I need ideas

Both my kids are getting bored of being in the house playing with the same toys and books every day . They are getting bored of being round me and in turn are starting to play up. I am going to make some playdough and some gloop (cornflour + water) but im needing some new ideas of what to do with them. So i thought i would turn to the people who know best about these things and ask if you have any tricks of keeping your toddlers occupied! Any idea will be greatly apprieciated as they are starting to drive me mental with their constant fighting!! Thanks x

 

not quite two here...stickers are a big hit, going for a little walk hand in hand down the street works wonders for me. I am without a car so it's hard to get out.

I am more than worried about getting bored this winter with the kids!

 

rotate toys every week so it feels like they are getting something new.
sidewalk chalk (dry and/or wet), painting, coloring, all big hits w/ my girls.
they are starting to do imaginative play (feeding their stuffed toys, wearing a pirate hat and saying "arg", etc)
books
walks
parks
counting, learning letters, colors, shapes, etc.

our current favorite:
http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=2069724 (yeah, it's big in our small house but it provides hours of exercise and laughter)

 

Could you get involved with a play group? Check out www.meetup.com to find one in your area. I just recently joined one and they do play dates at each others houses and also in public settings several times a week. There's no obligation to go to every meeting though! But that might give your kids a chance to go to other people's houses and play with other people's toys with other kids!

There's also a place here in town called the Sip n' Play Cafe. It's a place where there's a bunch of stuff for kids to do and you pay like $3 for the first kid and $1.50 for the second and the kids can play while you drink a latte and chat with other moms. Check around and see if there's something like that where you live!

 

Ok -- here are a few that have always been hits with my four yr. old. My twins are still a little young for some of the following – I can’t wait until they’re ready for some more of these.

Fill a shallow plastic [storage type] bin (or even a big pot, or huge plastic bowl) with dry beans or rice small pasta shapes and give them spoons, cups, funnels, etc -- let them go to town like they would in a sand table. I find dry beans to be easiest to clean up.

Shaving cream painting: simply give them a dollop of the white stuff and let them smear it on a table and then draw in it with their fingers. Great sensorial project!

Water painting. Got a chalk board? Give the tykes Q-tips, or paint brushes or sponges cut into sizes appropriate for little hands to hold like fat crayons, and let them dip their implement in a shallow bowl of water and paint away. It dries quickly and they can begin again. Give them Big (adult house painting) paint brushes and let them paint bricks, sidewalks, etc. (I would use new ones exclusively for this purpose to avoid having any yucky stuff left behind on used ones.) I know we can get them really cheap, here in the States... would think it would be the same there...?

Painter's or masking tape can be your best friend!
Make a roadway that winds through a couple of rooms on which they can drive toy cars. (it will even stay in place on carpet long enough to get some enjoyment out of this kind of activity)
Define a 'play house' on the floor. Make a bed, stove, whatever they're interested in, with the tape. Requires them to use their imaginations!
Make an obstacle course: Two lines in a row to jump over. A circle to walk around. A double line to define a 'balance beam.' etc.

Give the baby a bath. Your twinkies are approaching the perfect age for this! 2 little plastic tubs say around 18"w x 10"l x 10"d are quite versatile. A little water, a wash cloth and a towel -- I swear --- boys and girls alike will wash and wash and wash (plastic, of course) baby dolls. (or alligators ) Or let them do the 'washing up' in these tubs with plastic plates and cups.

Colored pom poms from craft store, muffin tin. Put 12 pom poms in a bowl. Show them how to put one pom into each cup of the muffin tin. They may put all of the poms into two or three cups at first, but one day they'll be grouping them by color into rows! It sounds like a simple task, but I've seen children work at this for a long time and come back to it again and again.

Keep a basket full of things to open and close. An old fashion change purse. A small bag with a Velcro closure. A plastic bottle with a screw cap (non-choking size). A small box with a simple top that lifts off. Etc... Bring it out, and show them how to do each one and then let them give it a try.

Cut a square of several different colors of construction paper and give one piece of color paper to each child and have them bring you an object of the same color. In the beginning when they are still little, you can scaffold for them by strategically placing objects in their line of sight or even just putting a bunch of objects together on a table, or in an area defined by that versatile painter's tape, across the room from you. It's great to get children this age up and moving - even if it's just across the room a few times.

Let them help prepare snack and/or lunch as much as possible. Help them slice a banana. Let them place the chicken nuggets on the plate or baking sheet before cooking. If you can stand it, let them pour water from a small pitcher into child size cups. Squeeze ranch dressing from the bottle onto the plate for their carrots. Let them help peel and pull apart oranges. Let them make the pancake mix. Simply let them portion out the raisins or crackers on their plate.

