Sure fire (and free) ways to wear out a toddler?!

[Galaxygirl93]

My little boy (20 months) is at nursery Mon-Wed and on those days seems to go down for a nap between 12 and 1, and sleep for 60-90 mins which is perfect, as he is then tired at 7-8 ish to fall asleep.

However, on days when he is not at nursery I struggle to get him to nap between 12 and 1 - he simply isnt tired! I can only think he is more worn out at nursery, so tired sooner.

Aside from taking him to a soft play/swimming in the morning which I do try to do each week, what other activities can I do to wear him out.

-Preferably cheap/free please, nursery bills are expensive :)

Park, walk around a lake/feeding ducks, put the radio on and dance like crazy with him, jumping on the bed, find a good hill to run/roll down, get some hoops for the garden and challenge him to jump into them, walking to post box/local shop 😊

I take my kids to the park. We run around, play football, play tennis always exhausts them.

But nursery will also be a lot more mentally stimulating and he will be witnessing other children going to sleep so is more likely to do the same. What happens if he skips the nap some days? If he is happy I just wouldn't bother and do a 5pm bedtime. My son started dropping his nap occasionally at that age so I would put him to bed at 5 and he would be up the next day a bit earlier say 5-5:30 and then he would deffo need a nap that day!

I put my toddler in the bath with a bunch of bath toys, some shaving foam to smear, some bath crayons, bubbles, etc. Until he looks like a prune. Usually does the trick.

Lots of time outside, whatever the weather. Park, woods, riding balance bike etc in the street.

Fresh air + exercise is the key here!

I know it sounds silly to ask, but there are some really good suggestions here that I hadnt thought of - thanks all!

Puddle jumping is an activity, Bike riding, play in the garden , messy play . Do you have a play group near you . These are usually quite cheap and give them chance to run around. Walk to the shops even if it is to pick a filling for sandwich. Draw a card / picture take it to post box .bubble / chalks in garden .leaf jumping is also a fab one at this time of the year.

Also make sure they are mentally tired so craft/ jigsaws / building blocks .

Park is your best bet. My 21 month old can run and walk for a few hours

It does depend a bit on where you live. If your near the woods, then climbing trees and running in the woods, if you live near the coast then sea air can make them sleepy, if you're in the middle of the city with lots of parks then the park, or near a meadow or field or recreation grounds the running around there, but basically fresh air and exercise is the best thing. If you have a garden that's the ideal, just get a climbing frame and/or Wendy house and let your toddler crack on.

Conker picking this week! Free, fun and the fresh air should tire him out

Best thing at that age is being outside, in an enclosed space. Tennis courts are great, especially if you take a ball too, or a balance bike. They can go crazy and you can rest because they can't escape