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3 smiling young children playing with bubbles.

Hello, parents! This week, I have examples of some of my favorite summertime toys to keep our kiddos engaged and entertained during those hot summer months. 

First, a disclosure: You may already be aware, but I am not a sales person! You will not find a link to an Amazon storefront at the end of this page, I promise. No “affiliate links” here.

Easy, Fun Ideas

I just focus on activities and snacks that we parents can attempt to throw together quickly and as easily as possible. However, sometimes a really good toy can be educational, engaging and even just entertaining long enough for us to get some task done or relax for a little bit.

Since not all parents have access to the same space and resources, and age of the child also makes a difference, these suggestions cover a broad spectrum. My goal is to make my suggestions helpful for as many families as possible. Let’s do it! 

Chase the Bubbles!

My first suggestion is one you can use in a backyard/courtyard or take to the park with you and sit in the shade. A bubble machine! This one is also great because all ages love a bubble machine. So, you’ll get years of use out of it. 

If my son could have me outside pouring bubbles into his bubble machine all day long, he would. He wants to run through them, chase them, and attempt to pop as many as possible. It’s great for filling some time and getting some energy out of our little ones. 

Really little ones (0-2) love the bubbles too! Want to skip the purchase for your tiny baby? Fill a bowl or sensory container with water and dish soap. You can let your little one splash around. 

Thirsty Park Plants

Another water-involved suggestion: A watering can! Wait, wait. I know you’re going to say that you need a garden to get your kiddo involved in watering the plants. However, a watering can at the park can make for a super fun day.

Your kiddo can run around and water all the park’s plants. Feel the texture of the leaves. Does this plant feel dry to you? What color are the leaves? Brown or green? This can be a great activity for parents to prompt young kiddos on colors, textures, and other words/phrases you may be working on. 

Parents, if your park doesn’t have water fountains, you may want to fill up a big water bottle to take along for this activity. Wanting to sit back for this one and your kiddos are in the older half of our age range? Find a place with lots of plants, bushes, and flowers around. Spread your blanket there and keep the water bottle close by for the watering can refills. 

Detour to Fun!

This last suggestion may sound wimpy to you. But trust me… this purchase will be used until your kiddo is a preteen, maybe even beyond! We’re talking traffic cones.

 I know you think I’m crazy, but traffic cones might become your child’s favorite summertime toy. For the kiddos ages 3-5, you can set up all sorts of obstacle courses, relay games, and more! For example, you could set up the cones and see who can throw a ball or beanbag the closest. You could play Red Light Green Light’ and use the cones to show the start line to the finish line. Honestly, the options are endless. 

I hope you found this to be inspiring. I’d love to hear what your favorite summertime toys are. I’d love some ideas to try out with my own little gremlin. Til next time! 

Sophie Hamel is a freelance writer and works as a crisis responder. Her son is three years old.

Luminous removes the hassle of arranging for tuition vouchers and helps make childcare affordable. Vouchers can help ease your financial stress. Learn more about qualifying for HRA and ACS vouchers at our Bronx and Brooklyn centers. Payment can also be made by SEIU/1199 Child Care, check, credit card, and through the Luminous reimbursement program. Contact Luminous Early Childhood Learning Center at enrollment@luminouschildcare.org or call us at 929.228.1180.

Happy little African American boy in a pumpkin patch in autumn,

Hi, parents, and happy October! I’m so happy to celebrate my favorite season of the year. It's that time of year for fall fun with little ones. Here are some autumn- and Halloween-themed suggestions to keep your little one entertained.

As always, we are keeping these as simple as can be. Let’s get started! 

Squishy Fun

First is an activity that is great for our really tiny humans. If you plan to carve pumpkins, don’t throw away the guts of the pumpkin.

Instead, toss them in a gallon zip lock bag to create a super simple and squishy sensory activity for those 12-24-month-olds.

This way they are still involved in the pumpkin carving, but in a safe way. And this allows us parents to really focus on our own pumpkins, am I right? 

Pumpkin Washing

Another idea for our little littles is a pumpkin washing station. To keep it really simple, go for smaller pumpkins. You’ll need to grab a container, fill it with warm soapy water, and make sure there you’re set up in an area that is protected from the splashing or is OK to get wet.

Our three- and four-year-olds can really get involved in the activity by washing everyone’s pumpkins before the carving begins! 

With larger pumpkins, skip placing them in water. Instead, just give your little one a couple of washcloths and some warm soapy water. This way they can wipe down all the pumpkins, and get them nice and clean for carving. But you don’t have to find a giant tote to fill with water either. 

Sensory Bin

Another easy peasy sensory activity for our littles ones is a fall-themed sensory bin.

You could use multicolored dry pasta, pinecones, smooth acorns, or even some leaves. There is basically no mess when it comes to this activity since everything is pretty large and we parents love to hear that.

Give this one a try and let me know how it goes and how long your kiddo stayed engaged in the activity. 

Hunting for Decorations

This next one, I just did with my kiddo over the past weekend, and we had such a good time. I realized, I didn’t have any Autumn or Halloween decorations for our house! As such a huge fan of this time of year, that did not sit right with me. Lack of storage space keeps me from holding onto a lot of decorations, other than those we have for Christamas. 

So, I asked my kiddo if he wanted to go to the thrift store to pick out some decorations. Surprise, surprise, his response was “NOW?” It just so happened we had a few free hours before I had to go to work. So, I said “Sure!” and we were off. 

We headed over to our local Goodwill. I really tried to let him pick out the things he thought would be cute for our little home. He found some pumpkin string lights (LOVE), tealight candle holders (one black cat, a pumpkin, and a little ghost), a wooden pumpkin door hanger, and the cutest little stuffed pumpkin with a black top hat and black and white striped arms and legs. They are absolutely perfect.

Extra tip: Bring something to donate to the thrift store. Most thrift stores offer a coupon for making a donation. So not only was everything pretty cheap in the first place, we also got 20% off! We spent a total of only $10. And we had a great time doing it. 

But, the fun didn’t stop there. We still get to go home and decorate with our super fun finds. 

There you have it, friends! Easy peasy autumn activities to incorporate when you’ve got the time.

I hope they are just as much fun for you as they were for me. Let me know how it goes!

Sophie Hamel is a freelance writer and works as a crisis responder. Her son is a 3½-year-old preschooler.



Luminous removes the hassle of arranging for tuition vouchers and helps make childcare affordable. Vouchers can help ease your financial stress. Learn more about qualifying for HRA and ACS vouchers at our Bronx and Brooklyn centers. Payment can also be made by SEIU/1199 Child Care, check, credit card, and through the Luminous reimbursement program. Contact Luminous Early Childhood Learning Center at enrollment@luminouschildcare.orgor call us at 929.228.1180.