WFMW: Water Fun at Grandma's House

Themed Works-For-Me Wednesday: The Mom-I'm-Bored Edition, brought to you by Shannon at Rocks In My Dryer. Make sure you head on over to check out other great Summer Activity tips!

Fortunately, my child can't say "mom, I'm bored" yet ... although, he can throw a mean temper tantrum and let out a few howls of discontent. And, I don't know about you, but I have a very high-energy twenty month old. His attention span is smaller than a gnats, and not in a bad way ... but in an "I'm a super-active-toddler-bent-on-exhausting-my-parents" way. And, that's okay when he's at home, because we can usually find enough stuff to keep him occupied and entertained.

But ... when he goes to grandma and grandpa's house, that's a totally different story, because they are not equipped with a gazillion toys, slides, baby pools, etc. So, one thing I found useful at capturing my child's attention for hours on end (and mind you, this is really just for toddlers) is a medium- to large-sized storage bin, a huge bowl, some tear-free bubble bath, and a handful of non-destructive kitchen stuff (ladles, plastic cups, Tupperware bowls, etc.)

I fill the storage bin with clear water, and I fill the huge bowl with bubble bath and water. He can literally spend hours playing with the water, scooping it, sloshing it, spilling it, blowing it, splashing it, sitting in it, and wrinkling up in it.

So, that's my tip for today ... when your child runs out of stuff to do at grandma and grandpa's, and they don't have a baby pool, grab a few bins and fill them up with water. It's cheap and fun. DON'T FORGET THE SUNSCREEN AND HAT!!!

As you can see by the pictures below, it TOTALLY works for me!

Oh yeah ... one more thing ... He also likes to play with the hose and spray nozzle, which works for me too, because he likes to water my plants for me. Every.single.evening!

Water Safety: Never, ever leave your child unattended while around any water ... never take your eyes off your child or turn your back on them, not even for one second, and don't depend on flotation devices as a substitute for supervision. One of the biggest dangers is water -- a child can drown in as little as three inches of water, and after 3-5 minutes of submersion, a child can face irreversible brain damage or death. Be sure that you are aware of all buckets, basins, tubs, bins, bowls, or other kinds of containers in your yard. They can hold water in them, and a child can easily topple into these items. Even a puddle can be a danger. Finally, learn CPR.