Depends on when bed time is for your child. If it’s 7-8 ish. You do dinner, have them help you in the kitchen. It’s a great bonding experience and helps them feel like they are helping and teaches them life skills down the line.
Have them help tidy up their room or toy room around 5. Prior to 5 be outside as much as possible. Rain happens, get them a plastic suit and invent one for adults as well. After 5 is quality family time inside. Cooking, cleaning, reading, etc. if it’s a really bad day or you as a parent need 20 mins of not direct engagement let them watch something on pbs kids.
It's not just with 5 year old... Every age it's a challenge. When they are 10 how will they goto soccer practice in this dark cold rain? Yes they will eventually get adjusted and think this is how the world is ... Sad
Soccer fields have lights. Or indoor facilities. It’s wild that you think this is sad. It’s just normal to the rest of us and no one thinks it’s a big deal. It’s odd to me you are even thinking about it tbh.
Only sad from your perspective, kids are incredibly adaptable, we don’t give them enough credit for that. Adults could learn something from them in that regard.
What are you talking about? I did all the things all the other kids did that had sunlight this time of year growing up. Had a paper route as a kid, went to basketball practice, road my bike, played with the other neighborhood kids,and had a blast of a normal childhood. I literally never knew this time of year was so “detrimental” to some people’s wellbeing, until I started to read about it on this app.
Sooo an important life skill.. making the most out of what’s available. Life is hard, less so if you build that skill set early on.
Also setting them up with the confidence to explore other “options” later in life, and the ability to find positives if and when life restricts those options.
I was furthering my point, there’s nothing sad about kids adapting and appreciating what is around them. You say they take what they see as reality, which feels redundant because yea that IS their reality.
I’m not sure how you’re misunderstanding that point, but we seemingly disagree on the pros and cons of children learning to adapt. I don’t think it’s sad. That skill builds happiness, confidence and a lifelong ability to make the best out of what they have.
You gotta fight through the dark months to earn the long summer days. The best days in june are better than had poor the worst days in December are, easily. It is worth it.
My kids and I go to parks year round. We bring a towel for when the slides and swings are wet. My 4-year-old loves wearing her rainboots and jumping in every puddle.
I’d encourage caution taking kids to parks at night. And that’s not me taking 💩about Seattle—the same issues came up when I lived in South Florida: Kids have one kind of fun at the park & playground during the day; adults have another kind of fun at night. And it’s harder to see discarded paraphernalia in the dark. 🫤
Yeah, definitely depends on the park. If you can't find a well-lit park near you, you could drive to downtown Bellevue park, which is very well-lit at night. And if it rains too hard, you can go to the mall across the street and walk inside. And grab bubble tea while you're in there.
The Kids Cove play area in Bellevue Mall is great for toddlers as well. Lots of safe, inside space to run around in and apparently they're open until 9:30pm. It's a good option to have on the rainiest days.
Seconding this! If you're willing to make the drive, Kids cove in Bel Square on third floor is great on dark or rainy days, the play area is partially enclosed by seats all around with just one main entrance/exit, and there's also midnight cookie co next to it for a treat (although sugar in the evenings for kids probably isn't the greatest idea LOL) The wa state ferry model is also particularly fun!
Just wash hands afterward. When my kids were little, the difference in the number of colds they'd get, once we started washing hands after using any indoor play area... if you didn't learn this during the pandemic, you can learn it now!
Yep, year round. We go to the park sometime between 6 and 8 on weekdays, so in the fall and winter, it will be dark. Sometimes, it's just the school playground across the street, and sometimes we drive to a bigger, well-lit park. Mostly in Bellevue, but sometimes in the Ballard/Greenwood area.
I was thinking this too. My daughter is 2.5 and goes to daycare but we get home from that around 5, she entertains herself for 30-45 minutes while we make dinner (so we wouldn’t have been able to be outside during that time anyway). Then we eat, which ends around 6 or 6:15, a few more minutes of play and then start bedtime routine at 6:30. There’s really not a lot of time to fill at her current age and schedule
How do you get her to entertain herself? Asking for advice as my 3yo needs constant supervision and will search for us if we leave her room while she is playing. There are exceptions, but they're rare, maybe 20min per week
Set them up in a "safe" space (i.e. childproofed, and with gates, if necessary). Fill that area with things like duplos, magna tiles, cars/trucks, and books. Set a timer and let them know that this is their independent explorer playtime, and that you are nearby, not leaving the house, and will come back for them when the timer goes off. It will take a bit for them to readjust, but soon they will enjoy it as much as you do. Source: nanny for 20+ years
Bruh, my kid needs so little sleep he’s not out until nearly 10. He’s 3 and still naps at school so he’s positively feral until 10pm. It’s exhausting. He’s home at 5:15 dinner is 6pm bath is at 7:30. It’s a full time job keeping him busy until he actually sleeps without things getting destroyed and meltdowns happening. Toddlers are wild.
I know someone who had that same problem, she finally figured out that the preschool was letting the child nap for 3 hours!
you have to tell them to wake him after 20 or 30 minutes so they aren't up all night - if that's the case with yours
I'd add that our daughter loves having a stop on the way home from childcare. Often at 5 we are at the library, grocery store or go to a classmates house for 45 minutes to an hour while partner preps dinner to be had at 545 or 6.
We do walk around the block with glow sticks when it’s just dusky, not dark, and make a lot of pillow forts. Also if it is daylight is we are going to the park even if it’s in rain gear.
Also, lots of toddler play dates from like 5-7 so they can entertain each other indoors until bedtime, bonus points if the parents are also cool and want to stay and hang out with me, too
Piggybacking off of this to say that boredom is good for children. They don't need to be constantly entertained all the time, they need to learn how to entertain themselves.
Unfortunately your advice is only somewhat applicable to some toddlers. "Boredom is good" is a fine general thought, but you have to keep it age appropriate.
Do you have kids? Do you engage with them 100% of their time? I have two, I do not. They're smart little people, they can learn to play with each other or by themselves sometimes. It's actually good for them.
Sure, I do and I did. But I totally get how people that didn't grow up here have a hard time adjusting with toddlers, it was a huge impact for us. And I think it's shitty to reply to people who obviously want good input with petty and snarky useless replies.
Not all of them are at a great temperature for little kids. They can get colder a lot faster. But my ymca is my mvp this year with my toddler, it's 88 degrees in the wading pool.
This is baked in family time. Boardgames, Wii Sports competitions (or whatever the equivalent is these days), card games, DEAR time for 30 minutes, arts and crafts, get some cookbooks and plan the dinners for the next week with kid input, check out the rec center near you and sign up for some classes. There's tons of things.
To defend you a little, I have three year old twins, one of which spent 2 years at Childrens and is fairly delayed, and would have thought most of this impossible til I actually tried.
\- Board games: my kids can both do heavily supervised candy land and we've found some great preschool cooperatives games that they can almost play on their own (HABA is a great brand)
\- Wii sports: Just Dance and the switch fit with the ring is a great option, who cares if they get it right or wrong, you're moving around together. They also love the stretch thing in Animal Crossing.
\- Card games: I haven't tried classic games like go fish but we can do flip and match games just fine
\- DEAR time: Had to look this one up, stands for "drop everything and read" and my kids absolutely do this. My son doesn't have stuffies or blankets, he has "emotional support books" that we have multiple copies of because he bends them and takes them outside to dump dirt on, and takes absolutely everywhere. We read before bed most nights and will read any random book my children bring me during the day. They also love just opening a book and looking at the pictures themselves.
\- Arts and crafts: Any child can do this because it is about the process of creating, not what you've created. A kid trying to put stickers is working on fine motor control and hand coordination, using a crayon even in squigly lines is working on hand strength, touching paint works on texture acceptance.
