What do you do with your young toddler at the weekend?

[LisaSimpsonsbff]

DS is 15 months. DH and I are both find it really hard work to have a whole day just at home with him - he gets whingey, we get bored. He will play with his toys for a while, and he loves being read to, but neither of those can possibly fill a morning, let alone a whole day! We've tried things like playing with finger paint and he is interested in it for approximately 10% of the time it takes to set them up and clean up afterwards. It's been pissing it down all weekend here - yesterday I took him to the park (in a puddle suit) and it was deserted, and this morning we went to soft play and it was us and two single dads, which obviously is fine but clearly this isn't what 'most' families are doing on a Sunday morning. You also mostly seem to see older toddlers at this stuff, so most people must not feel the need for it to entertain a 'young' (say, under 2) toddler? Are other people having whole days in and we're somehow missing some trick that makes that not awful? Or are they going somewhere we haven't thought of? Should we just let DS get more bored - are we trying too hard to keep him constantly entertained?

we go church on a Sunday morning. what about swimming? I'd never try to stay in all day. even an hour out is vital.

I have a just turned two yo. Definitely get out the house each day - either (in a puddle suit and wellies if need be) to the park, or down the road to the shops, or a local market. Otherwise a swimming pool trip/lesson? We also do a lot of playdates now that the weather has turned - they can start to play with each other a bit at this age.

We actually do go to church most weeks, but we didn't get up and out in time this morning! And if you look at the statistics on church attendance that definitely isn't how most families are spending their weekend... I guess this is half a plea for suggestions, but also part curiosity about how other people are spending their time? I also feel like it just isn't viable to stay home all day, but lots of people surely must be as otherwise all the park, softplay, etc would be packed?

Winter is always harder, but our weekends would / could be broken up with:

Walk - anywhere, in town, we have a little woods nearby, the park
Soft play (ours are rammed at weekends!)
The library
Play cafe if you have one
And at this age I found just "being out" enough, so a quick trip to the shops, if you have an indoor shopping centre let the toddle / run a bit if it's not disturbing others
Local petting farm
Swimming
Visited friends and family or have them over
Going out for lunch

There's not many toddler groups on at weekends as they're usually run by volunteers and not as many people around I think. But a few churches around here do messy play etc, you may have something similar.

It is quite a tricky age as they get bored quickly. Sometimes just playing in a different room to normal can be enough. I agree often when we do the park in less good weather it's empty, but that shouldn't stop you! Both of mine enjoyed a load of different shapes dry pasta and bowls and utensils to pour between.

I take him to a swim class every Saturday morning but it's at 9 so we're home by 10, so - while him and I both really enjoy it, which is why we do it (I certainly don't think it's teaching him to swim!) - it doesn't really feel like it fills the 'what to do with the rest of today' issue?

I have a nearly 2year old and was wondering this exact thing earlier. My son just cannot spend the morning or afternoon on the house without getting incredibly bored, despite me trying different activities and toys etc. I have to go out twice a day both before and after his nap. But days like today I've been to soft play this morning but have no clue where to go this afternoon! Can't wait till he's at an age he's happy to have a film afternoon indoors!!

Both mine were live wires and the thought of staying in all day would be horrendous . If it was raining we would do mainly soft plays and swimming. The leisure centres near me do a family fun swim where they have all the floats out, there might be something similar near you?
Also did walks in moody puddles ect or went to see a family member. It is hard at toddler age, it is easier when there older and you can go bowling, cinema, laser quest ect
Another good one which you can do at toddler age is trampolining, jump arena ect

We have membership of the national trust so that might be worth looking at - see what places are near you.

Don’t know what softplay you go to but ours is rammed in bad weather- opens at 9.30- last weekend we got there at 9.45, every car parking space taken.
Today the rain was only drizzling so went, wellies and mac on, to the local park- quite a lot of toddlers out.

If the rain was worse I’d consider swimming - lot of faff though? Or go see family, or even just go shopping so the LO gets out and about.

I’ve never really understood people who keep toddlers in all day, literally every toy,
Puzzle and book maxes out 5mins of time ....the day drags

Get out of the house! Wear them out a bit.

Local child-friendly museum or art gallery, with a trip to the cafe to string it out a bit. Get there on the bus. Going up and down in the lift a few times is also a hit.

Bus or train ride somewhere pointless and back.

Library - one near us is open on a Sunday.

Park in a puddlesuit and a ‘picnic’ (banana and warm milk in a flask). Feed the ducks.

Scoot/balance bike round the block if desperate.

Don’t know what softplay you go to but ours is rammed in bad weather- opens at 9.30- last weekend we got there at 9.45, every car parking space taken.

Maybe where we live is weird - there are four softplays within reasonable distance, and one doesn't open at all at the weekends and two are private hire only on Sunday mornings until 11, so the one we were at was the only one open when we went - and as I say, it was very quiet! It is an area with a lot of SAHMs (I'm the only woman I know in my area who works full-time with a toddler, and most of the women I met on maternity leave weren't planning to go back to work at all), which is maybe why all the baby/toddler stuff is very much weekday morning only - I thought that was how it was everywhere, but maybe not?

Bus or train ride somewhere pointless and back.

That is actually something that DS would love but which hadn't occurred to me - thank you!

