The best hiding spots

Every Stay At Home (Working) Mom struggles with the juggle. We sacrifice enough time and energy for the goodness of bonding with our minis. The trade off, we moms are so grateful to never miss a moment with mini. On days when I am exceptionally busy, Nyaeli and I play games that keep her preoccupied and allow me to complete tasks.

Before I get in to the best hiding spots, here's a list of games/activities that keep my toddler busy indoors:

1. Create an art gallery of mini's creations
2. Bath time with floating friends and bubbles
3. Cooking with mama
4. Fluffy friend Dance party
5. Couch bounce with lava floor
6. Hide + Seek fluffy friends
7. Detective (kid's name) solves the case of the missing (item)

Hide + Seek fluffy friends can be played 2 ways

The 1st way is more like a memory game. Place 5 or more friends in separate tall bags. Show mini what is inside each bag, then shuffle them. Have mini guess where her fluffy friends are.

2nd way we play is by mama hiding friends around the house and mini finding each friend. It takes about 20 seconds to set up for (at the very least) 20 minutes of preoccupied mini. The detective game is very similar except take photos of the "missing" friends and show to your detective before the search begins. Your mini can ask questions to gather clues that may help find friends hidden in tough places.

On sunny days, I move my work outdoors so that Nyaeli can play safely. Here are 6 outdoor games/activities that keep my toddler busy:

1. Hide + Seek
2. Swimming in the pool
3. Wash play dishes
4. Paint rocks
5. Ride bike or scooter
6. Dodge ball

Dodgeball with a toddler? Seriously? 

Yes! My husband and I recently watched Ben Stiller's gut busting movie Dodgeball and we created a toddler friendly version. Teach your toddler coordination by dodging the ball. Watch as your mini will run and retrieve the ball for you. Once you have all the balls, try to tag your kid with the ball. Keep score if you want but the best part of this game is that it tires kids out. Cheer your mini on as they tire those little legs out. Mom and Dad participate without moving from your lounge chairs. Whew!

So, what are the best hiding spots?

Indoors or outdoors, Hide + Seek is a versatile game. I once saw a brother and sister playing a modified version of this game in Whole Foods. Depending where your game is held, the best hiding spots vary but here are the best hiding spots a toddler wont expect to find you:

1. a bathroom shower with the curtain closed
2. your closet, behind rack of clothes
3. inside pantry with the door open
4. under the bed with the bedskirt covering you
5. under bed linens with lots of fluffy friends around to distract
6. laundry room behind laundry baskets
7. under mounds of laundry
8. behind the couch
9. outside your front door

Share your best hiding spots in the comments below