Filling our day in a bonding way!

[Italiangreyhound]

I think if I have some idea of structure it will help me!

Please give me some ideas for filling my day in a good way with new little one, who is preschooler.

Please???

I mean it won't be like a rota, it will be a list and I will make a note on it of what we do and when so I can see if we have too much of one thing and not enough of another! This is things just for me to do initially with little one, later dh and dd can get in on the act too!

So far I have got.....

In alphabetical order

cars (play)
make a garden trail with clues (together for big sis who is at school)
painting or craft time (together, making a card or something for daddy who is at work and for big sis who is at school)
puppet play
sitting on the sofa watching Peppa and the like
small play (figures/teddies/animals etc etc)
story time (me reading)
swimming - good for skin to skin - once a week if there is a toddler swim or mats and balls etc
train set (play)
trampoline time (him not me!)
visit local library to borrow books
visit local park
visit local pond to see ducks
walking to local cafe for a drink and a cake
walking to local shops for one or two items from shops

What do I need to include aside from breakfast/lunch/dinner/snaks and drinks, baths and sleep?

Thank you roadwalker, one and all.

DD2 is 4, and for some reason she loves takeaway menus. We live in a studenty area and get loads though the door, and she carries them round and collects them in envelopes. Sometimes she cuts and sticks them or uses them to play at cafes with her toy kitchen. She also loves bus and train tickets to play, er, buses and trains with, and receipts to play shops.

She does have real toys too, I promise!

There are loads of websites where you can print off activities or let them have a supervised bash about - nature detectives, cbeebies, sparklebox and thomas the tank engine are favourites here. She likes moshi monsters too, but I suspect that is mostly because her big sister does.

Big box of crafty stuff - doesn't have to be expensive. Old magazines are great for cutting and sticking, insides of loo rolls, old birthday/christmas cards, egg boxes, tissue paper from packaging etc is all good.

Dressing up box - again doesn't have to be expensive. lots of bits of fabric, hats, charity shop finds, etc.

Build dens with chairs and blankets

Anything to hit or shake to make noise

CDs or access to an MP3 player/spotify for a good dance about or lullaby singing session.

DD2 also loves hiding (its hilarious to her to jump and and "surprise" people) and climbing on the furniture - if I had the outdoor space I would get her one of those things that is a mini climbing frame with a slide and a little house.

DS loves to make everything & anything into a paper airplane. Also like Roadwaker touched upon feed each other, DS enjoys it when we brush each others teeth! He also likes to brush my hair. Pile on, be sat on, cusions etc too, all very sensory if he enjoys that.

I am loving all of the ideas put forward by everyone! Given me some great ideas to do with lo :-)

We like cooking activities that dd can do practically everything herself. (Cornflake cakes with chocolate icing and decoration. Icing biscuits - including how do we make eg orange icing.) She makes one for each family member decorating them specially for what they will like (daddy likes green, mummy likes sugar butterflies, dd likes chocolate chips.)

Also like going to the local forest and playing "blind man's tree" - take it in turns to blindfold each other and guide each other to a tree - you ten have to feel and describe the tree. An extension to this is to have to guess your tree afterwards but that is too hard for dd (and me!)

Soft play where you go round everything with them.

We go to a toddler dance group - a maximum of 12 children (it's at a private dance studio), it's all pretending to be a frog/bird etc and rolling around the floor with your partner. That could be very bonding without being overwhelming.

Mine love "household chores"
pegging out washing - either handing me pegs, or clipping pegs to the bottom of clothes already on the line
washing cars and windows
hoovering (watch this one till you know what he's like with loud noises)
cooking - and washing up afterwards (you'll have to re-do it!)
cutting up and sticking pictures on paper.

Enjoy him. 4 is a lovely age.