How to entertain a 2-year-old

I took the day off on Friday to take care of Pea.  Our regular care providers, my in-laws, are away on vacation and I had the good fortune of getting the first shift on Pea watch. 

I was, for weeks, very much looking forward to this day.  It was the first day in a long time that Pea and I got to spend alone together and I was determined to make it awesome for her, and for me. 

In the morning, Pea and I had breakfast together.  I made “Friggin Amazing Scrambled Eggs and Hash Browns.”  What makes them friggin amazing, you ask?  Love.  And the toaster oven we recently re-discovered from our pantry.  It was delicious. 

After breakfast, we hit the library.  Not ‘hit’ as in ‘robbed the place.’  Just ‘hit’ as in ‘went there to play.’ 

The library near our house has a pretty nice play area for kids and I knew there would be other kids there for Pea to play with.  In addition to having an awesome day together, I also wanted to give Pea the chance to play with a few kids her own age.

At the library, there were a few other kids Pea’s age playing with their moms. 

These moms were awesome.  They instantly engaged Pea in their playtime and made us feel welcome.  I was flattered, but Pea more or less played on her own.  Maybe she found the attempt to engage her a bit too overwhelming.  Maybe she just wanted to ride the cool rocking horse on her own. 

After the library, we had lunch and a nap. 

Then, I took Pea to an indoor play land.  I thought for sure there would be lots of kids for her to play with, and if there was a chance I could slide down a few twisty slides as well, all the better. 

When we arrived at “Kidtopia,” my heart sunk and I instantly feared I would have to break my daughter’s heart also. 

As we approached Kidtopia, Pea was ecstatic.  She kept peeking in the window and gesturing to all the cool toys inside.  As I kept peeking in the window, one thing struck me… this place looks really empty… like “Closed” empty.

I looked around the plaza for a back-up plan… maybe Pea likes chicken wings… no… is she too young for the spa?… probably… do we want to go workout at a gym… yeah, a little too dangerous…

Thankfully, when we got to the front door, Kidtopia was indeed open.  I walked in and realized that Pea and I were going to have the whole place to ourselves… literally.  There was NO ONE else there, except for the two bored teenagers who worked there. 

Sure, this didn’t seem like it would be the interactive experience I had hoped for… but it certainly was my chance to act like a kid without the judgy gaze of other parents upon me!  So we took off our shoes and headed straight to the giant play structure.  We climbed the soft stairs, got knocked over by the giant balls, slid down the twisty slides and laughed our butts off. 

After about 30 minutes, a nanny and her ward – a 4-year-old girl – showed up and made their way around the building.  They played a few games and eventually stopped for a snack.  I thouht nothing of it, but did decide to curtail my girlish giggles somewhat. 

Then, as Pea and I were playing in a large plastic tree, the little girl approached and basically barged into our fun.  She spoke to Pea as if she understood everything, and I think Pea appreciated this very much. 

Pea then followed this little girl around for a good 20 minutes, and asked her all kids of questions about the toys around her.  They shared toys, slid down slides and generally had lots of fun together.  Pea was out of her shell, and it was the side of her I had wanted to see all day.  It made me happy.

After an hour and a half at Kidtopia, Pea and I headed home to meet up with my wife for dinner.  She had “Wicked Rotini and Veggies” for dinner, and slept the hearty sleep of a satisfied little girl. 

And I did too.  Being a SAHD sure is tiring.

Here’s where I need your help – I have Monday off too!  So to all the moms out there, let me know what you recommend a Dad and his 2 year old can do for fun!  Pea and I are all ears.