My baby girl just turned 10 months old! Where has the time gone? She has been outside of my belly for as long as she was in there, and this is crazy to me. The saying that the days are long but the years are short is proving itself true to me.
The one thing that I have noticed the most over last couple months is how busy Millie is. I can constantly see her brain working and her trying to understand the world around her. She loves crawling, being outside and reading books, but she is in constant motion and wants to look at, touch and put everything in her mouth.
This means that I must be on alert all the time. To keep her stimulated and engaged this summer I put a short list together of fun, easy and free activities that help keep busy Millie occupied!
The Park
Playing outside with your child is not only good for them but good for you! It gives both baby and mama some fresh air and sunshine and gets everyone out of the house. One of my all-time favorite things to do with Millie is to go to the park, and this can mean a few things! Whether that means strapping her into the stroller or wagon and going out for a walk around the park. Or bringing a picnic and a quilt and laying under a tree for a few hours. Or going to the playground to swing and run around. These activities will offer your kiddo a fun experience and get them outside enjoying summer time and sunshine!
The Public Library
Free activities are sometimes the best activities. Although Millie cannot read on her own yet, I can already see a love for reading growing within her. From the day she was born, and even while she was in my tummy, Alex and I have tried to be intentional with making books an important part of her life.
Reading to your baby not only promotes listening skills and develops their vocabulary but it also lengthens their attention span and memory! And guess what? You don’t need a library of books at home to grow your child’s love of reading. The public library is not only a great place to rent books for free, but it’s a great place to take your child.
There are story time readings and puppet shows scheduled throughout the week that are a blast to take your kids to. Plus, renting books allows you to save money on books your kid may shortly outgrow anyway. If you haven’t tried your public library, you’re missing out!
Hit the Trails
Hiking isn’t for everyone, and I can appreciate that, but for our family it’s something we love to do. Yet again, its free and gets everyone out the house and into nature, which is a blast and honestly vital for mamas’ sanity. When Millie was a tiny baby I would strap her in the Ergo with bucket hat on and hit the trails for an hour or so. At that point, the hike was more for me to get some fresh air, but now that Millie is older, she loves to go on hikes too.
These days I strap her into a backpack and she’s good for go for a while. We stop and look at rocks and critters and flowers. I love being out in nature with Millie because it allows her to see and smell new things and hopefully build an appreciation for our beautiful creation. I understand that not everyone can go out and buy a backpack or Ergo for hikes, so this where you may need to get creative!
A few ideas I came across for this are: go to a local outdoor store and see if you can rent a backpack or ask a friend if you can borrow theirs. Either way, get outside and hit the trails with what is available to you but don’t forget to bring plenty of water!
The Farmers Market
'Tis the season for home grown produce, fresh flowers and homemade soaps and lotions. I love the farmers market! It’s such a fun way to see your community and meet people you may not have otherwise run into. The farmers market is also a great place to take your kids. Not only is there good people watching, but it gets everyone outside and its free! If you haven’t gone to your local farmers market, I highly recommend it. Strap on comfy walking shoes, pack some snacks and plenty of water and hit the streets for a fun experience for everyone!
Trying to come up with ideas to keep you and your babies busy during the summer can be hard, especially if you don't want to spend money. I want to encourage you to try one if not all these activities if you are looking for something fun, easy and free to do with your kids!
Happy summertime mamas!
Abby is a Mom and an amazing team member of Baja Baby. She lives in Colorado with her husband Alex, their beautiful daughter Amelia Grace, baby boy Amos Lee and Maple the dog. You can find Abby on Instagram by clicking here.
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