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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To wonder what to do with my children on these endless rainy afternoons?

138 replies

catsandkittensandcats · 10/06/2024 10:31

I know we should be in puddle suits and wellies embracing life at the park but we really, REALLY don’t want to do that.

I have a three and a half year old and an eleven month old. Eleven month old can’t walk but obsessed with pulling herself up to stand and wanting to crawl everywhere.

We have endlessly done soft play to the point where I drove to one 30 minutes away last week because I think we were all fed up of the other ones.

We have also done the role play places a LOT - they are lovely but worried they’re becoming tedious. And the baby can’t really join in although she doesn’t seem to mind crawling around eating any toys she finds.

Swimming is a no because you need two adults for two under fives. We’ve been to the library but neither find it hugely interesting and so it only fills about three quarters of an hour.

Groups are on in the morning but then I’m left with a loooong afternoon - is there anything I’ve missed?

OP posts:
JingsMahBucket · 10/06/2024 12:25

HcbSS · 10/06/2024 10:36

Nursery and FT work

+1000

Then all three of you would have proper mental stimulation all day.

loveulotslikejellytots · 10/06/2024 12:26

I get what you mean. I have a limit on how much indoor stuff I can tolerate, especially when 75% of it is breaking up arguments and clearing up mess 😂

Mine were this age as we came out of lockdown. Once the rules were relaxed more and you could browse, I used to take mine to The Range, Home Bargains 😂 anywhere! You can point out all of the different colour cushions... my older one loved the mirrors.

I get your youngest might need to be in the pushchair but could go front facing in a sling to give them a better view? Then a cafe for a cup of tea and a biscuit?

I don't know if you're anywhere near bluewater or lakeside (any shopping centre will do) but mine also liked walking round there (during the day when it's quiet). They often have small play areas dotted around, bluewater does have a nature trail too, if it rains hard you can come back indoors.

I know it sounds sad but these kinds of days put kept me sane after PND and covid etc.

Peabody25 · 10/06/2024 12:30

Whereabouts roughly in the country are you? Maybe people can help with specific ideas then!

catsandkittensandcats · 10/06/2024 12:34

East Midlands - Derbyshire Smile

OP posts:
HAF1119 · 10/06/2024 12:40

Library?

SingingSands · 10/06/2024 12:40

Get your paper and pens out and let the older one draw a card/letter. Let the baby have a scribble on a piece of paper too.

Then go on a walk to find a post office, buy a stamp, then walk to find a post box to post your letter to granny/yourself.

seeotter · 10/06/2024 12:42

Can you get a farm park/ zoo membership? Matlock farm park is nice. What about forest school type groups if you want to get out of the house a bit more?

I also buy bulk loads of clearance craft stuff from Baker Ross/ The Works etc and save it for rainy afternoons.

Chickenuggetsticks · 10/06/2024 12:46

Dd was and still is a sucker for a sticker book, jigsaws, craft type things (you can leave them with some pritstick and bits to stick onto stuff quite happily). DD liked acting out stories (but this is very painful for me), the best one was where I read out room on the broom while she pretended to be the witch. Making a fort for her stuffed toys was another favourite. Bath time with blowing bubbles.

SmileyHappyPeopleInTheSun · 10/06/2024 12:55

We used to do morning at toddler groups and own toys/craft baking/sleep/help me with chores bit TV in afternoons/music/long book reading sessions - really bad days sometimes long baths.

However sometimes you do need to get out - any afternoon groups - local museums - even local art galleries - walks and cafe - walk and library - any toddler/baby afternoon cinema sessions near you - walk to local shop with list and money. As many PP have said if you are near visitor attraction who do 12 month tickets things - then those - I mainly saved those for weekends when extra pair of adult hands.

blacksocks33 · 10/06/2024 12:56

I've been there, totally feel your pain!
I live in the north west and it rains all the time.
I'm exhausted from thinking of how to entertain children... but maybe that's the problem. Maybe we need to just accept doing nothing is also fine! I think we demonise TV and screens when they can actually be really helpful. How about dinner and then a couple hours quiet with the tv or whatever and then a walk or whatever after.
I know it doesn't sound exciting... but I guess I'm suggesting just trying to let yourself be settled doing nothing too!

SmileyHappyPeopleInTheSun · 10/06/2024 13:01

There was a local garden center near one location we lived - we couldn't get there - but they had petting zoo, play area and a cafe - it was very popular at Christmas as they did a grotto area.

