I need some inspiration.

Got the usual toys and books that do the trick for a while. Particular favourites at the moment are the 'lift the flap' books like 'Oh Dear' and 'Dear Zoo' type of thing. Toys seem to be quite boring at the moment and quickly get thrown aside in favour of some household items or the tv (grrr)

She likes little bags to carry things around in so toilet bags or gift bags are good makeshift toys. I leave bits and pieces in them and she picks them up from various spots round the house and goes pottering.

Pottering is definitely the favourite activity.

I did get the basin from the kitchen sink and put water and detergant in it and then got some spoons, little plastic bowls etc so she could play (put down plastic tablecloth and gave her a plastic apron). That was fun but a little limiting due to size of bowl...

Am looking for some good imaginative ideas of things to keep an active and excitable boddler entertained for hours on end. Especially on a day like today where we can't leave the house (thx god OH is on his way home from work with milk and bread supplies!!) and the day can just drag as I move her from room to room so she has something new to see and do.

I think she just isn't a sit still thoughtful pondering type. She is very much about the climbing, rolling, diving, throwing etc etc. Books she loves but she turns the pages super fast and then looks at me like NEXT and it's only been 20 seconds so as you can imagine, we don't get much mileage out of books other than when she is tired.

We have a mini trampoline which I thought she would love but she just isn't interested. Activities she loves such as jumping on the sofa incorporate too much of an element of danger and/or require extremely close supervision lol so guess I am looking for new,fun, safe activities that could keep us both from going mental!!! Now she likes the bath again, I find I use the bath as something for a fun activity as she loves pottering in there, bless her!

I make an assault course up for Rachel, which she loves - her inflatable chair, make a tunnel out of the table with a blanket over the top, you get the idea. It's all low down so she can't fall, but she loves exploring it. She tends to like toys she can chase after, like soft balls I can kick about for her.

It's hard being stuck in the house with them sometimes, I'm getting a serious dose of cabin fever and Rachel is definitely missing the park!

Hannah xx

I know how you feel we are exactly the same at the mo! Josh's fav activities are climbing and jumping all over the show
I want it to be summer so we can just go out and play everyday!!
xx

These blimin kiwi babies eh...we'll make All Blacks and Silver Ferns out of them yet!!

Good ideas, thanks guys! Assault course sounds cool, I wanna do it too!! And painting - another excellent idea! I have heard of aquadraw, will see how much it costs.

She has taken to walking around with a basket tidy on her head and staring through the slits to try and find her way around...am thinking some stimulating and less hazardous play is now in order!

ooohh the park - how ace would that be. Only another 12 weeks or more til it is a reality (jess - mum keeps showing off about it being 29deg in Blenheim boooo!!)

These blimin kiwi babies eh...we'll make All Blacks and Silver Ferns out of them yet!!

Good ideas, thanks guys! Assault course sounds cool, I wanna do it too!! And painting - another excellent idea! I have heard of aquadraw, will see how much it costs.

She has taken to walking around with a basket tidy on her head and staring through the slits to try and find her way around...am thinking some stimulating and less hazardous play is now in order!

ooohh the park - how ace would that be. Only another 12 weeks or more til it is a reality (jess - mum keeps showing off about it being 29deg in Blenheim boooo!!)

I don't think there's any activity that keeps them going for hours. Abby definitely has too short an attention span. I've decided toys are just a complete waste of money - none of them hold her interest for any amount of time. I also can't get her interested in drawing, I bought her pens, pencils, crayons and aquadraw for her BD/Xmas but so far no interest except to move the pens from one box to another and back again.

Abby's favourite activities =
- books, especially "Dear Zoo" but really anything with interesting pictures.
- Marg tubs and blocks (they go in, they go out, they go in, they go out)
- A tray and a packet of rice crispies (a nursery fav - she comes back with rice crispies in her hair, in her nappy etc), a bit messy but apparently keeps her busy for hours.
- Her treasure box (box full of household items)

If anyone thinks of anything else in time for tomorrow that doesn't involve leaving the house I will be grateful.

H xx

A few ideas that go down well with C at the moment:

- drawing - putting pen or crayon to paper (thanks nursery for teaching him the basics)
- wandering around with tins of beans or similar small tins
- 'that's not my' books - def. favourite. They are a brilliant range and something that will keep C amused for up to 20 mins if I'm lucky. SIL also endorses these - she's just got her daughter another set of 3 as she still loves them (aged 2.5).
- megablocks/lego - he's starting to put them together (as well as pull down structures)
- empty tin to bang on

Hope some of those ideas might help.

Ruby' not that into books! strange child that she is, she is most entertained by her empyt yoghurt pot and spoon. she will sit on the floor pretending to eat for ages. i also bought her loads of (second hand) ELC happyland for her b'day and she sits putting the little people in and out of the house/hospital quite happily. also a fave is taking the dvd's off the tv cabinet and spreading them out cos he thinks she's not supposed to do it.
I have to say i dont do anything in particular with her ike sit and paint or draw or do acitivities, she always sheems to be eating or sleeping at the mo!

Lizzie, I know exactly where you are coming from!

Skye is defo not the sitting type either, couldn't be further from it...mmm!

I am running out of ideas of how to keep her amused too! She seems to prefer to empty the kitchen cupboards and putting things in and out of the washing machine to anything else at the moment.
Toys are thrown aside, but she loves to push stuff about like big cardboard boxes! She has a love of taking lids off and on, and also loves to bang the empty Celebrations chocolate tub with a wooden spoon! She is also really happy looking at photos of us and the family, so we have laminated some so she can play with them.
We go out walikng regardless of the weather just to get out of the house for 20 minutes in the fresh air or we'd both go stir crazy!!
The assault course sounds good! I might try a cushion mountain this week!

Just a thought, Skye loves balloons, and they're quite inexpensive, would Juliet enjoy chasing them around the house?

Iz & Skye x

hi everyone,

this has been a great thread and i've enjoyed everyone's ideas, it's certainly given me new things to try with theo, thank you!

theo's favourite things are:

- his ball (in fact anything that can be used as a ball!) he will sit and throw backwards and forwards with me for as long as i stay doing it! we have variations on this game were we both take turns to throw it into a box and bounce it to each other - he just loves his ball and throwing so much!

- his stacking cups - for stacking, knocking down and banging together

- a saucepan and wooden spoon for a drum

- a box of shapes (you know those ones with the lid on with the different shaped holes) well the lid comes off and the shapes go in and out of the box

- pushing his spin top to make it go round and round (although that doesn't last long)

- he loves his toy truck, but he does push it along the floor (maybe because he is not walking yet), but picks it up and spins the wheels with his hands

he also loves 'where's spot?' and those lift the flap books, as they all seem to.

- anything with buttons on it! especially things he shouldn't have like the house phone or telly remote! he will sit and push all the buttons on that for ahes - but the pretend mobile phone i got him for christmas just gets thrown!

and just like skye he loves balloons - particularly helliom ones, the big number 1 from his party is still going and he lovs it! will have to get another one when it goes down! he pushes and pulls on the string and laughs at it going up and down!

i have tried drawing with him, but he just puts the crayon or pen into his mouth! so i may try that aquadraw.

happy snow day tomorrow everyone! k & t xxx

Issy loves her books, stacking cups and shape sorters, have now got play dough for her and a tray for sand and water play x