Help me play with my 2.7 yr old!

[desperatehousewife]

I'm terrible - I spend FAR too long on here, and if i'm not on here I'm cooking or cleaning or tidying or washing or chatting to friends on the phone. My DS seriously watches FAR too much Cbeebies.(it seems to be on for most of the day when we are in)

How can I encourage him to play on his own next to me whilst I'm doing stuff? What would be a good interactive type of toy for him?

Also how can I make myself play with him more (I actually find playing really boring which is terrible I know, but would love him to feel that I am more involved with him. I only have 2 full days a week on my own with him.)

I guess it will get easier now the weather is better and I can take him to the playground....

[Bozza]

When you are doing kitchen things (eg preparing meal, tidying up etc) let him play in the sink. Stand him on a chair and run some water into the sink. Then give him safe kitchen utensils (hand whisk, plastic measuring jug, seive etc) to play with. NB Will get himself and immediate surroundings quite wet. Might be as well to put a dirty towel down on the floor to soak it up.

I'm not that great at playing with toys myself but read to DS and do activities with him - cooking, sticker books, making cards for Christmas, Easter, stamping etc.

[puddle]

I think you have to play to your strengths. I like doing quite structured stuff with my kids rather than being on the floor doing the voices for little dolls etc. So I like

Play doh
Anything arty, painting, cutting, sticking, making junk models
Cooking with them
Reading stories
Dressing up
Playing tea parties/ shops/ camping
treasure hunts/ bug hunts in the garden etc
games and puzzles
lego/ duplo

Dp is in charge of the more imaginative stuff - he likes it and is good at it too!

My ds (now 5) has only in the last year got the hang of playing by himself. He loves company, is very imaginative and wants someone to to interact with. DD (2.5, so similar in age to yours) is much more self sufficient and spends a lot of time pottering around with her toys (she loves the elc happy land stuff, plus looking after her 'babies' at the moment). But she'll only occupy herself for 20-30 minutes really.

If I have something specific to do for half an hour I will try and get her set up with a collection of things to play with or look at. If I'm in the kitchen and need to get on I get her drawing, doing play doh or sorting out things in kitchen drawers - she loves the tupperware drawer for some reason. Upstairs she loves looking at my jewellery or I'll get the mini trampoline out for her - that kind of thing. I can't clean up much while she's around - she 's learnt how to turn off the dyson......... Hope this helps.

[pragmatist]

I find playing boring too! My dd is just slightly older than your ds.

Have you got the whole mini kitchen thing with plenty of play food and pots and pans? That keeps them occupied.

Why not try some baking with him. I'm talking really simple stuff like the Postman Pat / Fimbles and other cake mixes you can get from the supermarket. They might not be the healthiest thing in the world but kids this age love them. They involve simple processes like dolloping the mixture out into individual paper cake cases, and putting icing and mini wafers on top etc.

Like Bozza, my dd enjoys stickers books (usually cost about £1.99 - £2.99)

[puddle]

Elc's pop it in the post keeps dd occupied for a while - post box, letters and stamps to fit together!

[pragmatist]

Just thought - this sounds a bit anal but it really isn't that difficult to organise. I have divided dd's toys into 5 large cardboard boxes labelled weeks 1-5. Every Sunday night I take one box up to the spare room and bring the next weeks box of toys down. She has her toys on a 5 week rotation, and it seems to keep things fresh for her so that she will play on her own for longer because of the novelty of this weeks toys.

[desperatehousewife]

thanks everyone...some good ideas. Although cooking is quite stressful with him (soooo much mess). I need to just set aside some time for him I think and grit my teeth and just get on with it - be it cooking or sticking or painting. Sounds terrible doesn't it? that its such a burden playign with my beautiful wonderful inquisitive (but oh so exhasting) little boy.

[pragmatist]

I'm on a roll here...


Dd enjoys playing with her toy doctors bag (contains stethoscope etc). Her dolls etc get treated to a diagnosis regularly and then put to bed to rest.

[Bagpuss30]

Duplo is great - have had lots of fun with some Dora the Explorer duplo that I bought dd (2.8) this week.

[desperatehousewife]

I think girls are different though - they are generally quite happy to play quietly with little things. Boys on the other hand are more active (as a rule) and want to be rough and tumbling all the time - which is why playground is such a great place for him. Hmmmm...I like the mini kitchen idea though. Want somethign like that to keep him occupied by himself when I'm cooking.

[Bozza]

Try the kitchen sink thing dhw - should be messy enough to keep him entertained.

[desperatehousewife]

yes ok...will do

[Mandymoo]

Hi there
My dd is 2.4 and i find sitting down and playing quite hard (which sounds so selfish) but theres always something else to do. Anyway i have just bought some craft bits and pieces (ie, stickers, play scissors, glue, paper, glitter, pens etc) and dd loves sitting at the table making pictures for her room and cards for ther friends!! Must admit i quite like sitting down and being creative for 20 mins a day! The whole lot cost me just £5.00 and has kept her occupied so is well worth it. Just an idea. Or a bowl of water outside and some utensils always works well this time of year. Hope this helps X

[desperatehousewife]

did the kitchen sink with bubbly water yesterday while I was cooking - he LOVED it!

[desperatehousewife]

did the kitchen sink with bubbly water yesterday while I was cooking - he LOVED it!

[Bozza]

Great!