Looking for Activities for 2-Year-old

My son loves to play "marching band". We have a few instruments (the drum is the fave) and he will march around the house. Sometimes I'm in the band and sometimes I'm "watching the parade". He loves it when I clap & cheer wildly. The baby would probably like to watch it too!

Other things:

bowling (you can collect a bunch of toilet paper tubes for bowling pins so you don't have to buy anything)

red light/green light (add other lights that mean other things like blue for backwards, orange for jumping, etc.)

dance party (turn on the music and dance with stuffed animals)

hide & seek (he hides and then pops out to find me--he doesn't really get how it works just yet! but he has fun)

Start her with kid scissors. I just have him get paper out of the recycle bin and he starts making little cuts. At first I had to hold it for him but now he can do it himself. You can also get a box of scraps, feathers, etc. and do some gluing

Here's a cool website: http://kidscraftweekly.com/

How does she feel about gluing on sparkles and painting. I know there messier but it might be good. You could also put together a bean bin, a plastic tub full of beans with a few cups or something. You might also try some safety scissors and a box of stuff she can cut up.

I am so proud of you! ( I'm a 63 year old mom/grandmom - and helping to raise a 9 and a 3 whose Mom is exactly like you- so I know how hard and how wonderful you task is -)

Ideas - separate her day into hour '''bits'' and have something different every hour or so --- that sounds tougher than it is
8am - help Mom clean up for school time ( she can have a rag and an sponge and wipe the kitchen -
9am school time - time for construction paper and chalk ( even stomped into carpet chalk can be cleaned out -) - you can also paint a part of a door - or a piece of board or even CARDBOARD - with '''blackboard paint''' so she has a great big chalkboard to draw on

10 am snack time for her - and she can make little plastic bowls with snack or cereal or raisins - for you and the 9 year old and herself - she'll love it -

11 am outside time for her - she can ''paint'' with water and an old paint brush on cement - kids love it -

12 noon- lunch
1 rest
2 more outside time

see what I mean- you can evenmake a little schedule with one '''hour'' marked with a question mark for a surprise

Blessings
you are doing a fantastic job- I cna tell

J.
aka- Old Mom

Start having her help you with things. Getting you things, helping with the siblings. Holding the baby. Be creative as to what she can help with. She can be a great older sister for the little one. She will love to help and it will take a load off you as well.

Hi R.,
Have you looked into Gymboree classes? They have so many ideas on things to do at different stages of development. Check out www.gymboreeclasses.com.

I found a great book (used) on Amazon, called "Unplugged Play". It's got great activities for about one year old and up, and most of them do not require expensive supplies. Babycenter.com also has suggestions on their website.