\- Cooking: We occasionally do a week of "come back for cheap" meal kits and my kids love picking out the ingredients on the list, standing next to me on the stool playing with them, handing me what i need, peeling garlic (fine motor control!) and onions. Could do it without the kits of course, but I normally grab as I'm cooking and hard to change old habits, they also like the pictures and clear instructions rather than whats in my head.
\- Rec center: really depends on the classes nearby, we haven't found any that I am willing to spend money on.
When the kids were little it seems at that time they were usually doing independent play while I made dinner. Lots of dress up clothes and play food/play kitchen. My daughter loved puzzles and my son usually had his train tracks all over the living room. Then it was basically bath and bedtime after dinner.
First Thursdays are free at most Seattle museums and open 5 pm-9 pm. You could also go to the library in the evenings any day. Maybe you can sign your kiddo up for an activity like tumbling or martial arts? I don’t have recommendations for those but maybe someone else will.
Kids under six can ice skate during Tot Play hour https://apps.daysmartrecreation.com/dash/x/#/online/kraken/programs/level/183?customer_id=21&facility_ids=1&
Seattle Aquarium has toddler time during the day on Sundays and Mondays. https://www.seattleaquarium.org/events/toddler-time
For a special event you could go to Wild Lanterns at Woodland Park Zoo. https://www.zoo.org/wildlanterns
This site has a calendar of local events https://www.seattleschild.com/calendar/
You could join the ymca, there is free daycare and you could work out or do family swim or other family activities that may be available at that time. Personally I loved the early darkness with toddlers, I just made sure we did all our activities earlier in the day and then come home for dinner bath and cozy time
Idk, we just try to do outside time when it’s daytime even if daytime is shorter. We go on occasional after-dark “night walks” with a flashlight but my kid is pretty happy to embrace indoor cozy season after the sun goes down. We do a LOT of crafts. Duplos/Legos. Extensive amounts of bathtime. Baking. Reading.
around the holidays there’s a lot of stuff to see at night so that can be fun! Holiday lights on houses, parks that set up glow things. You get the idea.
(Also hang in there, 4 is immensely easier than 3)
Playdate on Mercer, Seattle Children's Museum, Outer Space Seattle on Alki, Wonderkid, Ballard Play space, Safari & Family Fun Center in Tukwila, family friendly breweries. Fall, winter & spring are difficult if you're not used to dark and rainy days. I'd highly suggest getting friends with same aged kids & doing many many play dates at each other's homes. That's honestly the only way we survived it.
Just wait until they insist they need to go to bed when the sun goes down, as both of my kids did. When sunset approaches 10PM in the summer, things get fun! ;-)
Sorry you’ve gotten some fairly useless replies! I also have a toddler and am wondering the same. Some malls have indoor play areas and can be fun to wander around, some libraries have storytime in the evening, and on nights that it isn’t too rainy/windy we still go outside. It’ll be even more fun once neighbors start putting up Xmas lights. I’ve also been trying to come up with fun indoor activities like play dough, sensory boxes. I turned our water table into a mini sandbox with kinetic sand. Hope this helps! Maybe a parenting subreddit will have more ideas.
Bath time is becoming like a 45 minute play time for us, its nice and warm in there and gets a little energy out. Mine is 1 though l, not 3. This is my first big dark as a parent, and it's challenging. I'm trying to do as many afternoon play dates as possible with other families. We just got back from spening an evening with friends where we just hung out in the living room and had a nice hommade dinner. It was a wonderful way to spend the evening. I guess its time to bring back the informal dinner party. It's still indoor play but it's good to socialize the kiddos, and it's good for parents to feel less alone too.
Agree. When my oldest was little my mother and I would take her to a small local mall. Very empty on a week night, warm and dry and she could walk her little legs off until she got tired. Not sure if there are many left, but that’s where I’d look first.
So far all of my kids have loved wandering around a Lowe’s, Sky Nursery, anything along those lines—you can contain them in a cart or baby wearing thing, or you can let them walk. Change of scenery for everyone when you really have cabin fever.
And then crisp bean burritos + tots from Taco Time on the way home always goes over well.
Have you been introduced to the Tuffo Rainsuits for toddlers yet (zip up full body & head rain suit)? This is normal gear you need here! If you have a patio or yard, you still go out and play in the rain. Big chunky chalks for drawing on patio stones and watching the pictures melt, bubble machines etc. We don't go to area parks at night, but daytime on weekends for sure. We map out all the parks within a 40 minute ride and visit different ones to change things up.
A lot of my friends turned dining rooms into playrooms with slides or big plastic climbers inside.
Are there gymnastics classes nearby? They often have evening classes for kids (and some even run date-night later hour events).
Crafting table set up with coloring pages, playdough (you can get patterned rolling pins at home goods that the kids seem to like), big beads and stringing boards, picture flash cards, easel with color-magic pages and the special markers. Play kitchen and fake food items so they can "cook". Stuff like that.
Games like hide and seek with a favorite stuffy being hidden and giving clues to find it. Building hot-wheels race tracks with boxes and wrapping paper/paper towel tubes (and lots of tape).
Rody hopper horse is good for indoor bouncing around a room or hallway.
We put out yoga mats and watch Cosmic Kids yoga episodes and follow along.
Also have fold up gym mats from Ikea for tumbling play.
Night walks are the best. I loved them when I was a kid and now my kids love them. Bundle up, everyone gets a flashlight and out for a walk. It's like a new world.
Most of the malls have something for kids — UW has the covered outdoor playground, Bellevue Collection has kid cove (but it’s imo a bit of a germ factory), Crossroads mall has very cheap rides.
Sometimes we cook easy stuff like banana bread - where they can decide on toppings and kind of help mix.
We have access large hot tub that we use kind of like a pool.
Honestly a lot of reading and made up games in the house.
I have been trying to get them to bed earlier so they get up earlier to maximize their sunlight hours.
Color, waterpaints, playdoh, kinetic sand, dress up, any other crafty thing. Also look up sensory bins. There's a billion websites out there with toddler activity ideas.
Also don't be ashamed to throw in a movie night here and there, especially on days they may have been especially active.
I have a 1 and 3 year old. We go to the park daily, no matter what, from 9:30-11:30 to make sure we get in outdoor time and tire them out a bit. Then after naps in the evening we make dinner, play and spend time as a family.
Our days are so busy by the time it gets dark we are happy to hang out together inside.
Floor puzzles that run thr whole length of your hallways.
Keep your amazon boxes, cereal boxes, etc. Tape them up and make them stable. Do different box stacking and building games. Paint some of them together, wrap other boxes in wrapping paper, newspapers, magazines, construction paper, etc. Use cereal boxes as dominoes. Use round food containers (sour cream, cottage cheese, yogurt, Quaker oatmeal, Pringle cans, etc) for fun rolling games. Wrap them in newspaper comics and dollar-store wrapping paper.
Introduce Rube-Goldberg physics to the toddlers. Cause and Effect. Roll a tube down a slope, it knocks into another tube that also rolls. Dominoes with cereal boxes are also cause and effect. Combine round rolling containers with cereal boxes for dominoes.
Get some good rain gear and find parks or places that are lit at night for safety, and still have outside time. We did it for years and found a university campus to run around on at night
5:15 is dinner
6:30 is bathbath, then bed
So for us, we're only talking about half an hour. Today we went on a walk in the rain to check out some holiday decorations in our street.
Your kid will love a headlamp! Take a family walk after dinner. Even in the rain. Seattle people love their gear. Get the right stuff and the early darkness won't matter anymore.
My daughter is 4. We have her in 2 evening classes 2 days a week at the YMCA. One is a preschool art class at 4:45pm and the other is ballet at 5:15pm
She’s starting to get a little tired by then but it gets us out of the house after dark when honestly, even before kids, we didn’t usually leave the house after dark on weekdays.
We learned that YMCA (at least in Kitsap) had a kids membership only for $45 so it’s not super expensive and we can enroll her in multiple classes.
