Activities for Active 20 Month Old

I don't know where you are but the Columbia Association in Columbia MD has some great activities for kids starting with infants (swimming, etc.) and there are some classes for 2 and up. Also the science museum at Baltimore's inner harbor is awesome. It's expensive for a daily admission (for the parents, kids under 3 are free) but if you go and like it consider an annual membership. It costs less than membership at PlayWise and my daughter and I both liked it SO much better.

Some gymnastics club offer "mom and tot" class from 18mo. old.
Swimming is also good option.

Buy little trampoline for exercise is good, too. They are
about 4'long and 6"high. My kids liked it.

most parks and rec will offer gymnastics at that age. Also swim lessons, if you can get into the water with her. The younger child can also do swimming at 6 weeks! It was great fun for my daughter. You dont really need her involved in a "team sport" at this age. Just let her run free at the park, or a big feild with a ball from home! This will make for great sleep!

My husband took our 14 month old to Playwise, www.playwisekids.com in Columbia and he said it was a wonderful experience. They have plenty for young children to do and it's a great way to expel their energy. I would suggest taking a look at the web-site and seeing if it's something your child would also be interested in. If I'm not mistaken, the prices are very reasonable too. I was in class the first time they went, but I plan on going with them this weekend or next.

A little about me:
I am the proud mom a very handsome and very active 14 month old boy.

You might want to try a gymnastics/tumbling class. It worked for me and my then 23 month old. I was also able to take my infant along (she sat in her seat on the sidelines). The class was open to 18 mos to 3 year olds. It was a fun and structured way to entertain and tire out my daughter and I got adult conversation at the same time!

I highly recomment Gerstung. It's a gymnastics place on Falls Rd. You will have to go around with her, but it is so much fun. We took our son there when he was 17 months old. I think it's about $275 for 16 weeks. My son loved it!!

If you live near Potomac Mills in Woodbridge, VA, there is a place called Kids in Motion. Its near the BJs on Prince William Parkway. Here is a link to thier website.
http://www.kidsnmotion.biz

My dd is about your dds age. We like to run races (she gets down in the ready position, i.e. squatting, I say get on your mark get set GO and she runsssss around the house and comes back to me ready to go again. Also she likes to throw, kick and try to catch balls and ride her "bike". Dancing is great fun too. Just put on any music with a good beat (disco, 80s anything) she spins and jumps and wiggles. She likes to dance.

It'll be nice the next few days. Put the baby in a sling and go to the park!

Have you considered swim lessons? I'm not sure the age limit but that would be a fun activity. I know AquaCare Rehabilitation has swim lessons and they have Aquatots once a week where parents take their kids (3 months to 3 years) in a group play time.

there is also a music togther class you can join and it woull.d be fun for the both of you. Get up and move and dance. We just took our first one and i have to say it satisfied my active 18 month old son. Plus your new baby is welcome too!!

We do GYmboree and they have classes for newborn to age five. My kids love it. There is one in Chesapeake/Portsmouth and one in Va beach. Just go to Gynboreeplayandmusic.com to find a class

Mother Child swim lessons are perfect for wearing out your almost two year old. Check out the YMCA. They offer classes to both members and non-members. If you are a military family they offer classes as well.

Take her to My Gym - I have a VERY energetic 22 month old and the My Gym classes wear him out! Also, Hadley Park on Falls Road is a wonderfuil/safe playground where the kids go wild! Good luck and let me know if you get any other ideas! J. C.

If you are near Fredericksburg, try the Fredericksburg Fieldhouse They have a toddlers soccer program called SoccerTots for two year olds that my son loved when he was two and still does now at three. It is a national program so youmight be find something in your area as well. We also have a few YOGA KIDS DVDs from Giam that are awesome, I try to do it with him and he thinks it is soooo funny!

My boys (7&3) both have tons of energy so we make everything into a game, we set out laundry baskets and shoot sorted socks, toy clean up races, and leaf raking relays. I'm usually more pooped than they are but it helps them expend lots of energy.

Do you have a VCR or DVD player? My kids loved to dance when they were that little. Also , I used to put a dance exercise video in and my little one would 'copy' everything I did. I found out I could put anything with music in it and it would occupy their time. Now adays they have children musical videos or DVD's . Kids love to sing and dance and it is a form of exercise for them too.

Trish G.

the rec centers have mommy and me classes. or take her to the mall play area to burn off some energy. you ould even tae her swimming at a nearby rec enter that alwas tires a person out.

Try your local YMCA. They have classes where they do semi-structured play and they also have intro to mixed sports, which I'm guessing is semi-structured as well. They also have swim lessons for all ages. Just go to ymca.net and search for one near you. Hope this helps!

~ C.

If you live close to the Dale City Recreation Center they have I believe daily open gym times where the kids can run and play with the equipment and you can meet other moms that are there. I think it costs $2 each time if you are not a member. I went there and meet some good friends and we would meet there, have lunch after that and then we would go to other places, playgrounds, etc...

Not sure where you live but My Gym in Newport News and Virginia Beach is an awesome place. It's gymnastics and exercises for 3 month old to 9 year olds and is amazing!!! www.my-gym.com

In Richmond, VA we have a Children's Museum that my now 3 1/2 year loved (still does) when he was that age and had energy to burn. He now goes to a Romp n Roll where they have classes for ages 6 months to 5 years (I believe). Some are gym classes with mom staying there and some are drop-off 45 minute classes. My son enjoys one that is a mix of Art, Music and Gym. Also, we fenced in our backyard so he can run and run and run but not "away" since he is faster than a speeding bullet. :) And since
we also have an 8 month old who is starting to be on the move as well (crawling so far - could be walking any time) - wow time flies doesn't it?

