your Food

Toddler food just begs to be played with! Why not turn the desire to play with their food into a craft/gift you can both enjoy?

• Toddler Trail Mix/Gift
  Mix Cheerios, nestle morsels, raisins and nuts. You could use baby jars decorated with ribbons or stickers. This would be a fun gift for cousins, or play groups.
• Make a Fruit Loop Tower
  Check out Vicky’s ideas for using fruit loops to teach and entertain.

Scrapbooking

Many moms find that scrapbooking is a bit tougher when the kids are small. You can try online scrapbooking or use the time when the kids are taking a nap! Programs like PicMonkey are perfect for creating some easy photo creations onine or you could even do some fun dreaming and buy your supplies so you can enjoy creating while the kids are taking a nap!

Photography

With each passing stage of my kids life, I fall in love more with pictures. Babies and toddlers are great subjects. You don’t have to set a perfect shot – just start taking pictures. The fun part is that phones have improved so much that you can capture amazing photos without even carrying around a big digital camera. I love the expressions and emotions that toddler pictures give you.

Real life confession: I am one of those people that tried to figure out the DSLR camera but soon discovered that I didn’t love that world. I typically use my smart phone for all my photos and I’m ok with that. But if you are serious about capturing photos of your children, then you may want to invest in a good DSLR camera and study the settings so you can capture amazing photos. My friend Sarah has a great article on how to get the best photographs of toddlers! Her pictures that she shares of her daughter are priceless!

Exercise/Fitness/Dance

Kids love to move! So put on an exercise dvd and just get moving. Or turn on some music and dance! The Xbox Kinect is great for young kids. The Adventure Rafting game that comes with the game system is perfect for a toddler to play with the parents. All they have to do is jump up and down!

Turn Work into Fun

If you have household chores to do, then let the kids help! Doing some heavy duty housecleaning, give the kids a spray bottle filled with water and a little rag and let them help. Need to shred some old tax documents? Turn it into a paper, snowball fight! If you are sweeping, give them a broom and let them help. Whatever household chores you have on your agenda can be double the fun if you let them help.

Quilting, Needlework, Crocheting, World Travel

Ummmm…..no. These were not practical hobbies during the toddler time of my life. You?

What are your favorite ways to enjoy hobbies when you’re in the toddler stage?  I’d love to hear!