What to do with 18 month old niece

[MrsD0147]

Help! I have my 18 month old niece overnight on Saturday and Saturday daytime- what can I do to entertain her in the house? We’re going to the park but then want to do something at home (my SIL doesn’t like her watching TV at all so don’t want to put the tv on). For background - we are close but they have never needed babysitter outside of their parents so although we go on days out together I’ve not had her on my own before so want it to be fun! I have had my other nieces regularly but only since they were about 4 and 6 onwards (as sister and BIL never liked leaving the kids until then) so they have always been old enough to tell me what they want to do. Thanks 🤗

Painting, Put a massive dust sheet down in the kitchen to protect the floor and find some big bits of paper/wallpaper and paint on that. Do feet printing/walk up and down the paper. When you are at the park, get some leaves/conkers/acorns/etc and paint these, print with them, roll them on the paper, whatever. If the dc is only wearing a nappy, let them paint their hands, their tummy, see how it goes, then straight in the bath. Reading, singing (if you don’t know any children’s songs, ask Alexa/google/YouTube for some help!). Blow some bubbles. Building towers and knocking them down again. Set up a little picnic for teddies/dolls. You could use real food and pretend to feed the teddies, but eat it yourselves as part of the game.

Pots pans and wooden spoons plastic plates bowls
Flour and water mixed salt doh
Bubbles in the bath
Read a story

Have fun playing with shaving foam in the bath tub!
Make dens and tunnels and tents with sheets and furniture
Blow bubbles for her to pop
At that age, my dc loved printing - hand printing, potato printing etc..
Make a drum kit with upturned pots and pans and wooden spoons!
Roll balls down ramps!
Hide small objects (we used to use clothes pegs) round the house and go hunting for them.
Make a washing line indoors and hang up anything you can find - pieces of paper, hats, gloves, empty cereal boxes!
Stack and unstack paper cups
Bouncing a balloon around and on their head! This used to send my DS into fits of laughter.
Cook up a big saucepan of porridge and let it go cold. Add some food colouring and it turns into a fantastic squelchy messy play activity, especially with little toys hidden! I do the same with custard and with mashed potato using a packet of instant smash! Polenta works well too, as does cooked couscous or cooked spaghetti.

Read This Thread in classics it will tell you all you need to know.

The toddler involved is slightly older but , my word , they had fun !

That little girl will be 9 now . I wonder if she still stays with Auntie Tantrums ?

Wow thank you so much ladies! Loads of ideas in there She LOVES being outside and LOVES being dirty so maybe a walk and painting would be fab! Thank you

You can get a paintbrush and they can “paint” outside with water - on the fences and paths - children love it!