Gymnastics is a great activity for children and most gyms start at 18 months! However, at that age, you will be required to come on the floor with them and assist. That may be a problem with your little one if you need to bring her along to the class.. It depends on the gym. I taught for years, and infants were never a problem where I taught. When they start to become a little more mobile, you might want to bring someone along!

Many "swimming" classes start at 6 months. And, you might also look into a Kindermusic of Musikgarten class. They are great activities for children of all ages! \Good luck!

Try gymnastics. Usaully there is a parent-tot class at 18 months. Gymboree sometimes has a music play class for that age too. My daughter loved both.

Hi J.,

Vermont Country Store sells hobby horses on springs. This is a good way to expend energy and yet stay in one place.

Good luck. D.

There are some great Mommy and Me classes, such as gymnastics and swimming. There are also some music classes that incorporate a lot of dancing and movement. You can always take her to a playground, in the cold weather there are some great indoor places such as Pump It Up and Polar Palace, where kids can get their energy out.

Have you tried Little Gym? There is also (in the Manassas, VA area) Soccer Tots for children under 3. Also try swim classes at an indoor sports center. Hope this helps!

JW TUMBLES in Arlington is a great place for that! My kids still dismount from my bed as they learned there! They also have summer camp weeks there from like 9:30 to 3:00...my kids went at 3 and 4 years old and loved it!

SWIM LESSONS!!! I started my son at 6 months and he LOVES it, it's also a great idea to get them to learn to swim, especially as they get older. The classes at this age you go in the pool with them, so it's a great interactive activity. Many places have classes through out the week and on the weekends. Plus, my sons sleeps so well afterward, it really takes a lot of energy. On a plus side, if you needed more, it's a good workout to be lifting and play with your toddler in the pool. If you're in Charlottesville, the city aquatics program has a fabulous program!!

They have open gym for toddlers at Fairland aquadic center http://www.pgparks.com/places/sportsfac/specialized.html in laurel. I have taken my son there on several occasions. He has had fun. It is a fee everytime you go but it is not a monthly fee.

4 ideas. in live in a very out of the way area and managed to find these.

1.Look for a little Kickers Program. It is a national chain and you can find it on the web. Our local sports complex includes the program as part of their overall lessons. They have several class types. Including Mommy and Me classes for toddlers (for the very young 18m and up I think) and then classes with or with out mom for the 3 and up. I took my son for the first time last week. HE LOVED IT. We got him his own blue soccker ball and he asked to sleep with it. We took the ball out of his bed at 11pm and at 1 am he came into our room looking for it. Yea he is hooked. $10 a class

2. The little Gym has classes for very small ones with their mom and with out. this is a bit $$$ though but work a free try.

3. The YMCA has swimming classes for infants and moms $35 for a 6-8 week session.

4. Our roller rink has Skating lessons.. as long as they can walk. they have ratching forward only skates for the little ones. My daughter (5) will go to 12 (2 hour)classes $15 each but gets $80 towards a pair of her own skates at the end and can come free one after noon a week. I hear there is a tots skate at the rink near my sister Crofton MD on tuesdays for 4 and under.

J., sometimes the local private or public gym will offer classes. I take my 2 year old to the mom and me gymnastics class while my 3.5 year old daughter does the tot class. It works out beautifully!! Look into the gymboree or music classes for tots, I hear they are fun but may cost you some $$$. Good luck.

Try the Dulles Sportsplex. They have classes for 18 months and up. And there is always Little Gym. Both are very tolerant of having another child with you (since you also have a 1 month old). We go to both of these and have loved them.

Hope that helps!

Have you thought about joining the YMCA? We are members there and it has been a Godsend for us. I take my 20 month old son there everyday and he gets to play with other kids for an hour and 1/2- we also do play gymnastics and swim lessons there. You get the added benefit of working out and a break:) There are also some other groups, like Family Focus (you can look them up online) that have playgroups based on age where you stay with your child while they play with other kids. The Virginia Living Museum is also a great place to let them run around when it is cold! I understand your need- my son has a ton of energy and we have to do something everyday to burn some of it off! There are a lot of great playgrounds in the area as well- Deer Park, Sandy Bottom and the playground over by Menchville Highschool are some of our favs. Hope it helps:)

Hi J.. I have a very active 19 month old. I understand your need for activities. We take classes at The Little Gym, which we both love, but they cost quite a bit of money, which never seemd to be just lying around. In addition to that I bought a book called The Toddler's Busy Book by Trish Kuffner. It is filled with tons of activities for 1.5yrs to 3yrs. It has been dificult trying to find activities to keep my daughter busy through the winter, but this book is a wealth of information. I highly recommend it. It contains everything from crafts, water play, and recipes to holiday and birthday activities and music. I love it. Good luck and I hope this helps a little.

how about tumble tots at the local ymca?

I have 2 very active boys and the best thing we've found for getting out that extra energy is a small exercise trampoline. They love it and jump on it all day long! We also did gymnastic classes when they were too young for sports.

If money is not too much of an issue, there are baby gyms like the little gym and gymboree. my two year old loves it and comes home and immediately wants a nap. i know for a fact that the little gym has mommy and me classes for as young as 4 months. and don't be alarmed by the name, i have a 6 wk old and he goes with us and i can still participate.