What to do in hot weather with pre schooler

[sodtheexpense]

Any tips? Will have Wed, Thurs and Fri off with my preschooler. Usually use one of those days for housework and food shop. What else can we do to keep cool but occupied? Any ideas welcome.

Have you got a little paddling pool you can set up?

I have an old shower curtain set up today with some water in tubs, spoons, ice cubes etc. should keep DD busy for a bit. Baths are good idea too, just stick them in with some bubbles and toys to keep them cool if it gets too hot. I'm not sure how old your preschooler is but home made play dough that they can help make was a big hit with eldest DD.

You haven't mentioned whether you have a garden or if you live in a city/rural etc.

Can you take them to a swimming pool?

This ^^ spend the days in the shade in the paddling pool

Can you go swimming? Or play in garden with a paddling pool or just a bucket of cold water? Or maybe go somewhere with a/c…. Cinema?

go to a free splash park
make homemade ice lollies
cool bath time
paddling pool
bucket/washing up bowl on the lawn
water pistol (mine loved squirting me!)
Go anywhere with air conditioning and browse

Lots of water play! Even a bucket of water int eh shade to splash about with. Freeze some plastic toy animals into water and let them play around getting them out/ melting the ice

If you don't want a full paddling pool I filled up the tuff tray or plastic storage box with water and boats/potion bottles/bubbles. My two both also loved drawing in the shade garden chalks and a water pistol to wash them off with.

My ds is a huge fan of a bucket of water and a paint brush. Yesterday he painted the fence, the slide, the shed and the patio.

Great if the OP has a garden.

Not so great on the lounge floor 😁

Assuming you have access to an outside space, find an empty ice cream container (or tupperware, or any sort of shallow plastic box). Fill it with a couple of inches of water and put it in the freezer. When it has started to go solid, put a layer of small plastic toys/play animals/wrapped sweets (if allowed) and top up the water. Repeat as necessary. When fully frozen, give the child a (non-lethal) hammer - wooden meat tenderiser or rolling pin works - and let them bash their way through the block of ice to find the frozen treasure inside. You could add in a guessing game of what will be there/what will be the next thing to "find".

Doesn't take up hours, but as least as much time as the MN favourite of "puddle-jumping", and requires far less clothing!

Sorry she is 3 and yes we have a garden but I find that when it’s very hot even that gets too much after a while. I was thinking of getting a click and collect but in hindsight it might give us some respite from the sun to wander down the freezer aisle for a bit! We have a very bog standard paddling pool and I could take her to a splash park too I suppose. I struggle with the heat and don’t like being out in it for hours on end, she suffers with eczema too which is always exacerbated by hot weather and sun cream.

Could do indoor activities like swimming, cinema, softplay, trampolining if her skin struggles with the heat. At least you’ll have aircon in those places!