Another location - again we couldn't get there - but big country house did some activities round Christmas and other mothers who had car access drove there and did those.

It really does depend how mobile you are and what's around

https://www.dayoutwiththekids.co.uk/things-to-do/east-midlands

I'd look at these kind of sites and see if there's local stuff you've missed.

Though few summers I did in one are we live just pack a lunch pick a dry day and go round all the small local parks before ending up in central large one - but weather has to play ball.

20 Best Things To Do In East Midlands Near Me | Day Out With The Kids

Experience the top 20 family days out in East Midlands in 2024 and find more great things to do with kids near you right now.

https://www.dayoutwiththekids.co.uk/things-to-do/east-midlands

HAF1119 · 10/06/2024 13:04

I do feel your pain, I like to get out of the house even for my own sanity - our days fully at home are very limited as I just go a bit stir crazy

Did a quick search for library's in East Midlands (obviously it's a fairly big place but you can look up the ones nearest to you) and clicked on one at random (Kettering) which has things for under 5 year olds on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. Granted the event itself (story time, play and learn etc) is only an hour but you can join a library for free, let the kids enjoy the hour with other kids, then pick a couple of books each and return the last ones.

Other things...

Castle? Talk about princesses and princes and knights etc, explore the castle, enjoy the grounds when the rain lets off and indoors when it doesn't. A lot of them have a nearby cafe or one inside the grounds

Pottery place? Some of them offer messy play which you can attend more regularly where a few kids go and just do painting etc which is quite fun. The pottery itself you probably wouldn't want to do more than about once a year (handprints or whatever) but worth checking if they do some other craft related activities for kiddos

Indoor mini golf? Some are very interactive, the young one can crawl about and the older one have a go and watch you playing it. I never did this with 2 of them just with my one child since he was about 3 or 3.5 and he loved giving it a go - recommend doing that in term time during school hours so there's only really younger kids who don't know what they're doing and no one's very annoyed if you just spend ages on one bit

I think they do under five sessions at trampoline centres and ice rinks too where parents are on with them - but I never tried those myself, probably under 1 is too young for those though the 3 year old would be okay

Museums - if it's interactive and interesting, like cars/trains/science/animals - not the history/artsy ones

Cinema - totally depends on the child but if it was a short childrens film mine would love that, I normally did M4J so that it's only £1.50 per child and same for adults - doesn't feel too painful if you leave before the end. Most cinemas have ride on cars just outside and an arcade somewhere within the area, plus some food outlets so it can burn through quite a bit of time just 'seeing a movie'... I swear mine only really asked for cinema because he wanted the arcade 🤣

Looking just now the national space centre Near East Midlands looks really cool! Mine would have loved something like that :)

Sometimes even just going to an area which has some interesting shops works for kids - e.g. aquarium that sells fish to go see them bobbing about, a shop you might actually want to go in, then pet shop to go see the rabbits etc, then another shop you want to go in, finished off with some food or whatever

National heritage sites have stately homes and sometimes a little park and somewhere to eat, park as and when the rain stops...

Mumofteenandtween · 10/06/2024 13:04

It sounds extreme but I would really strongly recommend swapping your days off so that you are at home at the same time as your friends.

givemushypeasachance · 10/06/2024 13:05

catsandkittensandcats · 10/06/2024 11:12

I’ll have to look into museums. I thought they’d be a bit too young but it would be good if there was one with some interactive things. We did Cadbury world once but it was a bit old for them although they enjoyed the chocolate!

They don't need to be able to read and digest the labels on the exhibits to enjoy a museum - at this point it's a large free public space where small children are welcome to (within reason) run around, with different things to look at! The local museum here has some fossil dinosaurs, gems and interesting stones, dodgy taxidermy, a roman bit, a small egyptian section with a sarcophagus and stuff, some exhibits about wildlife and ecology with a few buttons to press - friends 7 and 4yos just like pushing the buttons to make little LEDs light up on a map, they don't really care what it's about but they enjoy it.

Dragonfly909 · 10/06/2024 13:06

We have a similar problem with a 3 year old and 1 year old here. 3 year old is an angel out of the house and a nightmare in it, so we try to go out a lot.