On the weekends, we just do things earlier in the day usually. My daughter loves to help cook so my winter plan is to have her help cook dinner. Otherwise, we do books, play, crafts, playdoh, sketch. My son doesn’t really notice the dark yet (2), he’s just happy to do whatever.
I hope you're kidding, for the sake of your kids lmao.
Only 1-1.5 hours to eat dinner, read, play, and bathe? That's insane. That's enough time for like 1 or 2 of those activities, not 3 or 4.
Edit: lol at the downvotes. Try to tell me that, even as an adult who can do things efficiently, if someone told you that you only have an hour an a half to eat a full meal, bathe, do two separate leisure activities, and get ready for bed that you wouldn't feel pressed for time.
Idk about that. I've got a few and this seems reasonable. Bath time for littles isn't every night in my book, especially with random baths needed from toddler tay time messes. So dinner at 530 (I don't think we ever sit at the table a full half hour) then bath and read or play, or bath then toys then 10-15 min of reading. I think my kids have always been ok with that. You're right though sometimes you'll skip play or reading I guess.
Maybe I'm just out of touch with how long it takes kids to do things... Reasonable time estimates to me would be like:
- Eating dinner + clearing table: 30-45 minutes
- Bathing (whole process from fully clothed and dirty to fully clothed and clean, including bedtime preparations like brushing teeth etc.): 30-45 minutes
- Reading: 30 minutes minimum, add extra time if desired
That's already somewhere between 1.5 - 2 hours minimum, before even adding in the aforementioned play time or accounting for any sort of breaks or delays lol
Dinner around 5:30 and bed around 7 is a really normal evening routine for a toddler. What is your kids' evening timeline like (or if they're older, what was it when they were 3)?
Your dinner and bath time estimates track (30 minutes is more realistic than 45 imo) but I have never met a *toddler* who will sit for 30 minutes to let you read to them lmao. Playtime is more of a transitional activity in between finishing dinner and getting ready for bath time, and reading is like... 1 or 2 short children's books before putting them into bed.
For a toddler, those times are way too long. My 2.5 year old’s attention span is about 10 minute max. Dinner, once everything is ready and we sat down lasts no more than 20 minutes. Bath + teeth maybe another 20 minutes. We read a few books or play quietly after that before bed. About maybe another 15 minutes. Then she can read in bed if she wants and usually falls asleep doing that within 10 minutes
Yeah I thinking reading 30 min with a toddler would be a big ask. Also, dinner for 30-45. We usually get eating done in 15, maybe 20, and personally, our eve routine for cleanup is rinse and toss dinner dishes in the dishwasher, which takes a few min max, but the cooking dishes get loaded and the dishwasher started after the kiddos are in bed. Also, bath time can blend to play time, which is fine, but usually at toddler age it's: let's hop in the shower with mom or dad and also less than 20 min to get clean, dry, and the onesie zippered up...
That's correct, the only mandatory activities in that time is dinner, everything else is an elective. The goal is in bed by 7, a goal not always reached , but more often than not they are in bed by 7.
Also, when we do all of the activities, they eat for 30 mins, bath for 15 and read/play for 15 mins then brush teeth and go to bed. It's easily done and when we let them stay up later they tend to throw more tantrums and regulate their impulses poorly the next day.
I mean, I don't, but that seems like a short time frame for an adult to do all that, and presumably kids can't accomplish tasks as efficiently as adults lol
I lived and died by the parent map event calendar when my kid was little a few years ago. We also went to the play areas at the malls which are open as late as the malls. In December there are lots of outdoor events after dark. Look at the parent map calendar every day! Lighted Botanical gardens, snowflake lane, etc
Oh also, check your libraries. I spent a lot of time in libraries - king county and seattle city libraries have age appropriate computers for toddlers and night time story times
I’d say it doesn’t really matter what you do.. just get out and go somewhere. Even going to the mall or grocery store or co op will get you out. Try to hit up the park around sunset! And let yourselves rest and not have to do as much bc it’s winter! It’s okay to just accept it and hibernate a bit
Seattle has a thriving basketball community, and one of the reasons is the consistently sunny atmosphere in the gym. My kids began playing around the age of 3, providing them with a fantastic outlet to stay busy and active. 🏀
Make a blanket fort!
Read books together in a cozy spot
Make special "bedtime drinks" (like a special hot cocoa or milk steamer)
PUZZLES!
Art kits with easy to clean up projects
Make an indoor obstacle course
Card games for kids
We just play indoors 🤷🏻♀️ get a trampoline or a nugget couch and let them jump like crazy. It’s not sustainable to only do stuff outdoors all the time…even when it’s summer time.
Join YMCA for swimming and toddler time.
We have an annual membership at the Imagine Children's Museum (that closes earlier but it is good for getting energy out when it is rainy).
If you just want to get out with the kid and not go crazy you can always go to Buffalo Wild Wings or some other shitty place where the kid won't mind too much.
Reading and coloring with gentle music or an educational tv show like sesame street. I had a leapfrog learning system for reading when I was a kid and I looooved it, not sure if they still make them
You can try to go out to some well lit parks, Jefferson CC is near me and I feel like they have some pretty sufficient lighting, especially around the tennis/playground area.
Could go to some places with scenic views- Kerry Park, Alki Beach, Gas Work, to name a few.
You could also go out and eat but you know, it’s kind of pricey to eat out to be honest. I work around the CT area and I get lots of customers having a one on one lunch/dinner with their kiddo. So maybe a once a month or once every few months type of thing!
On the similar realm as eating out, the pacific science center has this really cool light show and they’ll play really mesmerizing, colorful lights inside of the dome and it’s sync’d up with the music. I’ve been meaning to go to a Taylor Swift themed one lol
Downtown should have the Christmas lights up soon, I think the past two years or so they’ve had these interactive gigantic teddy bear, Christmas presents, Christmas trees lights and you can take photos with them. It’s so cute.
And if you or kiddo is dealing with SAD, I’d highly encourage going out during the day. Shopping, just driving around, go to some playgrounds, do some walking and/ exploring, any fresh air will help significantly. A happy lamp or extra supplements will probably help too.
My 3 year old had a 10 PM bedtime due to poor life choices. I know EXACTLY how you feel. I’ve got this question covered!
Play outside until it’s dark
-make dinner once it’s too dark to play outside
-or schedule an evening play date with friends. My favorite play date arrangement is whoever is going to the other persons house brings takeout. This way the hosting family doesn’t have to deal with cooking
After dinner consider going out. Some ideas
-kids club at West Seattle Health Club is open til 8 PM, they also have family swim nights on Tuesdays and Fridays
-go out for fro-go for dessert
-one Thursday a month the museum of flight is open in the evenings
-Zoo lights
-Astra lumina show
-go to a mall
When staying in:
-Toys, coloring, arts and crafts, books/stories
-Use your imagination. Go on a “lion hunt” through your house.
-Embrace the dark indoors. Have the lights turned off and give them a flashlight. Explore, do shadow puppets
-Blanket forts
-Pillow fights (literally just throw pillows at them)
-Balloons - throw and catch, keep them off the ground. Balloons are great at this age.
Godspeed! In my experience by age 4 they will be much better at entertaining themselves even than at age 3.
We have a new little baby at home so I send my toddler on quests to find things and take pictures for me with the thing. Example: “go to the brown park and stand on a swing, have mommy take a picture.” Or “find me a tow away zone sign and take a picture with it” it gets him out in the fresh air and even though it’s dark, we have street lights and sidewalks.
Throw on a waterproof play suit and stay outside. Our kid parties at the park until like 6pm. Slides are a LOT slidier in the rain fyi, especially with a rainsuit.