I hope at least a couple of these interest you - PM me if you have any questions (like if certain terms don't translate well~ pom poms...?) - or if you like the SORT of things I've suggested -- let me know, I've got a million.

 

I do try and take them out most days but the weather here has been awful here recently so sometimes its not possible. I think we are all getting cabin fever too as i have been trying to potty train them so we havnt been out a lot over the last month. I took them to a soft play area yesterday which they loved and it burnt off some of their energy. I meet up with my friends who have kids once a week which is good to get out of the house and get some adult company! Thank you all very much for your ideas it is definetly going to help x

 

Honestly, for me, it's getting OUT of the house. Whether it is a trip to the park or beach or a playdate at someone's house, or a trip to Sam's Club or McDees my girls definately can not (nor can I) handle being in the house for more than a couple of days without going crazy.

I really don't even think it's a matter of new toys or new things to do IN the house. I just think they need a change of environment. I'm trying to take advantage of the beautiful weather while we can because once winter sets in and the cold season comes around, we do spend a lot more time in doors going absolutely stir crazy. Especially when they get sick and we are in the house for a good week or so <_< It just plain sux.

 

Stickers and playdoh and coloring are good!!! Also, I did glitter glue on paper with beans and noodles etc. quite a bit as well!! THEY LOVE ARTS AND CRAFTS!!!

 

These are great ideas!!!! I will be saving a few of these myself. I would *never* have dreamed up the masking tape activities. Very clever.

QUOTE(Colette630 @ Sep 1 2008, 11:18 PM) [snapback]958181[/snapback]
Ok -- here are a few that have always been hits with my four yr. old. My twins are still a little young for some of the following – I can’t wait until they’re ready for some more of these.

Fill a shallow plastic [storage type] bin (or even a big pot, or huge plastic bowl) with dry beans or rice small pasta shapes and give them spoons, cups, funnels, etc -- let them go to town like they would in a sand table. I find dry beans to be easiest to clean up.

Shaving cream painting: simply give them a dollop of the white stuff and let them smear it on a table and then draw in it with their fingers. Great sensorial project!

Water painting. Got a chalk board? Give the tykes Q-tips, or paint brushes or sponges cut into sizes appropriate for little hands to hold like fat crayons, and let them dip their implement in a shallow bowl of water and paint away. It dries quickly and they can begin again. Give them Big (adult house painting) paint brushes and let them paint bricks, sidewalks, etc. (I would use new ones exclusively for this purpose to avoid having any yucky stuff left behind on used ones.) I know we can get them really cheap, here in the States... would think it would be the same there...?

Painter's or masking tape can be your best friend!
Make a roadway that winds through a couple of rooms on which they can drive toy cars. (it will even stay in place on carpet long enough to get some enjoyment out of this kind of activity)
Define a 'play house' on the floor. Make a bed, stove, whatever they're interested in, with the tape. Requires them to use their imaginations!
Make an obstacle course: Two lines in a row to jump over. A circle to walk around. A double line to define a 'balance beam.' etc.

Give the baby a bath. Your twinkies are approaching the perfect age for this! 2 little plastic tubs say around 18"w x 10"l x 10"d are quite versatile. A little water, a wash cloth and a towel -- I swear --- boys and girls alike will wash and wash and wash (plastic, of course) baby dolls. (or alligators ) Or let them do the 'washing up' in these tubs with plastic plates and cups.

Colored pom poms from craft store, muffin tin. Put 12 pom poms in a bowl. Show them how to put one pom into each cup of the muffin tin. They may put all of the poms into two or three cups at first, but one day they'll be grouping them by color into rows! It sounds like a simple task, but I've seen children work at this for a long time and come back to it again and again.

Keep a basket full of things to open and close. An old fashion change purse. A small bag with a Velcro closure. A plastic bottle with a screw cap (non-choking size). A small box with a simple top that lifts off. Etc... Bring it out, and show them how to do each one and then let them give it a try.

Cut a square of several different colors of construction paper and give one piece of color paper to each child and have them bring you an object of the same color. In the beginning when they are still little, you can scaffold for them by strategically placing objects in their line of sight or even just putting a bunch of objects together on a table, or in an area defined by that versatile painter's tape, across the room from you. It's great to get children this age up and moving - even if it's just across the room a few times.

Let them help prepare snack and/or lunch as much as possible. Help them slice a banana. Let them place the chicken nuggets on the plate or baking sheet before cooking. If you can stand it, let them pour water from a small pitcher into child size cups. Squeeze ranch dressing from the bottle onto the plate for their carrots. Let them help peel and pull apart oranges. Let them make the pancake mix. Simply let them portion out the raisins or crackers on their plate.

I hope at least a couple of these interest you - PM me if you have any questions (like if certain terms don't translate well~ pom poms...?) - or if you like the SORT of things I've suggested -- let me know, I've got a million.