What do you do with your 2 year old

[knat]

My 2 year old is just dropping her daytime nap and filling the hour and half she used to have is proving difficult. She's still adapting to not having the sleep and therefore mopes around like a sullen teenager. I've done some painting with her and drawing but she doesn't do anything for long. She doesn't really "play" forlong but moves from one thing to another usually chews it and then moves on to the next!! We do go to two groups once a week, a music class and a tumble tots type class. Its activities at home i feel stuck with and feel the day needs a bit more structure. I find it difficult as everything goes in her mouth as she is still teething. Any ideas or comments would be appreciated

making gingerbread men

Dancing
Musical Instruments
Dressing up (lots of different bits)
Large lego
Ice cubes on a tray
Shaving foam on a tray

That sort of thing?

Mine (not quite 2) is besotted with small dolls/Little People and dolls-housey bits and pieces. She will role play for half an hour at a stretch with them, making them fall over, climb stairs, kiss each other etc....that, and 'reading' books, save my bacon on a daily basis. Pretend 'food' also a winner.

Look forward to reading all other ideas...making biscuits a hit here too, but only lasts fifteen minutes and takes me at least that long to clean up afterwards...

PS....structure-wise, when its just the two of us, I tend to do one outing per morning (even if its just the local shop for milk, or the duckpond) and one per afternoon, with play time at home either side. My plan (may be dreaming here) when the nap does go is to put in an hour of 'quiet time' with books etc after lunch. Agree that some sort of structure helps, and also only have two 'set' groups per week - though usually several playdates as well.

When my dd was 2 some of the things she enjoyed were

Singing
Musical instruments
Chalking on an easel
Being read to
Counting games and songs
Colour and shape matching games
Magnetic fishing game
Tea-parties with her toys
Washing up (her tea-set, not the best china )
Mega-blocks

2yr old ds will play for hours standing on a chair at the kitchen sink with various pots and a washing up bowl full of water. Also dry pasta, saucepans and wooden/plastic cooking utensils provide endless entertainment. Sticker books and stickers. Carrying stones from one side of the patio to the other! Dusting, cleaning, unloading the washing machine. Tipping out and sorting Oxo cubes.

Will try to think of some more!

toothyboy completely forgot about "washing the dishes" all my children loved doing that

thanks - - keep them coming. I find her role play is very limited at the minute - and although she likes water play only for 2 mins. Books have been a saving grace but just when I need them shes gone off them a bit at the mo. When you have toys out for play do you just put out one or two or what? I find she has quite a few out - i start with a couple but she goes andpulls loads out of the cupboard only to play with them for 2 mins and leave them on the floor!!!As for pretend food she just chews it = same with teapot in teaset. I encourage her t omake tea for her various dolls or fimbles etc but she just doesn't show much interest.

My ds (2.5) is also at this stage where he resists a nap but still needs some down time during the day.
What used to be his sleep time is now TV time (sounds terrible, but he loves just chilling out on the couch watching Nick Jr. from 1 till 2!) Then we usually go to the playground or shopping, swimming etc. in the afternoon. We're at home in the mornings and he might play out in the garden or just with his toys. He's getting better at amusing himself...

Just about the toy thing, mine does that too, pulls everything out and just leaves it there. I don't tidy up until the end of the day, it's just not worth the hassle!

Cbeebies

We're a physically active family. In addition to fingerpainting, baking, reading, Play-doh, etc., DH - who looks after DD during the day - makes sure she has plenty of time outdoors every day, no matter what the weather. It's good for their minds and for their immune systems.

DD is 2.3.

We don't have a garden, but we do have a park nearby, so we go for walks, use the playground equipment, or bring along balls, plastic lawn bowling pins, etc. We have 'fitba' practice - kicking around, throwing and catching a ball, running after a ball, throwing a ball at the bowling pins, etc.

Picnics when the weather is dry and non-windy.

We also let her play on her own. Kids need to learn that, too. She likes Little People, so one of us will set up all her Little People village and then let her play away.

From 2 I had a one toy at a time rule, unless the second toy was to creatively link to the first - like assing his plastic animals to his little people zoo to make a huge zoo.