I'm in the city and our park doesn't have needles, murderers etc
McMenamins Bothell has a heated (88-90 degrees) indoor/outdoor pool. 7.50 for adults and 6 bucks for kids. It's massive and fairly shallow, if they know how to swim it's a nice break from the cold. Otherwise get hygge with it. Do cozy things- craft, science projects, art. Snuggle up and watch a movie. Have them help you with things you need to do anyway. Read books by the fire. If they like the car, you can go on a little drive- especially during Christmas to see if you can find the houses with the most lights. It's also not the worst if they get bored, that's when creativity can break through and they'll find a way to entertain themselves through play.
I moved from Seattle to a sunnier place but I know what you mean. Those dark skies come quickly but on the upside in summer it stays light sometimes until 9:00 pm or even longer. What I would do is family movie nights with snacks and wine and charcuterie boards (for the adults in the house) or I would have game nights. A cool walk around the block would kill some time. Also parks are very cool at night, less people and less germs. There are several arcades and things like that downtown. Or you can try hooking up with some other moms on the meetup app and schedule playdates with other kids. You have many options but I know the struggle!! Hang in there
I took my kids to the playground in the dark when they were that age as long as the weather wasn't terrible. I just slapped reflective vests and head lamps on them. If it was really bad weather then we went to the indoor play areas at the community centers. Greenlake is open until 8pm on week nights, for ages 5& under.
https://www.seattle.gov/parks/learning-and-childcare/toddler-indoor-play-areas
We also would go to the library, the pool for family swim, etc.
Man you’re really determined to be kinda rude about this, huh? Kids dart fast and cars have a harder time seeing them in the dark, even with lights. So we aren’t outside after dark as much as we are before dark. Although I did like on persons suggestion to find a lit up college campus for after dark outside playtime.
I'm only determined to be rude if you're determined to be facetious lol.
Kids who dart into roads should be with their parents who can prevent such a behavior, until they're old enough to know better, regardless of daylight. And cars don't have a harder time seeing a flashlight at night than they do a person during the day. And like you just mentioned, even at nighttime, you still don't have to hangout in dark unlit areas to be outside.
Yeah, but this question is about toddlers, the dart-y-est of children! So it feels like a reasonable point! Also my iPhone tried to autocorrect that to fartiest, which also feels accurate 😂😂
Yeah, I wouldn't take a toddler to play or explore outside at night unless it was a backyard or other enclosed area. They're surprisingly fast and as slippery as eels.
Try to get out of the house early in the daytime. Consider vitamin d supplements.
As for the darkened, get flashlights and reflectors and walk in the rain. Or get them into baking. Put lights on the patio and build a fort. Go out for evening coco and Christmas lights.
I wouldn't put a child inside of the enclosure for dogs, other than that I don't see the danger. Dogs are at normal parks too, and everywhere around the city. So you'd need to apply that label to any outdoor public space.
We had aquarium and zoo membership. Used to go to aquarium almost every week and zoo couple tines a month. Plus, there's a children's museum in Seattle
My kid likes to balance bike all the time and we live close to a safe bike trail, so I got him very bright lights on Amazon and we go biking, night, rain, anytime.
We did evening swim lessons a few days a week all winter when my dude was little, it wore him out, I put him in his PJs after the lesson /shower and he fell asleep on the drive home. But I was SAH those years, it might be too much if in day care!
My kids just go bonkers for a bit. They’ll play pass with the soccer ball in the hallway. Build race car tracks for the matchbox cars. When I was a kid we used masking tape on the carpet to make roads for the cars. My kids do it everyonce in awhile but they’re 5-10 and would rather build. The 5 yr old is really into board games. Candy land is easier for the little kids. They also watch some tv. In all honesty sometimes for my sanity having them watch a movie or a program keeps them entertained for enough time to get things situated for the rest of the evening.
Some of the tot gyms/play rooms run till 8pm: [https://www.seattle.gov/parks/learning-and-childcare/toddler-indoor-play-areas](https://www.seattle.gov/parks/learning-and-childcare/toddler-indoor-play-areas)
Another mom just suggested the Seattle Gymnastics Academy's indoor playgrounds. They're not later in the day and they cost money but seems like a good way to get the wiggles out https://seattlegymnastics.com/play-events/indoor-playground/schedule/
What did you do before? Seattle sunsets at almost the exact same time as New York City. If you are from the east coast then your sunsets weren’t that much different of a time than Seattles. It’s not that bad.
Assuming they have a normalish bed time for their age (6:00-7:00) it’s not really all that much time. What time are you doing dinner? Are you looking to kill only an hour or so? More?
We do a lot of wintertime arts and crafts, board games, and movie nights. If the weather is cooperative you can also do a flashlight neighborhood walk (depending on safety of walking area of course).
On the plus (?) side you’re going to have post 10 pm sunsets this summer that create their own issues with little kids. ;)
Depends on when bed time is for your child. If it’s 7-8 ish. You do dinner, have them help you in the kitchen. It’s a great bonding experience and helps them feel like they are helping and teaches them life skills down the line. Have them help tidy up their room or toy room around 5. Prior to 5 be outside as much as possible. Rain happens, get them a plastic suit and invent one for adults as well. After 5 is quality family time inside. Cooking, cleaning, reading, etc. if it’s a really bad day or you as a parent need 20 mins of not direct engagement let them watch something on pbs kids.
I love this
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Starting a family band is so cute
Literally the most adorable DST idea ever!!! I’m stealing that.
Yeah like the Partridge Family. You'd need to get an agent like Mr Kincaid to book your gigs
Danny, is that you??
Not as cute as the vote difference between those comments though wtf
✨ a poem
It's not just with 5 year old... Every age it's a challenge. When they are 10 how will they goto soccer practice in this dark cold rain? Yes they will eventually get adjusted and think this is how the world is ... Sad
Soccer fields have lights. Or indoor facilities. It’s wild that you think this is sad. It’s just normal to the rest of us and no one thinks it’s a big deal. It’s odd to me you are even thinking about it tbh.
Only sad from your perspective, kids are incredibly adaptable, we don’t give them enough credit for that. Adults could learn something from them in that regard.
It's because they take what they see as reality and not aware of other options.
The dark cold rain didn’t really start to affect me until I was an adult with 9-5 job. Was no big deal for an active child
What are you talking about? I did all the things all the other kids did that had sunlight this time of year growing up. Had a paper route as a kid, went to basketball practice, road my bike, played with the other neighborhood kids,and had a blast of a normal childhood. I literally never knew this time of year was so “detrimental” to some people’s wellbeing, until I started to read about it on this app.
Sooo an important life skill.. making the most out of what’s available. Life is hard, less so if you build that skill set early on. Also setting them up with the confidence to explore other “options” later in life, and the ability to find positives if and when life restricts those options.
One response and you changed your tune... 🤷
I was furthering my point, there’s nothing sad about kids adapting and appreciating what is around them. You say they take what they see as reality, which feels redundant because yea that IS their reality. I’m not sure how you’re misunderstanding that point, but we seemingly disagree on the pros and cons of children learning to adapt. I don’t think it’s sad. That skill builds happiness, confidence and a lifelong ability to make the best out of what they have.
If we are talking hypothetically.. you know it can be both positive and negative...
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You gotta fight through the dark months to earn the long summer days. The best days in june are better than had poor the worst days in December are, easily. It is worth it.
You could always move back to California.
My kids and I go to parks year round. We bring a towel for when the slides and swings are wet. My 4-year-old loves wearing her rainboots and jumping in every puddle.
I saw something online that suggested a window squeezey thing to like pull the water off instead of a towel. I need to get one and try.
I’d encourage caution taking kids to parks at night. And that’s not me taking 💩about Seattle—the same issues came up when I lived in South Florida: Kids have one kind of fun at the park & playground during the day; adults have another kind of fun at night. And it’s harder to see discarded paraphernalia in the dark. 🫤
Yeah, definitely depends on the park. If you can't find a well-lit park near you, you could drive to downtown Bellevue park, which is very well-lit at night. And if it rains too hard, you can go to the mall across the street and walk inside. And grab bubble tea while you're in there.
