In Summer! Activities for Twins
Ah Summer! Bar-b-ques, a slower pace of life, late nights dining al fresco; what a life! But then twins enter the mix. Suddenly, the lazy days of summer become crazy and chaotic as you adjust to the wonderful insanity of having two tiny tyrants. So what can you do with your dynamic duo to enjoy your new summer pace without losing your ever loving mind? Don’t worry, we have you covered (and we are not going to suggest you take them to the pool by yourself to play the game let’s not die – it can be done but that’s a story for another day).
Lucky for you, your twins have a built in playmate and you can capitalize on that. Sure it’s fun to have lots of friends around, but it’s a beautiful thing when the pressure is off of you and your twins can play with each other. Twins for the win! Here are some suggestions for our fave summertime activities for your little lovelies.
Water Babies
Water is probably the best place to start this time of year. Who hasn’t met a toddler whose favorite pastime isn’t let’s break into the bathroom and turn on the sink? There is something mesmerizing about the touch and feel of water, and kids can’t get enough. Short of taking them to the pool, which can be quite an endeavor until you hit your stride, there are lots of options for your little chickadees to beat the heat. Check your local area for splash pads if you want to get out of the house. You may even find some gated ones which is helpful if you have twinzies on the move. Bonus tip – if you buy matching bright sun hats, you’ll have an easier time keeping track of them as they scoot around.
And if you don’t have it in you to leave your pad, you can make your own splash pad. There are tons of amazing sprinkler toys and kiddie pools to be had. You can even do something as simple as filling a small plastic bin with water and adding some toys to it so they can enjoy splashing on your back porch. If you are feeling like a real rebel, you can add some sand play to the mix. A kinetic sand tray can be a good option that is slightly less messy than the real deal. Add some bubbles and they may never come inside.
Brown Bear Brown Bear
Water play aside, there is nothing more delightful to fresh toddler eyes exploring their world than animals. Petting farms and zoos are where it is at for the two under two crowd. Consider a seasonal pass so that you can head over on a whim and not sweat the preplanning. Get out early in the day so you can enjoy your time before the animals and your twins are ready for a midday snooze. Babywear those munchkins so they can snuggle up close as they enjoy watching the monkeys frolic in the trees. If the heat is getting you down, pack a small spritzing bottle of water to spritz on the twins. They’ll be napping hard the minute you head home from your animal adventure.
Sidewalk Chalk
Depending on the age of your kids, sidewalk chalk may be your best friend. Some kids like to try to eat all of the crayons or chalk at a young age, so you’ll need to gauge where they are at. Luckily, the chalk/crayon people are pretty smart and make non-toxic washable products. Your peanut-sized Picassos could probably spend all afternoon exploring and creating with chalk!
Popup Tents
What better way to beat the heat outside than to stay in the shade. And who doesn’t love a good fort or tent? You can easily capitalize on this by setting up a tent in the yard with some toys and books. Ikea has a great shade tent that you can pick up for $20. And these books will survive even the toughest toddler environment! Whether at the beach or in your own yard, the kids will go nuts in their “fort.”
Trampoline Time
Finally, if you are looking for low maintenance play and are willing to invest, a backyard trampoline may be for you. One of our TwinGo mamas told us that she had an 8-foot trampoline with netting around it that she had purchased for her 4 year old. When big sister wasn’t busy jumping, she would bring her 1 year old twins out there with some soft balls and they would have a blast bouncing and crawling around. “When they are all zipped in, it’s like a giant pack n’ play that no one is trying to escape from.” Genius!
As you can see, there are so many ways to enjoy the warm weather and explore the great outdoors. Now to figure out where we can acquire those rose popsicles every keeps talking about…
