Needing ideas for sitting-down type activities!! Please!!

[weegiemum]

Hoping MN will be able to help!

My dd2, who is 5 (and three-quarters!), has a hip condition known as Perthes disease. This means that no matter how much she is able to, she is not allowed to run, jump, skip, dance, bounce, or walk for more than 5 minutes in any hour. She gets around in a wheelchair at school and we have a Major Buggy at home.

We had hoped that yesterday we would get the news that it was better - but its not. We're facing another 6 month wait for the next round of x-rays. With a bouncy almost 6 year old who has to sit down all the time!!

She swims 3 times a week and is learning to ride her bike with no stabilisers. These are allowed activities.

She and I are getting very very bored with jigsaws, drawing, craft activities, cooking (sitting at the kitchen table), card games etc. She can read. She can knit and likes doing cross stitch. But she is longing to be out and about again.

I wondered if anyone had any ideas of different sitting down things I could try with her?

[weegiemum]

bumpety bump

[nickschick]

outdoor- is fishing a possibility? gardening at an outside table?

indoor-karaoke,clap hand games,jenga,kerplunk

is there any chance you could get her a dolls house?

Borrow some story tapes?

[curlyredhead]

That sounds really hard for both of you.

Could she do some things on the pc? The cbeebies site is huge, lots of safe activities. Or some kind of console?

Scrapbook? Could you get a bunch of old magazines / old Christmas cards etc and she could do some themed pages?

Does she watch tv? My dd is a bit younger but has recently got really into films (Finding Nemo, Monsters Inc, Toy Story). Would she enjoy that sort of thing?

Can you take her out in her buggy much? Maybe some games to play outside - I've seen books which are aimed at car journeys where you have to spot lots of different things.

Good luck with it - at the end of the 6 months if it's improved is she going to be able to be more active again?

[weegiemum]

Thankyou!

In the summer we have done a lot of outside type stuff - walking in the woods near home with the buggy, collecting things, spotting things.

We try to restrict too much tv/screen but do resort to it when we can't help it - she gets 30 mins "screen time" a day Mon-THurs and an hour Fri-Sun, which is a good sitting down thing like you said - and I quite often "forget" when her time is up and give her a little extra!

Scrapbooking sounds good. I also have a load of old photos to sort out and thought she might help me with that?

After another 6 months she will be allowed to move around more, but it will be at least a year till she is allowed to run again! And she loves running/dancing etc. Its hard going, but if we don't do it we are looking at surgery/traction/early arthritis and hip replacement, issues in childbirth etc. So it is worth it.

[weegiemum]

It does make it harder that she has an older brother and sister who do loads of activities - rugby, dance, running etc.

I was also wondering about teaching her a musical instrument (I play several things) or getting her music lessons.

[emmcar]

Have you tried any of the fab Klutz activity books, mine love the Paper Fashion ones and spend many hours designing.

[LollipopViolet]

Here's an idea. If she's quite sporty. and if you rather than school keeps the wheelchair, get down to the local sports courts.

It's a tad cliche, but most sports have been adapted for wheelchair users, and can give back the feeling of being active while she's off her feet. I'm thinking of basketball and tennis mostly, but there must be some others.

It also has the added bonus that her fitness won't deteriorate while she's not allowed to be active.

[UniS]

lego?
moon sand?
plasticine?
stocking up on christmas cards?
Making books of photos and bits of tat from outings.
Train spotting?

[weegiemum]

Thanks, these are all good ideas - some tried, some not.

Apart form trainspotting. There, I draw the line!!!

She spent an hour this afternoon sitting in the garden drawing on the patio with chalk (we live in Glasgow so it will wash off in about 5 mins!)

[HappyMummyOfOne]

Lego mosaic
Hama beads
Wiki Sticks
Octons (galt)
Magic Maize
Dolls house
Sindy/Barbie and outfits

We have a large selection of board games so can recommend some titles if you are not just after things that can be done alone.

[BiscuitStuffer]

photography (including storing photos on a computer etc

writing a book (could also be an online photobook)

decorating a large box to keep her special things in

Upper body exercise - 'dancing / aerobics' to a dvd while sitting - including swirling ribbons and silk scarves

nail varnish - fingers and toes

Learning how to put makeup on you

Giving each other a facial

She brushes your hair (if it's long!) and learns to plait it / put it up.

Basket weaving / napking folding / how to lay a table 'the posh way'

Threading beads to make necklaces and bracelets

Make earring using wire and beads and hooks etc

Write letters to family members who would really appreciate them

Cut up all old cardboard packets eg cereal packets etc to make postcards and then write on them and post them.

Learn to juggle

Will think of more....

[BiscuitStuffer]

get some flip chart paper (A3 size I think) and cut an apple in half and use it and different coloured paints to make wrapping paper.

Make a stock of birthday and christmas cards/ cards for any occasion

[BiscuitStuffer]

Learn a musical instrument / how to sing

Karoake (or however you spell it!)

[beesonmummyshead]

clay/fimo?

make a board game (and make the characters out of fimo)

paint a mug/plantpot/dog bowl

have you a camcorder? she could make an advert or tv programme by filming herself.

can she sew buttons on? decorate old shoes with a variety of buttons?

t-shirt decoration (you can get special paints which you then iron dry)

card making (i'm sure you've done this)

hungry hippos board game

dominos/domino rally

balloon modelling

playdough?

[MilaMae]

My dd loves the Usborne dolls sticker books. She's very active and these are the only things she'll sit down for a long time for,that and her huge Melissa and Doug colouring book.

The Usborne sticker books come in fairies,dolls,princess,holidays,ballerina,pop stars I think. They are very detailed and have loads of stickers in.