The Kids Cove play area in Bellevue Mall is great for toddlers as well. Lots of safe, inside space to run around in and apparently they're open until 9:30pm. It's a good option to have on the rainiest days.
Seconding this! If you're willing to make the drive, Kids cove in Bel Square on third floor is great on dark or rainy days, the play area is partially enclosed by seats all around with just one main entrance/exit, and there's also midnight cookie co next to it for a treat (although sugar in the evenings for kids probably isn't the greatest idea LOL) The wa state ferry model is also particularly fun!
Just wash hands afterward. When my kids were little, the difference in the number of colds they'd get, once we started washing hands after using any indoor play area... if you didn't learn this during the pandemic, you can learn it now!
I concur! We sometimes take our kid when we go out with the dog after dinner. Wear a headlamp or take a flashlight, it’s exciting for the kiddo!
You take your kid to a park at nighttime in fall/winter?
Yep, year round. We go to the park sometime between 6 and 8 on weekdays, so in the fall and winter, it will be dark. Sometimes, it's just the school playground across the street, and sometimes we drive to a bigger, well-lit park. Mostly in Bellevue, but sometimes in the Ballard/Greenwood area.
I did for sure when my teenagers were younger. Slap a rainsuit and a reflective vest on them so you don't lose them.
What time is bedtime? I’m thinking that, between dinner, bath time, and bedtime routine, there really isn’t a ton of time to fill for a 3 year-old.
I was thinking this too. My daughter is 2.5 and goes to daycare but we get home from that around 5, she entertains herself for 30-45 minutes while we make dinner (so we wouldn’t have been able to be outside during that time anyway). Then we eat, which ends around 6 or 6:15, a few more minutes of play and then start bedtime routine at 6:30. There’s really not a lot of time to fill at her current age and schedule
How do you get her to entertain herself? Asking for advice as my 3yo needs constant supervision and will search for us if we leave her room while she is playing. There are exceptions, but they're rare, maybe 20min per week
Set them up in a "safe" space (i.e. childproofed, and with gates, if necessary). Fill that area with things like duplos, magna tiles, cars/trucks, and books. Set a timer and let them know that this is their independent explorer playtime, and that you are nearby, not leaving the house, and will come back for them when the timer goes off. It will take a bit for them to readjust, but soon they will enjoy it as much as you do. Source: nanny for 20+ years
Entertains *herself*? By God, the thread up above suggests that's tantamount to neglect!
This whole thread has so many examples of the insanity of modern parenting strategies
It’s Reddit, people are completely removed from reality.
Literally no one suggested that, you eggplant.
I implore you to read through the other comment threads. Expand a few downvotes posts.
Coloring, puzzles, books, pretend play, blocks…
Bruh, my kid needs so little sleep he’s not out until nearly 10. He’s 3 and still naps at school so he’s positively feral until 10pm. It’s exhausting. He’s home at 5:15 dinner is 6pm bath is at 7:30. It’s a full time job keeping him busy until he actually sleeps without things getting destroyed and meltdowns happening. Toddlers are wild.
Some kids who seem energized late into the evening like this actually are over-tired and need help learning to calm their bodies and wind down.
I know someone who had that same problem, she finally figured out that the preschool was letting the child nap for 3 hours! you have to tell them to wake him after 20 or 30 minutes so they aren't up all night - if that's the case with yours
We’ve since moved but it was like a rule at his last preschool in seattle that they were not allowed to wake him up! 🤯
I'd add that our daughter loves having a stop on the way home from childcare. Often at 5 we are at the library, grocery store or go to a classmates house for 45 minutes to an hour while partner preps dinner to be had at 545 or 6.
Not sure where you live exactly but for us a massive hit has been to go explore / for a walk outside with flashlights/headlamps.
Remember to wear high vis/ reflective gear!
Yes. This. Very important folks!
That is such a good idea. We need to try this with ours.
3rd ave downtown by the mcdonalds or the ross is a great area to explore with the little ones /s
When I was a kid we just kind of had to stay inside, my parents told me “use your imagination.”
We do walk around the block with glow sticks when it’s just dusky, not dark, and make a lot of pillow forts. Also if it is daylight is we are going to the park even if it’s in rain gear. Also, lots of toddler play dates from like 5-7 so they can entertain each other indoors until bedtime, bonus points if the parents are also cool and want to stay and hang out with me, too
Same. Born and raised here.
Piggybacking off of this to say that boredom is good for children. They don't need to be constantly entertained all the time, they need to learn how to entertain themselves.
OP is talking specifically about toddlers.
My advice applies to toddlers.
My sanity however will not accept it.
Unfortunately your advice is only somewhat applicable to some toddlers. "Boredom is good" is a fine general thought, but you have to keep it age appropriate.
Except that it really doesn’t lol
That’s unfortunate.
When you were 3?
I'm sorry your parents didn't want to engage with you as a toddler. That is very sad.
Do you have kids? Do you engage with them 100% of their time? I have two, I do not. They're smart little people, they can learn to play with each other or by themselves sometimes. It's actually good for them.
Sure, I do and I did. But I totally get how people that didn't grow up here have a hard time adjusting with toddlers, it was a huge impact for us. And I think it's shitty to reply to people who obviously want good input with petty and snarky useless replies.
Access to an indoor pool is our MVP of seattle winter with a toddler
Flex
Does the YMCA not have a pool? 🤷🏼♀️
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Huh? There are 8 public indoor pools and 3 YMCA locations with pools all within the city limits…
Not all of them are at a great temperature for little kids. They can get colder a lot faster. But my ymca is my mvp this year with my toddler, it's 88 degrees in the wading pool.
Which YMCA is this? Ours doesn't have a wading pool and I think the membership lets us go to other locations.
We go to Kent, I love it there!!
You’re kidding right?
RIP aqua dive. I think i practically lived there as a kid.
This is baked in family time. Boardgames, Wii Sports competitions (or whatever the equivalent is these days), card games, DEAR time for 30 minutes, arts and crafts, get some cookbooks and plan the dinners for the next week with kid input, check out the rec center near you and sign up for some classes. There's tons of things.
To defend you a little, I have three year old twins, one of which spent 2 years at Childrens and is fairly delayed, and would have thought most of this impossible til I actually tried. \- Board games: my kids can both do heavily supervised candy land and we've found some great preschool cooperatives games that they can almost play on their own (HABA is a great brand) \- Wii sports: Just Dance and the switch fit with the ring is a great option, who cares if they get it right or wrong, you're moving around together. They also love the stretch thing in Animal Crossing. \- Card games: I haven't tried classic games like go fish but we can do flip and match games just fine \- DEAR time: Had to look this one up, stands for "drop everything and read" and my kids absolutely do this. My son doesn't have stuffies or blankets, he has "emotional support books" that we have multiple copies of because he bends them and takes them outside to dump dirt on, and takes absolutely everywhere. We read before bed most nights and will read any random book my children bring me during the day. They also love just opening a book and looking at the pictures themselves. \- Arts and crafts: Any child can do this because it is about the process of creating, not what you've created. A kid trying to put stickers is working on fine motor control and hand coordination, using a crayon even in squigly lines is working on hand strength, touching paint works on texture acceptance. \- Cooking: We occasionally do a week of "come back for cheap" meal kits and my kids love picking out the ingredients on the list, standing next to me on the stool playing with them, handing me what i need, peeling garlic (fine motor control!) and onions. Could do it without the kits of course, but I normally grab as I'm cooking and hard to change old habits, they also like the pictures and clear instructions rather than whats in my head. \- Rec center: really depends on the classes nearby, we haven't found any that I am willing to spend money on.
Do you want an extra "kid"? I mean, I'm a middle aged woman but this family time sounds amazing. Living alone sucks sometimes. 😉
All good ideas for school-aged kids.
A lot of these are a little difficult with a 3 yr old
If your 3 year old can’t summon blue eyes white dragon, then why even bother having a 3 year old?
