18 month old bored already! How can I occupy him?

[CravingSunshine]

I know this is ultra common- active boy, clambering all over the furniture etc. but I have a 4 month-old to feed and find it impossible to give her the nice, uninterrupted feed she deserves because DS1 is ALWAYS doing something hazardous: standing on speakers to pull books off shelves, climbing onto the bar stools in the kitchen to reach the cooker ...you get the picture. I feel I'm always pulling him down off things and saying 'no'.
He has NEVER played well with anything, just flits about getting bored. As he gets older and more agile, I'm ending up putting him in his playpen too often and don't really want to do that. (He doesn't mind it but I'm sure he'll get fed up there soon).

I recognise his need to climb and let off steam and take him to the park twice a day but it's the house that's the problem. I also allocate time to him when I've fed her - offering to read a a story etc but he generally runs off to poke at something else!

Surely there must be SOMETHING out there that captures the imagination of these boys. Here's what he does like (that I consider to be acceptably safe): Fisher Price moneybox pig, ELC mailbox to post letters in, his trike+ CozyCoupe car but can't propel himself forwards so doesn't really use them and sometimes he will play with bottles and lids and pots and bowls but only if he's penned in!
I was thinking about a mini Henry hoover as he likes our hoover but I think he'd suss it wasn't the real deal and start pulling ours out.
I'd welcome any ideas as I'm at my WITS END.

OP I could've written your post. Same age gap and same problem. 18mo is a bloomin nightmare and never even touches his toys. All he wants is danger! Bless the 4mo, thankfully she 's very placid, but I really really feel your pain and am watching this thread with interest. I am going to get a pop up tent for him and see if that works. This is a hell of a crazy age gap isn't it?!

madmomma today I found ONE thing that vaguely worked for getting through the 11am feed and keeping your 18mo from mischief. I find that one tricky as DS1 is getting a bit tired, ratty and hungry after a busy morning.
Anyway... I took all the big cushions (that you sit on) off the sofa and put them on the floor surrounded by the little decorative type of cushions so it was like a soft play area. He dive-bombed off the sofa into the cushions as if it were a swimming pool and it kept him entertained and red-faced with effort for most of DD2's feed. I don't like him climbing on the sofa in its normal state and he keeps throwing things behind it so this was marginally more acceptable to me.
Haven't got my tent out yet as I'm trying to preserve novelty. I also bought the Chad Valley tunnel in Argos which might be good. Was on special offer.
Definitely finding it far easier bottle-feeding DD2 and it's loads quicker.
Any gems of wisdom, please pass them on

glad to hear you sounding brighter! I talked to someone else today who has a similar age-gap and they said that when they're a bit older that age gap will be brilliant by the way as they can entertain each other (theirs are now 4 and nearly 6!), they also suggested water and sand play when its sunny if you have a garden - you could sit cuddling/breastfeeding on a comfy garden chair whilst your livewire plays in a sandpit or paddling pool! I thought that also water play can work indoors in terms of you could put your boy in the bath any time of day, with lots of toys and bubbles and you could sit (if your bathrooms big enough!) and encourage him in there with your teeny one on your lap, dont know if thats feasible... I only have one DS and he has just spent 30+mins very happily in the bath, squeezing the sponge over his head, tipping out mini buckets and pretending to swim!! I think I could have read a book in there as long as I laughed at appropriate times haha :)

brightonbleach like the bath idea and didn't think of doing it in the daytime as I tend to get out of the house so that he can't cause any more havoc for me to tidy up! Tonight he was lying on his tummy in the bath drinking the water (whilst I was changing DD2 on the mat). Lordy! What next?!

HappyJoyful Russian dolls are great and I'm thinking of putting a set in one of those treasure baskets that another poster recommended. The Fisher Price things: he's just not that into playing with toys that are aimed at his age; he'd rather pull wires out of things and poke around with plug sockets. He does like the Fisher Price money box pig www.google.co.uk/products/catalog?q=fisher+price+money+pig&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=shop&cid=5931779037532982385&sa=X&ei=4QisT5ecN4fKhAfLzpGeCg&ved=0CLgBEPMCMAE which is really good if you haven't come across it

I used to throw balls down our corridor while l sat with my back against the front door (pregnant not feeding) and DS would chases after them and bring them back.