To wander how you keep keep toddlers busy all day

[Fiona80]

Inspired from the other thread about tv when you are I'll.

My younger kids 3 and 1.5 watch a lot of tv. They play with their toys for a bit but get bored quickly. I know I'm gonna get nagged at here for being a bad mother as they do watch quite a bit of tv, but I feel that have learnt quite a bit as its only cbeebies.

Looking for activities and things to do. Curious of how others spend the day with toddlers and what their routines are like.

[SashaFierce99]

Today was a typical day for us (DDs just turned 1 and just turned 4):

Up at 7.15. Small world play while older siblings and I get ready for school run
8.30: 4 yo to nursery
9: story time at library with 1 yo
10: home for snack, painting, reading and nursery rhymes with instruments
11.30: collect 4 yo and scoot to park to play
12.45: arrive home for lunch, 4 yo helps prepare it and 1 yo potters
1.30: take dog for a walk to local ducks, 1 yo naps
2.15: arrive home for 4 yo and I to do puzzles, reading, messy play and small world play
3.30: collect older siblings and go to soft play
5.30: arrive home for tea, DCs have play doh out while I cook
6.30: dancing and dressing up, imaginary games
7.30: board games while 1 yo potters
8.15: reading
8.45: teeth, pj's and bed

TV is only on perhaps once per fortnight for a film night and neither young child usually pays attention - they usually prefer to play instead

[cornishglos]

Go outside. Collect leaves, throw stones in puddles, draw with chalk on the pavement. Take a bus somewhere. Drawing. Barefoot books on youtube. Cosmic yoga on youtube or my pilates dvds. Make cake or biscuits or dinner. Get a washing up bowl and wash dishes or toys. Painting. Duplo. Train set. Blocks. Jigsaws. Supermarket shop. Have a bath. Go for a walk. Phone or skype someone. Wash the car. Go round to a neighbour's or have them round. Go to the library. Toddler groups. Out for coffee or lunch. Watch the trains at the station.

[imwithspud]

I personally don't mind having the odd day chilling out at home, but I do find that some days with my 3 year old incredibly long if we don't get out. Her being at pre-school helps her burn some energy so it's not so bad during term time. I find that if we've had a busy few days, sometimes she needs a day at home to recharge and just 'be'. But toddlers are all so different and there's a wide range of normal.

[BillBrysonsBeard]

dietcokeandwine It just depends what kind of person you are doesn't it. Some people are home bods and some people need to be out and about. Same with toddlers! Some bounce off the walls, some are content staying in. Now the weather is getting drier it's much easier getting out and about, particularly if you don't drive like me!

[PushAPushPop]

Swimming, soft play, trampolining club, 2 x playgroups per week, park trips.... All during the mornings, so too right he watches TV in the afternoons!

[RubbleBubble00]

Toddler groups 2 mornings, gymnastics group 1 morning, soft play - toddler morning session so cheap 1 morning, library rhythm and rhyme 1 morning - free.

Also go to the library, season tickets couple museums so they can run around.

I let to get out as much easier as then they nap on way home just after lunch.

[elevenweekstogo]

My DS has about 45mins TV in the morning before breakfast. We sit together, he has milk, I have a cup of tea. He watches CBeebies and I read on the iPad and come to myself a bit (I'm not a morning person so this gives me time at 5.30/6am to wake up and regulate my mood!)

After that, the TV goes off, that's it for the day. We get ready, go out, socialise, sing, play, attend groups or soft play, go to parks, feed the ducks, do the shopping. We talk, cook, read and play. I think it's all things in moderation, isn't it? He loves his cartoons that he is familiar with but he equally loves running up our road to feed the pigs that live a mile away, counting the lampposts and watching tractors and buses - it's a balance.

[CarrotVan]

We didn't go out today - the boy asked for a jama day so that's what we did. We still did lots of stuff though.