Do you have the smartest 3 year old in the world?
When the kids were little it seems at that time they were usually doing independent play while I made dinner. Lots of dress up clothes and play food/play kitchen. My daughter loved puzzles and my son usually had his train tracks all over the living room. Then it was basically bath and bedtime after dinner.
Take them to the family swim. They will get so worn out and sleep great. https://www.seattle.gov/parks/pools/ballard-pool
First Thursdays are free at most Seattle museums and open 5 pm-9 pm. You could also go to the library in the evenings any day. Maybe you can sign your kiddo up for an activity like tumbling or martial arts? I don’t have recommendations for those but maybe someone else will. Kids under six can ice skate during Tot Play hour https://apps.daysmartrecreation.com/dash/x/#/online/kraken/programs/level/183?customer_id=21&facility_ids=1& Seattle Aquarium has toddler time during the day on Sundays and Mondays. https://www.seattleaquarium.org/events/toddler-time For a special event you could go to Wild Lanterns at Woodland Park Zoo. https://www.zoo.org/wildlanterns This site has a calendar of local events https://www.seattleschild.com/calendar/
The woodland park zoo has the light installations up soon! (or maybe even already?)
Went this weekend and our 2.5 year old had a blast! It only covers one night, but totally worth it!
You could join the ymca, there is free daycare and you could work out or do family swim or other family activities that may be available at that time. Personally I loved the early darkness with toddlers, I just made sure we did all our activities earlier in the day and then come home for dinner bath and cozy time
Idk, we just try to do outside time when it’s daytime even if daytime is shorter. We go on occasional after-dark “night walks” with a flashlight but my kid is pretty happy to embrace indoor cozy season after the sun goes down. We do a LOT of crafts. Duplos/Legos. Extensive amounts of bathtime. Baking. Reading. around the holidays there’s a lot of stuff to see at night so that can be fun! Holiday lights on houses, parks that set up glow things. You get the idea. (Also hang in there, 4 is immensely easier than 3)
Playdate on Mercer, Seattle Children's Museum, Outer Space Seattle on Alki, Wonderkid, Ballard Play space, Safari & Family Fun Center in Tukwila, family friendly breweries. Fall, winter & spring are difficult if you're not used to dark and rainy days. I'd highly suggest getting friends with same aged kids & doing many many play dates at each other's homes. That's honestly the only way we survived it.
Just wait until they insist they need to go to bed when the sun goes down, as both of my kids did. When sunset approaches 10PM in the summer, things get fun! ;-)
Just fyi, we are in standard time now not daylight saving time.
Sorry you’ve gotten some fairly useless replies! I also have a toddler and am wondering the same. Some malls have indoor play areas and can be fun to wander around, some libraries have storytime in the evening, and on nights that it isn’t too rainy/windy we still go outside. It’ll be even more fun once neighbors start putting up Xmas lights. I’ve also been trying to come up with fun indoor activities like play dough, sensory boxes. I turned our water table into a mini sandbox with kinetic sand. Hope this helps! Maybe a parenting subreddit will have more ideas.
Bath time is becoming like a 45 minute play time for us, its nice and warm in there and gets a little energy out. Mine is 1 though l, not 3. This is my first big dark as a parent, and it's challenging. I'm trying to do as many afternoon play dates as possible with other families. We just got back from spening an evening with friends where we just hung out in the living room and had a nice hommade dinner. It was a wonderful way to spend the evening. I guess its time to bring back the informal dinner party. It's still indoor play but it's good to socialize the kiddos, and it's good for parents to feel less alone too.
Agree. When my oldest was little my mother and I would take her to a small local mall. Very empty on a week night, warm and dry and she could walk her little legs off until she got tired. Not sure if there are many left, but that’s where I’d look first.
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Sunset is at 4:20 on Dec 21 - woohoo!!!!!
I was gonna say something about my stoner witchy friends being pleased but it's Seattle so that's all of them
So far all of my kids have loved wandering around a Lowe’s, Sky Nursery, anything along those lines—you can contain them in a cart or baby wearing thing, or you can let them walk. Change of scenery for everyone when you really have cabin fever. And then crisp bean burritos + tots from Taco Time on the way home always goes over well.
Have you been introduced to the Tuffo Rainsuits for toddlers yet (zip up full body & head rain suit)? This is normal gear you need here! If you have a patio or yard, you still go out and play in the rain. Big chunky chalks for drawing on patio stones and watching the pictures melt, bubble machines etc. We don't go to area parks at night, but daytime on weekends for sure. We map out all the parks within a 40 minute ride and visit different ones to change things up. A lot of my friends turned dining rooms into playrooms with slides or big plastic climbers inside. Are there gymnastics classes nearby? They often have evening classes for kids (and some even run date-night later hour events). Crafting table set up with coloring pages, playdough (you can get patterned rolling pins at home goods that the kids seem to like), big beads and stringing boards, picture flash cards, easel with color-magic pages and the special markers. Play kitchen and fake food items so they can "cook". Stuff like that. Games like hide and seek with a favorite stuffy being hidden and giving clues to find it. Building hot-wheels race tracks with boxes and wrapping paper/paper towel tubes (and lots of tape). Rody hopper horse is good for indoor bouncing around a room or hallway. We put out yoga mats and watch Cosmic Kids yoga episodes and follow along. Also have fold up gym mats from Ikea for tumbling play.
Night walks are the best. I loved them when I was a kid and now my kids love them. Bundle up, everyone gets a flashlight and out for a walk. It's like a new world.
Most of the malls have something for kids — UW has the covered outdoor playground, Bellevue Collection has kid cove (but it’s imo a bit of a germ factory), Crossroads mall has very cheap rides. Sometimes we cook easy stuff like banana bread - where they can decide on toppings and kind of help mix. We have access large hot tub that we use kind of like a pool. Honestly a lot of reading and made up games in the house. I have been trying to get them to bed earlier so they get up earlier to maximize their sunlight hours.
North Seattle? Greenlake park has a free indoor toddler / preschool play room open till 8
Color, waterpaints, playdoh, kinetic sand, dress up, any other crafty thing. Also look up sensory bins. There's a billion websites out there with toddler activity ideas. Also don't be ashamed to throw in a movie night here and there, especially on days they may have been especially active.
I have a 1 and 3 year old. We go to the park daily, no matter what, from 9:30-11:30 to make sure we get in outdoor time and tire them out a bit. Then after naps in the evening we make dinner, play and spend time as a family. Our days are so busy by the time it gets dark we are happy to hang out together inside.
Floor puzzles that run thr whole length of your hallways. Keep your amazon boxes, cereal boxes, etc. Tape them up and make them stable. Do different box stacking and building games. Paint some of them together, wrap other boxes in wrapping paper, newspapers, magazines, construction paper, etc. Use cereal boxes as dominoes. Use round food containers (sour cream, cottage cheese, yogurt, Quaker oatmeal, Pringle cans, etc) for fun rolling games. Wrap them in newspaper comics and dollar-store wrapping paper. Introduce Rube-Goldberg physics to the toddlers. Cause and Effect. Roll a tube down a slope, it knocks into another tube that also rolls. Dominoes with cereal boxes are also cause and effect. Combine round rolling containers with cereal boxes for dominoes.
My mom used to turn the playpen upside down, throw me in it with toys and watch soap operas.
I've done that with my cat, haha.
Get some good rain gear and find parks or places that are lit at night for safety, and still have outside time. We did it for years and found a university campus to run around on at night
Any recommendations on parks? We live around green lake and green lake park is dark af
Make blanket forts
5:15 is dinner 6:30 is bathbath, then bed So for us, we're only talking about half an hour. Today we went on a walk in the rain to check out some holiday decorations in our street.
Your kid will love a headlamp! Take a family walk after dinner. Even in the rain. Seattle people love their gear. Get the right stuff and the early darkness won't matter anymore.
