What do you do all day to keep toddler and yourself from getting bored/fed up?

[BlackCatinaWitchesHatonaBroom]

Looking for ideas on what to do/where to go with nearly three year old while ds at school. Not overly keen on toddler groups so just wondered what other mums get up to?

[SouthGoingZax]

Walks, reading books, painting and cooking, soft play (there's a new one near us and we have season tickets) playing with their toys (we have 2 year old DTs) scootering in the yard.
We try to split the day in two - so if we are 'in' one half of the day we will be out the other half.

[rushofbloodtothefeet]

Park
Library
Park
Feed the ducks
Park
Sometimes a cafe
Park
Walk along river
Park
Visit friends
Visit friends park
Park
Dig around in the garden
Park

You get the picture!

[Panzee]

I went back to work. Unhelpful, I know :o

[libbyssister]

My 3 year old is keen on food prep! Not just cakes/buns but loves cutting up mushroom and pepper and courgette, that sort of stuff and he likes to whisk eggs, etc.

Helps pass the time and actually gets tea prepared

He also like chores like cleaning the car/windows. Basically he's my little slave

[GirlWithTheMouseyHair]

park...a lot

playdates are my saviour, DS plays with the toddlers he's known since birth, I eat cake and drink tea with the mums

or adult friends come over a lot, I know a lot of out of work actors, they always come up with fun stuff to do with DS and don't have kids fo their own so think it's a fun novelty

we watch a lot of films too

[BleughCowWonders]

Yup, park in all weathers at least once a day, sometimes more!

But library, supermarket (just a few bits, not week's worth) post office, coffee shop are all good with a toddler. Keep everything short, and plan at least one outing every day, preferable two.

Basically, just get out of the house

[BleughCowWonders]

and go swimming at least once/ week

[BlueChampagne]

Depending where you live - museum? Can be a bit fraught as they want to touch everything, but some do special children's events, that aren't groups as such. Ditto library, and some large bookshops.

Don't rule out toddler groups as winter approaches - indoor space for them to burn off energy even if you're counting the minutes till the session's over.

[AngelDog]

Struggle to do the housework!

Shopping is always good - we go about 3 times a week.

We go out for one half of every day.

[TiarasTimeOutsAndTantrums]

Disney films, drawing, painting, books, tesco, cleaning, jumping on beds, asda, cooking, park, farmfoods, playing with cars/action man/ blocks

[aStabbingStrangleways]

This makes me feel better about my own outings with DS, which basically consist of:

park
soft play
supermarket
park
visiting friends
library
cafe
park
running errands with me (post office etc.)
park
scootering to/from places (usually the park)
occasional train rides into town and back
garden centre/aquarium shop that doesn't mind gawking visitors

We used to do a fair bit of days out to museums and such, but since DD arrived I haven't felt brave enough to take them both into central London yet.

At home, at the moment anyway, things we mostly do are:

telly/films
Brio (all day every day restaging of Thomas the Tank Engine accidents)
watching train videos on Youtube (see above)

i.e. anything that allows me to cater to DD's insatiable desire for breastmilk. On the rare occasions she's asleep, DS and I do baking, I let him 'wash up', we look at books - all the usual malarky.

[ForWantOfANail]

We have lots of trips to the park. At the moment we spend a lot of time looking for spiders, or collecting different sorts of leaves. We sometimes put the leaves in the bath at bedtime. Go to the library. Sometimes go to a big garden centre that has rabbits, fish and birds. National Trust places. I am dreading the bad weather coming though.

[aStabbingStrangleways]

glad it's not just me ForWant. we have no garden either, so no opportunity for 'low impact' fresh air, iyswim - it's all (bundle up baby, toddler, self, collect up everything we need, make our way downstairs, lock up, set off, come back for forgotten items etc.) or nothing (stay indoors all day and drive each other mad).

[planetpotty]

Another huge park visitor here!

My 2.5 plays for h o u r s with his train track you can pick them up really cheaply second hand.

Seasonal stuff is good like now it's autumn so one day we will go out and explore the woods collect twigs, leaves etc and stick them on a big picture with things like fireworks and pumpkins also on it.

A trip to the next stop and back on the train is like Disney land to my DS.

Washing up plastic bowls and plates he lurrrves - get em in training early

Library.

Lots of walking to make sure he keeps napping and I get a break! for good exercise.

[planetpotty]

Strike out fail

[PetisaPumpkinHead]

Dd1 loves garden garden centres and the garden section of Homebase, with greenhouses to run around/in to.

[PetisaPumpkinHead]

Train/bus station/airport to look at trains/buses/aeroplanes. Toy shop as long as you think they won't throw a tantrum. Charity shops to root around and maybe pick one thing to take home? Ikea is great on a quiet rainy day.

[MegBusset]

Library
Coffee shop
Museum
Friend's house
Supermarket
Park
Soft play if I'm desperate!

[HarbingerOfBoom]

Park
Park
Park
Scream (me)
Park
Eat
Park
Scream (dd)
Cbeebies
Park

[TiarasTimeOutsAndTantrums]

DS loves the charity shop. The 20p bucket is the stuff of toddler dreams

[titferbrains]

I once to dd to Ikea for fun. Told her we were going somewhere she could jump on beds. She loved it. Going when u have no need to buy anything, on a wk day, is not that bad actually.

But these days it is all telly and park and rereading maisy, or else watching dd make a spectacular mess.

[ifink]

playdough (if making it at home that takes some preparation/cooking time too)
pans, spoons and raw pasta (inside)
pans, spoons and water (outside)
youtube thomas the tank engine/pictures of cats, dogs etc
pre-school apps on ipod/pad..monkey preschool lunchbox, interactive books like itsy bitsy spider (v useful if in coffee shop and DS getting restless and I haven't finished latte :)

[Thefoxsbrush]

At this time of year collecting leaves and making them into a collage.
Trips to the library
Swimming
Walks along coast/in woods
Playmates at least once a week to keep you sane!
Visit child friendly museums/art galleries? We have a local art gallery with drop in sessions for toddlers
Trips to the garden centre
Trips to the pet shop
Using different transport eg going on a train/bus/boat ride
Feeding the ducks

[Becaroooo]

Cbeebies!!!
Park
Swimming
Baking
Chores - he loves cleaning floors!
Visting family members
Reading
Playing with his toys; trains, play doh, cars, drawing, painting, water play in sink etc
Supermarket

Some days he just wants to chill out and stay at home, and thats fine....its what cbeebies was invented for!