I found this filled the day nicely - lots of tidying up as you go fills 10 minutes every hour and ds is now much tidier than I am!

If I feel bored and stuck for ideas I go to the park.

Katie is 2 and loves playing with pretned food and 'making tea' for me (gets the hump when I drink a real cup )

She loves water and playing in the garden with the dog.

She adores the twins polly pocket stuff and although its quite small she has never attempted to put anything in her mouth, but she will INSIST on me helping her play with them!!

Taking cushions off sofa and putting them back, 100's of times

Her newest thing is felt tip pens can't be pencils or crayons it MUST be felt tips

I try to keep certain toys back and then we get them out and play them together at certain times. For example, she has a basket of music toys. They're not out everyday, but some days we get them out and have fun making music. I do the same with some of her imaginary toys, puzzles and happy land toys. Because they're only bought out on occassion - they keep her interest for longer! (they are also the toys that I play with her, so that also keeps her going!)

We let our 2yo cook eggs. We break them, and he whisks them with a fork/small whisk. We hold him up so that he can open the microwave door. We put the eggs in and show him which buttons to press and he gets it going. It takes a while, but he LOVES it.

An off spin of this is that he love whisking things. He spends hours whisking up water and pouring it from one cup to another. My mum also got him some stainless steel teapots from a cheap second hand shop, and he spends ages pouring water from one to another. This is a great game for him to do by himself.

Also we've put a potplant pot full of sand in our kitchen for him to dig in when the weather is bad outside.

Also, he LOVES plastic golf clubs. We play outside if poss, but if the weather is bad he can play in the house (with pingpong balls). Sometimes he plays on his own. Sometimes we hit the balls back to him.

We also have an old whiteboard that my brother was throwing out, and we put it on the floor and spend ages drawing on it. He draws lots of sqiggles and tells me what he is drawing (amazing the things he comes up with). I also draw whatever he wants me to (not very good, but he appreciates it).

He gives us lots of "concerts" playing "his" music to a cheap toy plastic guitar.

He loves to help with any household chore, such as vacuuming, making beds, dusting, watering plants, feeding the cats.

Rough and tumble on the floor - tickling him, putting a pingpong ball down his shirt (of course he then does that to us), making a tent/tunnel in the bed (with our knees) and he crawls into the "tunnel" and out the other side, making a tent with blankets over furniture, having a "picnic" (even inside) with fruit etc. Going swiming (in the local pool, or the bath with his toys)

Can any one tell me about the cornflour and water thingy please.....

Yes please tell about the cornflour thing - we went to Butlins and they had it there - it is soft and then it goes hard etc etc - brilliant - but how do you make it - what are the measurements ?

Mine still have quiet time. A video to watch, or they listen to tapes in their bedroom. My 2 year old loves Spot and Kipper storybooks on his "tuff" tape player.

RachD, apparently its called glupe and its loads of flour with a little bit of water and if you put colouring in it its even better!
I know what we will be doing this afternoon...

Donbeam - yes, thats it, thank you - the stuff at Butlins was bright pink.
You say flour, but do you mean cornflour ?
And do you need , say, a cup of cornflour and just a splash of water ?
How excactly do you make it ?

PUT HER INTO PRE-SCHOOL FOR A COUPLE OF MORNINGS A WEEK SHE PROBABLY NEED HER NAP AGAIN THOUGH BECAUSE IT WILL WEAR HER OUT.

some good ideas here
I agree with those who say get out. I always make sure all of mine have had a mornign and afternoon activity eg the other day we did swimming or dance class in the am and in the afternoon went out to soft play but if it hadn't been pouring it would have been the park.
It's easier for me as I have older children too so 2yo ds2's day is often ruled by their doings.
He's at home with dh one day and me one day a week.
DH does storytime at library - free and well worth a try knat? - and then ds2 has playgroup; I do toddler group am and gym class pm then we have a bit of time for painting, craft etc, but I'm lucky in that he will concentrate on an activity like that for half an hour or more.

Some fantastic suggestions on here! I either make or buy ready made fairy cakes and then we "decorate" them with lurid coloured icing and Barbie Cake decs or some such nonsense. Can't wait see the instructions for "glupe" !!