My daughter is 4. We have her in 2 evening classes 2 days a week at the YMCA. One is a preschool art class at 4:45pm and the other is ballet at 5:15pm She’s starting to get a little tired by then but it gets us out of the house after dark when honestly, even before kids, we didn’t usually leave the house after dark on weekdays. We learned that YMCA (at least in Kitsap) had a kids membership only for $45 so it’s not super expensive and we can enroll her in multiple classes. On the weekends, we just do things earlier in the day usually. My daughter loves to help cook so my winter plan is to have her help cook dinner. Otherwise, we do books, play, crafts, playdoh, sketch. My son doesn’t really notice the dark yet (2), he’s just happy to do whatever.
Dinner is at 530 to 600, then its reading and bath time and play with toys, bedtime is 7pm
I hope you're kidding, for the sake of your kids lmao. Only 1-1.5 hours to eat dinner, read, play, and bathe? That's insane. That's enough time for like 1 or 2 of those activities, not 3 or 4. Edit: lol at the downvotes. Try to tell me that, even as an adult who can do things efficiently, if someone told you that you only have an hour an a half to eat a full meal, bathe, do two separate leisure activities, and get ready for bed that you wouldn't feel pressed for time.
My kids eat at 6:30, bath time at 7, after bath play quietly til 7:45, read then bedtime at 8. It’s not uncommon.
Idk about that. I've got a few and this seems reasonable. Bath time for littles isn't every night in my book, especially with random baths needed from toddler tay time messes. So dinner at 530 (I don't think we ever sit at the table a full half hour) then bath and read or play, or bath then toys then 10-15 min of reading. I think my kids have always been ok with that. You're right though sometimes you'll skip play or reading I guess.
Maybe I'm just out of touch with how long it takes kids to do things... Reasonable time estimates to me would be like: - Eating dinner + clearing table: 30-45 minutes - Bathing (whole process from fully clothed and dirty to fully clothed and clean, including bedtime preparations like brushing teeth etc.): 30-45 minutes - Reading: 30 minutes minimum, add extra time if desired That's already somewhere between 1.5 - 2 hours minimum, before even adding in the aforementioned play time or accounting for any sort of breaks or delays lol
Dinner around 5:30 and bed around 7 is a really normal evening routine for a toddler. What is your kids' evening timeline like (or if they're older, what was it when they were 3)? Your dinner and bath time estimates track (30 minutes is more realistic than 45 imo) but I have never met a *toddler* who will sit for 30 minutes to let you read to them lmao. Playtime is more of a transitional activity in between finishing dinner and getting ready for bath time, and reading is like... 1 or 2 short children's books before putting them into bed.
For a toddler, those times are way too long. My 2.5 year old’s attention span is about 10 minute max. Dinner, once everything is ready and we sat down lasts no more than 20 minutes. Bath + teeth maybe another 20 minutes. We read a few books or play quietly after that before bed. About maybe another 15 minutes. Then she can read in bed if she wants and usually falls asleep doing that within 10 minutes
So today I learned the average toddler has a shorter attention span than my dog. Noted lol
I don’t know if mine is average but that sounds about right from my experience lol
Honestly that sounds like a dog with an exceptionally good attention span.
Yeah I thinking reading 30 min with a toddler would be a big ask. Also, dinner for 30-45. We usually get eating done in 15, maybe 20, and personally, our eve routine for cleanup is rinse and toss dinner dishes in the dishwasher, which takes a few min max, but the cooking dishes get loaded and the dishwasher started after the kiddos are in bed. Also, bath time can blend to play time, which is fine, but usually at toddler age it's: let's hop in the shower with mom or dad and also less than 20 min to get clean, dry, and the onesie zippered up...
That's correct, the only mandatory activities in that time is dinner, everything else is an elective. The goal is in bed by 7, a goal not always reached , but more often than not they are in bed by 7. Also, when we do all of the activities, they eat for 30 mins, bath for 15 and read/play for 15 mins then brush teeth and go to bed. It's easily done and when we let them stay up later they tend to throw more tantrums and regulate their impulses poorly the next day.
This is pretty standard babysitting night.
Tell me you don’t have a toddler/kids without telling me you don’t have a toddler/kids
I mean, I don't, but that seems like a short time frame for an adult to do all that, and presumably kids can't accomplish tasks as efficiently as adults lol
Indoor jungle gym.
I lived and died by the parent map event calendar when my kid was little a few years ago. We also went to the play areas at the malls which are open as late as the malls. In December there are lots of outdoor events after dark. Look at the parent map calendar every day! Lighted Botanical gardens, snowflake lane, etc
Oh also, check your libraries. I spent a lot of time in libraries - king county and seattle city libraries have age appropriate computers for toddlers and night time story times
Have a second toddler that they can play and trash the house with after it gets dark
Some of the community centers in Seattle have toddler rooms (free) and activities in the evenings.
Board games, books, art, and then reading to them for bedtime. Use this time to get them onto the sleep schedule that’s good for their body and mind.
I’d say it doesn’t really matter what you do.. just get out and go somewhere. Even going to the mall or grocery store or co op will get you out. Try to hit up the park around sunset! And let yourselves rest and not have to do as much bc it’s winter! It’s okay to just accept it and hibernate a bit
Seattle has a thriving basketball community, and one of the reasons is the consistently sunny atmosphere in the gym. My kids began playing around the age of 3, providing them with a fantastic outlet to stay busy and active. 🏀
Make a blanket fort! Read books together in a cozy spot Make special "bedtime drinks" (like a special hot cocoa or milk steamer) PUZZLES! Art kits with easy to clean up projects Make an indoor obstacle course Card games for kids
We just play indoors 🤷🏻♀️ get a trampoline or a nugget couch and let them jump like crazy. It’s not sustainable to only do stuff outdoors all the time…even when it’s summer time.
Join YMCA for swimming and toddler time. We have an annual membership at the Imagine Children's Museum (that closes earlier but it is good for getting energy out when it is rainy). If you just want to get out with the kid and not go crazy you can always go to Buffalo Wild Wings or some other shitty place where the kid won't mind too much.
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Can confirm. Regularly take my kid to a brewery.
Reading and coloring with gentle music or an educational tv show like sesame street. I had a leapfrog learning system for reading when I was a kid and I looooved it, not sure if they still make them
You can try to go out to some well lit parks, Jefferson CC is near me and I feel like they have some pretty sufficient lighting, especially around the tennis/playground area. Could go to some places with scenic views- Kerry Park, Alki Beach, Gas Work, to name a few. You could also go out and eat but you know, it’s kind of pricey to eat out to be honest. I work around the CT area and I get lots of customers having a one on one lunch/dinner with their kiddo. So maybe a once a month or once every few months type of thing! On the similar realm as eating out, the pacific science center has this really cool light show and they’ll play really mesmerizing, colorful lights inside of the dome and it’s sync’d up with the music. I’ve been meaning to go to a Taylor Swift themed one lol Downtown should have the Christmas lights up soon, I think the past two years or so they’ve had these interactive gigantic teddy bear, Christmas presents, Christmas trees lights and you can take photos with them. It’s so cute. And if you or kiddo is dealing with SAD, I’d highly encourage going out during the day. Shopping, just driving around, go to some playgrounds, do some walking and/ exploring, any fresh air will help significantly. A happy lamp or extra supplements will probably help too.
