Activities at home please- stimulating and fine for a 3 and 2 year old???

[shabbadab]

I'm about to enter a staying at home phase with my DCs (2 and 3) to enable increased nappy off time in anticipation of PT DC2 while the weathers good. I personally go stir crazy being in a lot, hence we usually get out quite a bit (half a day in in one day is the usual max).
I would love some creative suggestions please of how I can engage both children in the same activity rather than feeling I'm watching a tennis match and my head is going from one child to the other while they vie for my attention / scrap, (which often happens when we're at home while they are with their toys). We do do play dough and drawing, making (DC1 gets bored very quickly), out in the garden (sandpit, scooter etc), occasional baking, put music on. Please help me with some more inspiration!! How do childminders do it?!

[Buttercup27]

Shaving foam on a table is great fun. You can play and make patterns. I'd you're not keen on mess inside you can put it on a tray outside (it does clean off easily with water). Good is good (corn flower mixed with water) . Bubbles in the garden. Paddling pool if it's warm. Hope this helps.

[Littleoaktree]

The siblings busy book is quite good at ideas for indoor activities and suggestions of how to adapt them for different ages(baby/toddler/school age). Although yours are closer in age there might be some good ideas in there for you. Some of them seem obvious when you read them but it's useful to have something to dip into for an idea when you've run out.

busy book

[Pointlessfan]

You could make gloop - recipe bound to be online. What about getting large sheets of paper and some paint and doing hand/footprint patterns or Jackson Pollock-esq paint splattering to make some cool art work?

[shabbadab]

Thanks some great ideas. I must try the shaving foam thing and the outdoor painting. I'm going to look up the book. It sounds just what I need!

[JiltedJohnsJulie]

Outdoor chalks are usually a hit with my DC. You could draw long swirling patterns and give the younger one a pot of water and a paintbrush and get them to trace the lines while you draw or do games with the older one.

Can you get them to help with tasks? Mine will happily spend ages watering pots, especially if the paddling pool is out and they can get the water from there. They also like dusting and helping with the pegging out.

[shabbadab]

Thanks JJJ. I have just read your post and smiled as today we've been doing outdoor chalks on the patio and watering their geranium plants with their watering cans (bought them a plant each last week to look after)! It was great. So much easier when you can get outside. The older one seems to get more bored with those than the younger one though (I did keep his attention a little longer by trying hopscotch). This bettered yesterday when we had to abandon outside due to screaming and general loud naughtiness and my concern it would worry the neighbours!! I have ordered the sibling busy book from amazon!

[shabbadab]

Just a quick note generally and a thank you to littleoaktree for the recommendation for the sibling busy book. We've had it for a few weeks now and have been enjoying lots of the activities, especially now chicken pox have arrived and we're stuck in!! Many thanks x