Things to do with 5mth baby

[fraggy]

Hi

just wondering what other parents do to keep their lo amused all day. My ds is almost 5 months old and likes to be very active but I'm not sure what sort of things to do with him. He has the play gyms etc which are suitable for his age group but as he has a very short attention span things bore him quickly.

When you're not feeding, changing and dressing baby oh and done the washing etc...lol - what do you do with your baby

xx

[StealthPolarBear]

read books? dd loves the textured ones
fold washing - dd very good at helping

[StealthPolarBear]

MN?
the blue and white is both stimulating and soothing for them

[NobbyD]

Park (go on the swings if he can sit up a bit), baby einstein, swimming (will love it if not been before), shopping (put him in the trolley seat and will love looking at all the stuff!), singing (libraries often do free sing-a-longs), reading books especially touchy-feely ones.

[belindarose]

Mine likes lots of attention too! Once upon a time she was a quiet little baby who liked to lie on her back and stare at mobiles. Not anymore! We do: singing (usually on my bed so I can throw her around a bit), sitting up in her cot playing with an activity station (pillow behind her but she can sit unaided now) while I tidy her room and fold her clothes, 'helping' mummy do jobs in the sling, playing on the floor (stacking cups are current favourite toy), watching mummy from Bumbo or pushchair (not for long), watching the cat eat her dinner (best activity of the day), walk in pushchair or sling, a couple of groups, coffee with friends (getting more difficult now she's so grabby). Like you though, I find it quite hard to occupy her all day (although she has several naps). Sometimes we've had an afternoon bath which has been great and tired her out, but she has bad excema so I have to limit them. That's why we haven't tried swimming yet. Swings sound fun at the park too. And DD loves books - top favourites at the moment are the 'That's not my...' (used to make her cry!).

[roslily]

My son is 20 weeks, so not far off 5 months and has very short attention span.

Anyway we do- door bouncer, walk in pushchair, walk around garden, look out window at cars (one of his favourite things!), daytime baths with me, but mostly being out of the house. He is most settled when we are out and about.

[fairylights]

go to playgroups! i know it might not seem like there is much of a point at 5 months but there will be toys that he hasn't seen before and you can chat and make friends. I started taking ds (he is now 3.3) to playgroups when he started crawling at about 9/10 months i realized lots of other mums with babies his age had already been going for ages.
Now my dd is 6 mo and she just spends most of her day avidly watching her big brother - its MUCH easier to entertain a second child!

[BertieBotts]

Yes see if your local children's centre run any stay and play groups, and/or look for baby groups for under ones (so not so many giant toddlers walking everywhere)

Used to let DS watch me sitting in his pushchair/highchair, he liked this. Especially outside watching me put washing on the line etc. I used to sit outside in the garden and read a book and he would watch the trees, birds etc (and I thought it was supposed to be hard being a mother! ) - a bit difficult when it's rainy/cold though.

At that age he was just getting into his Jumperoo which is like a cross between a door bouncer and an activity centre - a bouncer, on a frame, like a baby walker which doesn't move, and has toys all around it. He loved that - look on ebay for a second hand one though as they are ridiculously expensive new and you are only supposed to use them for 20 mins at a time so it's not even like you get the use out of it!

[BambinolovesBeccie]

I got so stressed when DS was around that age. He always looked bored and I thought I was boring him I did eventually chill out though.

Agree with all suggestions here, especially sitting them in a highchair and watching you get on with stuff. DS loved [I think/hope] watching me potter around the kitchen and garden, fill up the dishwasher, iron, hang washing up etc. I'd talk him through what I was doing and he just sat and took it all in. He must have been paying attention as now he's 12 months he tries to climb into the machine/dishwasher and pushes the laundry basket around despite having 2 walkers

[mantaray]

My DS is 18wks now. We've been reading a few books a day, we play on the mat, he has a bit of tummy time (max 2mins as he hates it). He likes to stomp round the house holding my fingers. He likes to sit in his bouncer chair whilst I cook dinner...he was sitting in his Bumbo until he escaped from it. We go to Tescos and I give him various things to hold as we go round. We go for walks to pick up DD from school. He goes to a weekly music class which he loves.
He has just started getting into toys that flash and ping (can't bear the things myself) so he has a v-tech phone and pushalong walker that he fiddles with until the noise grates on me!
Also, try kneebouncers.com - at least 5mins of entertainment there!

[ceb80]

mantaray never seen kneebouncers before - genius! Know I can mn on my phone and give DS the laptop!

[blinder]

second vote for baby einstein here! look it up on youtube. my 5mo loves the mozart one.

[Triggles]

We have a 3yo DS. Our 6 month old has loved watching him zoom around the living room like a nut. Also he is just going into a Fisher Price hop and pop now, which he enjoys. And rolling around on the floor towards toys that are spread out over the blanket on the floor.

[PurpleCrazyHorse]

Our DD loves sitting in her baby nest as she is propped up a bit and her soft toys stay within reach. She'll happily 'play' for a while with limited input from me. We've also just moved her into the forward facing buggy (instead of attaching the car seat) and she loves being able to see everything.

Our local mums & babies is good as there's lots of toys to try (and new things for her to see). Plus I can palm her off onto other mums which she loves

We also do singing - www.singup.org/songbank they have backing tracks you can sing along with.

I didn't think about swings at the park but will try that one.

[STIGZ]

Hi im a nursery teacher and swear by the "treasure basket" it keeps babies amused for a long time ..........and its just objects that you can find around the house, honestly u will surprised at what simple items keeps them amused!!

www.nurseryworld.co.uk/news/728189/Little-treasures---treasure-baskets/

do your own research on it and let me know how u get on .x..x

[STIGZ]

i also recommend getting the book :

The Little Book of Treasure Baskets by anne roberts ..... its full of various ideas for diffrent treasure baskets.