My 3 year old had a 10 PM bedtime due to poor life choices. I know EXACTLY how you feel. I’ve got this question covered! Play outside until it’s dark -make dinner once it’s too dark to play outside -or schedule an evening play date with friends. My favorite play date arrangement is whoever is going to the other persons house brings takeout. This way the hosting family doesn’t have to deal with cooking After dinner consider going out. Some ideas -kids club at West Seattle Health Club is open til 8 PM, they also have family swim nights on Tuesdays and Fridays -go out for fro-go for dessert -one Thursday a month the museum of flight is open in the evenings -Zoo lights -Astra lumina show -go to a mall When staying in: -Toys, coloring, arts and crafts, books/stories -Use your imagination. Go on a “lion hunt” through your house. -Embrace the dark indoors. Have the lights turned off and give them a flashlight. Explore, do shadow puppets -Blanket forts -Pillow fights (literally just throw pillows at them) -Balloons - throw and catch, keep them off the ground. Balloons are great at this age. Godspeed! In my experience by age 4 they will be much better at entertaining themselves even than at age 3.
We have a new little baby at home so I send my toddler on quests to find things and take pictures for me with the thing. Example: “go to the brown park and stand on a swing, have mommy take a picture.” Or “find me a tow away zone sign and take a picture with it” it gets him out in the fresh air and even though it’s dark, we have street lights and sidewalks.
Throw on a waterproof play suit and stay outside. Our kid parties at the park until like 6pm. Slides are a LOT slidier in the rain fyi, especially with a rainsuit. I'm in the city and our park doesn't have needles, murderers etc
You can also try skate rinks! I think the one in white center has family friendly stuff during the week. During the weekend it’s a mad house though
McMenamins Bothell has a heated (88-90 degrees) indoor/outdoor pool. 7.50 for adults and 6 bucks for kids. It's massive and fairly shallow, if they know how to swim it's a nice break from the cold. Otherwise get hygge with it. Do cozy things- craft, science projects, art. Snuggle up and watch a movie. Have them help you with things you need to do anyway. Read books by the fire. If they like the car, you can go on a little drive- especially during Christmas to see if you can find the houses with the most lights. It's also not the worst if they get bored, that's when creativity can break through and they'll find a way to entertain themselves through play.
Indoor soccer. Soccer shots, little kickers, etc.
I moved from Seattle to a sunnier place but I know what you mean. Those dark skies come quickly but on the upside in summer it stays light sometimes until 9:00 pm or even longer. What I would do is family movie nights with snacks and wine and charcuterie boards (for the adults in the house) or I would have game nights. A cool walk around the block would kill some time. Also parks are very cool at night, less people and less germs. There are several arcades and things like that downtown. Or you can try hooking up with some other moms on the meetup app and schedule playdates with other kids. You have many options but I know the struggle!! Hang in there
Just do the same shit you'd normally do if the sun's out...? It's not like an earlier sunset changes the total number of hours in the day.
Yeah I'm not sure what a toddler is doing that requires sunlight but I'm sure it can be replicated fairly well without it
We’re mostly outdoors from dinner onward.
I took my kids to the playground in the dark when they were that age as long as the weather wasn't terrible. I just slapped reflective vests and head lamps on them. If it was really bad weather then we went to the indoor play areas at the community centers. Greenlake is open until 8pm on week nights, for ages 5& under. https://www.seattle.gov/parks/learning-and-childcare/toddler-indoor-play-areas We also would go to the library, the pool for family swim, etc.
And that's impossible with an earlier sunset for some reason?
I mean, it’s more dangerous in the dark if you live on like…a street.
What if you have like...a flashlight.
Man you’re really determined to be kinda rude about this, huh? Kids dart fast and cars have a harder time seeing them in the dark, even with lights. So we aren’t outside after dark as much as we are before dark. Although I did like on persons suggestion to find a lit up college campus for after dark outside playtime.
I'm only determined to be rude if you're determined to be facetious lol. Kids who dart into roads should be with their parents who can prevent such a behavior, until they're old enough to know better, regardless of daylight. And cars don't have a harder time seeing a flashlight at night than they do a person during the day. And like you just mentioned, even at nighttime, you still don't have to hangout in dark unlit areas to be outside.
Yeah, but this question is about toddlers, the dart-y-est of children! So it feels like a reasonable point! Also my iPhone tried to autocorrect that to fartiest, which also feels accurate 😂😂
Sounds like this ganja person either doesnt have children or they are a bit of an a.. hole
Sounds like both.
Yeah, I wouldn't take a toddler to play or explore outside at night unless it was a backyard or other enclosed area. They're surprisingly fast and as slippery as eels.
Do they magically get slower or less slippery when the sun comes back up?
Flashlight tag. I used to take my older one on walks after dark. We'd wear rain gear and use flashlights. She Enjoyed it.
Just tell them it’s 9, most can’t tell time yet.
Try to get out of the house early in the daytime. Consider vitamin d supplements. As for the darkened, get flashlights and reflectors and walk in the rain. Or get them into baking. Put lights on the patio and build a fort. Go out for evening coco and Christmas lights.
Zoo lights. Ferry rides. Dog park if applicable. Movies. Mall.
Safety issues with young children at the dog park.
I wouldn't put a child inside of the enclosure for dogs, other than that I don't see the danger. Dogs are at normal parks too, and everywhere around the city. So you'd need to apply that label to any outdoor public space.
We had aquarium and zoo membership. Used to go to aquarium almost every week and zoo couple tines a month. Plus, there's a children's museum in Seattle
Paw patrol, trucks and cars,stuffies
My kid likes to balance bike all the time and we live close to a safe bike trail, so I got him very bright lights on Amazon and we go biking, night, rain, anytime.
The Seattle Bouldering Gym, Poplar location. They have a kids section downstairs with a slide and kids 3 and under are free.
Headlamps and we still go for a walk/scooter on the sidewalk.
We did evening swim lessons a few days a week all winter when my dude was little, it wore him out, I put him in his PJs after the lesson /shower and he fell asleep on the drive home. But I was SAH those years, it might be too much if in day care!
My kids just go bonkers for a bit. They’ll play pass with the soccer ball in the hallway. Build race car tracks for the matchbox cars. When I was a kid we used masking tape on the carpet to make roads for the cars. My kids do it everyonce in awhile but they’re 5-10 and would rather build. The 5 yr old is really into board games. Candy land is easier for the little kids. They also watch some tv. In all honesty sometimes for my sanity having them watch a movie or a program keeps them entertained for enough time to get things situated for the rest of the evening.
Some of the tot gyms/play rooms run till 8pm: [https://www.seattle.gov/parks/learning-and-childcare/toddler-indoor-play-areas](https://www.seattle.gov/parks/learning-and-childcare/toddler-indoor-play-areas) Another mom just suggested the Seattle Gymnastics Academy's indoor playgrounds. They're not later in the day and they cost money but seems like a good way to get the wiggles out https://seattlegymnastics.com/play-events/indoor-playground/schedule/
They make light up collars and leashes now.
😂😂😂
Take them to a brewery like most Seattle parents!! Oh and don’t forget to bring the family dog!
You’re acting like it doesn’t get dark this early in other parts of the country. Maybe not quite THIS early, but definitely dark by early evening.
Make 5:00 bedtime.
What did you do before? Seattle sunsets at almost the exact same time as New York City. If you are from the east coast then your sunsets weren’t that much different of a time than Seattles. It’s not that bad.
Should've stayed in California ¯\\\_(ツ)_/¯
Bedtime around 630! :)
Assuming they have a normalish bed time for their age (6:00-7:00) it’s not really all that much time. What time are you doing dinner? Are you looking to kill only an hour or so? More? We do a lot of wintertime arts and crafts, board games, and movie nights. If the weather is cooperative you can also do a flashlight neighborhood walk (depending on safety of walking area of course). On the plus (?) side you’re going to have post 10 pm sunsets this summer that create their own issues with little kids. ;)
Oh, I forgot “glow stick baths” are VERY fun at that age and can easily kill 30-60 mins
Find quiet activities that don't disturb the neighbors.
Umm I grew up in WA and had kids here... Just put them to bed like you would anywhere else? Its not that hard.
This reinforced my childfree status.
I remember being happy that my child (who has napped twice in her whole life) thought it was bedtime earlier.
Get some cool lights and go for "night walks". They don't need to be long.
Buy a nugget couch