Current staples are - go to the beach and go on all the rides on the pier - its indoors and rides are about £1 each so you can go on quite a few for not loads of money, plus all the 2p machines etc. Realise this doesn't help unless you live near something similar!

We have an annual pass to the local zoo - quite a lot of it is under cover so we dash from roof to roof if it's pouring, or at least don't have to be in the rain the whole time.

We also drive to places quite far away, a hour or so. This gives me a relaxing 2 hours in total where the 1 year old sleeps and the 3 year old watches their tablet 😆

miniorange · 10/06/2024 13:09

HcbSS · 10/06/2024 10:36

Nursery and FT work

Stupid comment!

SmileyHappyPeopleInTheSun · 10/06/2024 13:11

National space centre Near East Midlands - we went with primary aged kids was very good. Coventry transport museum used to be free - and that was good with younger kids - but the local museums we've lived near have been useful - sometimes they have activities on and sometimes it just a walk/journey and somewhere else to be.

Pin0cchio · 10/06/2024 13:12

Ok so rotate through short stations but you have to leave the house.

1 - do not shop online. Go to the supermarket, chat about the food etc. I used to kill an hour in sainsburys once every week.

  1. Library. Look for ones that have free/cheap rhyme time type sessions.
  2. Accept getting wet sometimes. You just have get out. Take a thermos.
  3. Garden centre with a pet section - i know pet shops are unfashionable but we used to go look at the fish & bunnies regularly.
  4. Cheap cafes - i know it means spending but if you stretch to it a fiver a week for a mug of tea and a treat to share works well

At home:
Each morning plan at least 6 activities and try to get the eldest to stick at it for 30 mins, with something that gives you a break in between (tv, an audio book, a nap etc).
Best things imho:

  • playdo or plasticine (plasticine to make water tubes/cups/bowls etc is fun)
  • duplo
  • wooden train track
  • build a den in the clothes airer with torch etc
  • have a snack tea party with stuff like raisins, mini rice cakes and breadsticks, then give them a washing bowl on floor on a towel & have them wash up all the things.
  • set up a shop selling them things
  • games - orchard toys ones are great.
  • puzzles
Flev · 10/06/2024 13:12

If you can get into Derby try the Museum of Making - it's free and has quite a bit of hands on and button pressing stuff. And I think the lego exhibit is still on the top floor, along with loads of big and small lego for kids to play with.

Pin0cchio · 10/06/2024 13:13

It sounds extreme but I would really strongly recommend swapping your days off so that you are at home at the same time as your friends.

Oh and this, if you can. Another adult keeps you sane.

Pin0cchio · 10/06/2024 13:16

Also at age 4 sign eldest up for a swim class so you can swim with the baby while eldest is in lesson.

Does eldest not go to preschool at all?

catsandkittensandcats · 10/06/2024 13:17

Yes, he’s there now. They both have swimming lessons but parent is in the water so they go when I don’t have the other.

OP posts:
IAlwaysTellTheTruthEvenWhenILie · 10/06/2024 13:21

My youngest is 16 months and I was willing him to walk so we could put puddle suits and wellies on and go out to the garden/park/walk anyway. He walked at 13 months and I was much happier as it just got easier to get out the house.
So you have my sympathy! Shopping centres? Walking about, having a coffee/pastry with 3 year old whilst 11 month old watches the world go by? Any play cafes where you can have a coffee and let the kids wander off? (Obviously following the 11 month old might not be ideal but still, it's a change of scenery).

IAlwaysTellTheTruthEvenWhenILie · 10/06/2024 13:23

IAlwaysTellTheTruthEvenWhenILie · 10/06/2024 13:21

My youngest is 16 months and I was willing him to walk so we could put puddle suits and wellies on and go out to the garden/park/walk anyway. He walked at 13 months and I was much happier as it just got easier to get out the house.
So you have my sympathy! Shopping centres? Walking about, having a coffee/pastry with 3 year old whilst 11 month old watches the world go by? Any play cafes where you can have a coffee and let the kids wander off? (Obviously following the 11 month old might not be ideal but still, it's a change of scenery).

Or even normal cafes. DH was out at the weekend seeing a friend so I killed some time taking the boys for ice cream, both were very happy and we were inside shielded from the rain :)

berksandbeyond · 10/06/2024 13:24

garden centres
ikea
ride a bus
ride a train
museums
art galleries
rhyme time at libraries
national trust
baby / toddler cinema
pottery painting