Pouring down here too.. Ds is 19 months old so far today we have been to the park in puddle suit and wellies (we were the only ones there at the beginning but a couple more later appeared) then we had good weekly swimming lesson and now hes having his nap.. Probably just stay in the house this afternoon and maybe nip to the shop to get milk and bread etc. Soft play is an option also but I like it better in the morning as it is normally crowded by afternoon

I don’t feel the need to entertain my kids. They have enough toys, they can entertain themselves. This morning we had breakfast, went swimming, did a puzzle then he played by himself and we did chores. Lunch. Nap. Tennis for the older one and park for the younger. Then play independently again.

Our weekends (with 2.5 year old DD) are usually a bit like this-

Up and have a bit of an interesting breakfast - she will help make pancakes etc and has done this since about 15 months. Obviously more mess than help to start with but it was fun and killed time.

Then some playing / books etc / helping clear up from breakfast

Then usually a dog walk in the woods or park - in puddlesuit and wellies etc, picking up sticks and leaves. We have a little life back carrier so can walk for quite a way even if she gets tired.

Back home for lunch & a nap (although sadly only naps every few days now!)

After the nap she helps light the fire in our lounge (under full supervision), maybe play with some Lego / blocks / toys with us. Maybe drawing or some painting.

Maybe then a balance bike round the block or potter in the garden with us while we do some garden sorting until it gets dark

Dinner about 6ish

Bath at 7ish, bed about 7.30

We have to be out for a decent part of the day whatever the weather, we would all go nuts otherwise. DD isn’t and has never been massively fussed by toys, and isn’t great at playing on her own, so staying in and playing all day would just never happen here!

And yes we read to the younger one a lot as well. But both were actively trained from a young age to play by themselves. I would bring out something, set it up, and then walk away after 5-10 mins. And no amount of whinging would make me engage. You start with 5-10 mins of independent play and extend it slowly. If they are flagging, I might introduce something to extend it. This morning they were playing with their Happyland set. When he was flagging, I brought out his tea set so he had a tea party (and I left him to it).

I don’t feel the need to entertain my kids. They have enough toys, they can entertain themselves. This morning we had breakfast, went swimming, did a puzzle then he played by himself and we did chores. Lunch. Nap. Tennis for the older one and park for the younger. Then play independently again.

Erm, isn't swimming and the park actually quite a lot of entertaining them?

We often do some baking something like gingerbread men ( they can help mix, roll out, stick currants on for eyes etc), sandpit in the garden, water play in the garden, kick a ball around, out for a walk in pushchair, magic painting, dancing, ball pool, a few cartoons, helping with housework especially changing the bed, jigsaws,
I cycle the toys so only a few are out at once and if he is getting bored I can get something else out ( I then put something away for a few days or so). I just have a list of activities in my head and work through them.

My DS is 18 months and it's pouring with rain here too! This morning we had breakfast then did some painting, played with balls, sang nursery rhymes.

He has got lots of cars and a little pushchair and trolley that he pushed around for about 30 mins, then he had a snack and a nap!

When he wakes he will have lunch and then we will head out to walk the dog, he wears wellies and a puddle suit and loves jumping in every puddle lol! Then we will pop to the shop and head back home for tea time

I love our lazy weekends as like you say most toddler groups are weekday mornings so we are usually up and out everyday and he really loves having a morning at home to play with his toys and chill out a bit!

I would say go for a walk, they love being out and jumping in all the puddles! It's the time of year for conkers aswell if you have a conker tree near you, DS was fascinated with opening the shells and finding conkers inside! Or go on a treasure hunt for pinecones that you can decorate together, most glitter and paint gets stuck on them and you but it still passes the time lol!

We go swimming, park, library, see family or friends. Role play places, national trust, farm and play dates. Move are 4 and 18months

Yes but I take them to the park and leave them there. I will occasionally join in but I don’t ‘play’ in the park. And swimming is a 30 mins class where I don’t get into the pool with the 2 year old.

I don’t get how you can leave a 2 year old at the park? I try my best to encourage DD to play independently but she can’t get into a swing by herself, and climbs up the biggest climbing frames - happy for her to do this but I need to be there to catch her if she falls!

Yes but I take them to the park and leave them there.

I suspect your children are quite a lot older than my 15 month old!

I think with quite a few of these ideas - for which I'm very grateful, thank you! - DS is just that little bit too young for them - baking, for instance. I just don't think he'd get it. I guess it's a slightly awkward age in that way (though I did find that entertaining him got massively easier now he walks well, so that's a relief!)

8-8:30 Breakfast
9:30-10 Swimming
Played independently 10:30-12 (older one did music practice)
12-12:30 Lunch
12:30-1 Nap
We played with them for a bit post nap. (Older one is too old to nap- he read in his room).
3-4 tennis. Younger one in the park next to the tennis courts.
Then they can play by themselves till dinner at 5:30. (Older one does more music practice) and I will read for 15-20 mins.
Usually after dinner we do board games as a family.
Bath and bed.
I will set up stuff. So for the first independent play I set up a Happyland game involving my scarf as the ocean, a bowl as a boat and a pirate ship. Then added the tea set- played with him for 10 mins with it and then let him do the tea party by himself.
In the afternoon I set him up with a big sheet of paper taped to the floor with paints and crayons. Started off with him and then left him to it. When he was getting bored I gave him an egg box to paint. We actually read a book about colours and did some colour mixing and then left him to it again.

How old are your children hulo?