Do you ask for your help in releasing me from two parks a day hell

[ivftake1]

I'm having to be quite careful with social distancing and I really need some ideas other than parks for me and my 2 1/2-year-old!

Use masking tape to mark our a rectangular “circuit” for toy cars. We did one going round our kitchen table. You can have a start and stop line, build a stadium out of duplo or whatever.

We had an aerodrome near us so went there to watch planes take off and land. Some airfields / airports have viewing areas for spotters. Which is quite exciting especially if it's big or comes over your head!

Tomorrow I'm going to get the bus to the train station, catch the tram for a bit, back to the train station and then get a train a few stops and back!

I'm so excited! Haha

We went to bridges over railways and would wave madly to get the driver to blow the horn and cheer like mad if they did. I sound bonkers but if your toddler likes transport it's a sanity saver. 😂

Also... Would go to major train station and walk right to the end of the platform, as far as you are allowed and watch the signals and trains... Me, Ds and a couple of spotters with notepads. Oh my. 😂😂 He is a perfectly normal well balanced and lovely 10 yo now!

@ChickensMightFly

We went to bridges over railways and would wave madly to get the driver to blow the horn and cheer like mad if they did. I sound bonkers but if your toddler likes transport it's a sanity saver. 😂

Yep we do all this!

I've been feeling like a boring mum but actually I seem to do most of stuff already. It's just been months with no soft play etc to break up the routine

It's so boring now isn't it.

Do you absolutely need to go out twice a day? We've been doing a trip out in the morning and then something fun at home in the afternoon:

Baking salt dough
Playing with cloud dough
Kinetic sand building site put kinetic sand (or regular play sand mixed with oil) in a tray with mini diggers
Banking
Crafts
Fort building
Trains
Painting
iPad

It’s a hard slog with a toddler for sure, I’ve had some days where we’ve gone to the park that’s in one direction in the morning and the park that’s in the other direction in the afternoon! Or the same park twice in one day; once on foot and once on her scooter.

National Trust is a good shout although they still haven’t opened their outdoor playgrounds which pisses me off.

DD has enjoyed a few trips to a farm and an animal park near us, most of which is outdoors so easy to socially distance particularly if you’re there in the week when it’s not busy.

Another vote for watching building sites, going on pointless bus and train journeys.

Also look for acorns, go for a walk where you jump up and down on every manhole cover, collect snail shells, find the best stick to bring home.

Give the walk a purpose: find 6 dofferent shaped leaves, to send to granny asa collage (lucky granny...)

@sqirrelfriends

It's so boring now isn't it.

Do you absolutely need to go out twice a day? We've been doing a trip out in the morning and then something fun at home in the afternoon:

Baking salt dough
Playing with cloud dough
Kinetic sand building site put kinetic sand (or regular play sand mixed with oil) in a tray with mini diggers
Banking
Crafts
Fort building
Trains
Painting
iPad

If I don't get him out it's constant requests for tv and tbh I don't blame him.

However, he plays well by himself for about an hour a day in smaller chunks of time while I'm cooking etc. And we have tv after dinner everyday which saves my sanity.

@BikeTyson

It’s a hard slog with a toddler for sure, I’ve had some days where we’ve gone to the park that’s in one direction in the morning and the park that’s in the other direction in the afternoon! Or the same park twice in one day; once on foot and once on her scooter.

National Trust is a good shout although they still haven’t opened their outdoor playgrounds which pisses me off.

DD has enjoyed a few trips to a farm and an animal park near us, most of which is outdoors so easy to socially distance particularly if you’re there in the week when it’s not busy.

Sounds like us!

The Horniman Museum is very good, stuffed animals, aquarium, musical instruments and farm animals. The biggest walrus you will ever have seen is the centrepiece

Try woodcote green garden centre (wallington ) has a nice cafe next to play area, then you can go and look at the tropical fish

I start twitching if I recall those toddler days.

I can add pet shop to the list. Even if only a few animals. We used to go to pets at home and look at the fish.

@MsChatterbox

My son absolutely loved going for a walk where he chose the direction at each junction! Granted he ended up taking me to three parks but still it was fun and a really long walk so killed loads of time! You could also feed ducks or have a picnic under trees if it's raining!

Djh used to do this with DS when he was a toddler. They were called magical mystery tours. They would get a train somewhere and ds would choose the direct they went in at every junction and they would explore completely at DSs pace and stopped at what he was interested in for an hour or two before stopping for food,/ drink. Then they would come home . DS loved it . They did this quite often at weekends

Have you been to Deen City Farm? Near Phipps Bridge tram stop

Also there is an aquarium shop near the garden centre at Morden Hall, not sure if it is open but you could get off at Morden tram stop and go and look at the fish

Why do you have to go out twice a day? Doesn't your DC play with their toys?

@Allington

Have you been to Deen City Farm? Near Phipps Bridge tram stop

Yes a while ago, he wasn't massively keen. Was more interested when I took him to battersea zoo recently

@Nanny0gg

Why do you have to go out twice a day? Doesn't your DC play with their toys?

Yeah of course, but not for 4 hours in an afternoon. Plus, I don't want to hang around the house all day

Toddler swimming classes and dance classes are open in our area is that any good for you?
Also some soft play but you have to book in advance.
Any farms open? One near us let's kids collect their own eggs.
Any garden centres with an aquatic centre? Mine loved looking at the fish.
I can imagine the monotony but you sound like you are doing tons.
I only ever took mine out once a day, in the afternoons we did baking/reading/played in the garden with a football or a length of guttering and a bucket of water.

Any construction going on close by?

I really feel for parents of toddlers in all this, it was fine when you could hang out in the park all day in the sun...

I would go for longer in the morning and do a bit more walking, really tire him out. Home for lunch then do something tied to the trip, like collecting leaves in the park, then home to stick them into a picture.

I bought a pal of mine one of those eye-spy books we used to have as kids for a laugh, that might be a good idea?

If you're in London can you go to one of the docks like St Katherines? It's been a while for me but I think there are boats to look at there?

@dingit

Try woodcote green garden centre (wallington ) has a nice cafe next to play area, then you can go and look at the tropical fish

Thanks will do.

What about a garden centre? There are big ones just inside Kent - they have aquariums, outdoor sheds/garden rooms to wander in and out of, toys and books sections, cafe, outdoor playground, one has a nature trail, they will have their Christmas displays out soon too.