[Frazzled2207]

Mine are 9m and 2.6 and I couldn't not leave the house-actually aim to do so twice a day to keep myself sane.
Go to toddler groups/playdates/soft play or supermarket.
Eldest watches a fair bit if tv first thing and last thing.

[Swirlingasong]

I second large shops and garden centres as being excellent free toddler entertainment though. Anywhere that sells garden sheds is especially good for mine. Free museums and the library are also great. Oh and building sites. We've spent hours watching building sites. If I have something dull but necessary to do I'll often plan a route so that we can go past a good digger or two.

[Swirlingasong]

diet, I think it depends on the child. I was like you with dc1 and simply could not understand how people survived without toddler groups. A day at home waiting for a delivery was torture as the child would literally bouncing off the walls.

Then dc2 came along who would happily spend all day pottering at home, is far more into playing with toys, doing jigsaws etc, enjoys trips out and playing with others but just doesn't seem to need them in the same way dc1 did as a toddler.

[Florin]

Wakes at 7, chill out in our bed have a chat and plays with his ipad
8 am breakfast
Mornings either go out somewhere shops, beach etc or play at home with toys.
12 lunch
After lunch a bit of quiet time as he has given up his nap so needs some down time so put tv on for an hour.
Afternoon activity such as baking or messy play
5pm dinner
Then tv on about 6 and chilling before bed at 7
My saviour has been a tuff tray. We put it in the middle of kitchen floor and normally either add large quantities of dried pasta/dyed chickpeas/split peas etc for him to dig in with his numerous diggers.
Alternatively we have water play so have squirty bottles of water, cups, turkey baster/whatever I can find plus squirty foam soap and colour changing bubble bath. Keeps him busy for ages and gives me time to scrub the kitchen. I try and involve him in household activities and allow time for them talking 10 times as long. He loves matching socks and then moving them around in his dumper truck. Hoovering, moping etc are also popular. I do my main shop online but also go to the local farm shop to make it an activity to help me pick out a couple of onions etc and for him to pick something from the butchers counter and asking to butcher for it and normally the bakery lady treats him to something too.

[dietcokeandwine]

I am slightly gobsmacked at the posters commenting that they don't really go out in winter and just stay indoors.

I have to go out of the house at some point each day, no matter what the weather- was the same even pre having children, I would always go out at some point each day at weekends for example. How do you not get the most horrendous cabin fever? Much as I love my house I would get seriously depressed at being in all the time, it would be very bad for my mental health.

Prior to mine starting preschool I always made sure we went out at some point during the morning (usually about 10am for at least an hour or two), and out at some point during the afternoon from about 2.30/3. You don't have to freeze in the park or pay a fortune for activities. Garden centres are great, as are big superstore type things (we have a big Mothercare near us that always had ride ons etc out for kids to use whilst parents shopped, could easily while away an hour doing that whilst I browsed, totally free activity and indoors too). Or places like Pets at Home to look at the animals. Mine have also all loved trips to places like homebase, DIY type stores can be fascinating for small kids. Go to the library, go to the sure start centres. If you're near a train station, go and watch the trains for a bit, or ditto with buses or tubes depending on where you live...if you're more rural go and feed the ducks or go hunting for sticks and leaves...there are so many things you can do very cheaply or for free with toddlers that don't necessitate having to make awkward small talk at toddler groups or standing round miserably in the park whilst they play.

TV and craft activities etc are brilliant for short periods during the day but I would really struggle to fill the entire day with them. I am in awe of anyone who can.

[anotherBadAvatar]

Oh, and I have the tv on in the hour of doom, but DD rarely pays it any attention not a stealth boast. She'd much rather play with the dogs tail/hide the remote/empty the cupboards/unravel the toilet paper.

[foxessocks]

We go to toddler groups a couple of times a week. We usually go into town at some point for a wander and lunch. We go swimming once a week. Then maybe a day indoors playing with toys and watching some TV. If I have an unexpected free afternoon and am feeling energetic then I get Paints or play doh out or Crayons or stickers!

[anotherBadAvatar]

Only the one DD who is 16m, but her typical day is

630 wake up
700 breakfast, play with toys, follow me round the house while I tidy etc
830 walk dog and quick trip to swings or shops
930 fruit snack
1000 shopping/friends/library/park/coffee etc
1130 lunch
1200 nap
1500 wakes up
1530 quick snack- yogurt/cheese/rice cake etc
1600 walk dog, swings/park
1700 dinner
1730 hour of doom commences
1830 bottle and bed

[Iguessyourestuckwithme]

I am a nanny and work 6.30-6.30 I have 1 2.4 year old but been here 2 years. We have very recently introduced the TV but generally we don't have it on at all during the day.

6 30 - 8 30 up potter and play while I make tv do chores also eat breakfast. Help hang washing, load washing machine etc.
8.30-9 get ready to go out and walk to town
9-10 errands in town - shops/post office let toddler walk at their speed.
10-1130 class/group etc
1130 head home or to a cafe / eat lunch
12.20-2.30 nap time
2.30 quiet time (stories and cuddles) then a snack
3 walk into town (30 minute walk) go to playground/meet friends
5 head home
5.30 dinner
6 Potter and play while I do jobs/tidy up
6.15 bath time

[PedantPending]

No tv at all.
They "help" me doing things, we talk to one another, they go off and do their own stuff, we go out either to shop for food or to have a walk, we read or cook or paint.
Just normal life, really.
I give them jobs to do, suitable to their ages.It is amazing how helpful a 2 year old with a duster can be :-)

[PurplePotatoes]

DD is 2.3. She does watch more TV than I'd like but she doesn't sit down to watch it she just watches as she plays.

She does play on her own a lot but if we're not going out we do playdoh, crafts, colouring together, sticker books, play in garden or little park area opposite our house, finger paints. Sometimes I get a random box together for her of tupperware boxes and kitchen bits or lots of coins and a money box, I also bought a roll of sticky back plastic which I stick to the window and she sticks foam shapes and feathers to - just random activities which keep her busy for a while!

She goes to playschool one morning a week and we do soft play / playgroup / friends house / trip out at least once a week.

[TattyDevine]

I just let them wreck stuff.

Then I bought new stuff for them to wreck.

And drank more wine.

[Fugghetaboutit]

I hate cold weather too but kids don't mind so you have to get out there, especially living in England otherwise your kids will never go out.

[CarrotVan]

Although he's at nursery 4 days a week so I get a decent break. I would find full time toddler-tainment very challenging

[CarrotVan]

Sessions like Rhyme Time at the Library are a godsend - free and everyone sings along so you don't have to chat to people.

Today with my nearly three year old we have done pictures with stickers and crayons, made stamps for painting out of craft foam and corks, cooked together (pasta, pesto and peas for lunch, scrambled eggs on toast for tea), done laundry, played with toys, sewn him a new pillow case (he picked the fabric and helped measure and then watched whilst I used the machine).

We often bake together - biscuits that you roll out are good

We do painting with different things like circles from toilet rolls dipped in paint, printing with different vegetables, bleach printing on fabric - we do lots of crafts

We read stories, go to the park, go on the train to the shops, have play dates at our house or someone else's, meet people at soft play (ours is a community enterprise so very cheap)

And we watch lots of films and Beebies...

[Jw35]

Op give toddler groups a go! Honestly such a life saver. I'm shy but I try not to let it stop me otherwise I go mad at home all day!

Activities can last longer than 10 mins but you need to be involved! Toddlers get bored quickly when they don't know how to play with/use stuff. It's hard work but I find it's even harder when my dd is whingy and bored.

[ILostItInTheEarlyNineties]

Maybe try making your own soft play in thr front room by chucking all the cushions, pillows on floor and letting them go jumping in it.
Might amuse them for 10 mins..