Help! Toys/distractions for a nearly 2yo

[Divinyl]

Bit stuck. My DD is 2 in October and is now no longer interested in things which are toys, really. If there is a new toy that appeals to what she likes doing, she will play with it for about 1-2 weeks and then go off it once she has sussed it. She wants to be right in the middle of anything whatsoever I am doing, all the time, or glued to DVDs. She loves: real phones, and a Fisher Price pretend smartphone that sings; packing and unpacking things (real shopping or washing and also a toy trolley with play food, but she wants to play shopping with that so it is not an 'independent' thing); books, with flaps. That's about it. She has a teapot set and other things that many children her age like, but they have not been of interest for a couple of months. Not too find of jigsaws and is not tall enough to get long-term pleasure from ride-on toys as her feet are not strong enough to push her along in the position she sits (not too bad with a Scuttlebug but will be more entertaining in a couple of cm. time).

I would dearly love her to have something that she could play with independently - would a baby laptop or games be suitable? Any suggestions?

Think you are wishing a bit too hard for a 2 year old to play on her own Divinyl. Have you tried rotating her toys? I used to just have 2 or 3 out in the morning and swap them after the nap.

She will play independently quite soon but my dd, 2.10 likes anything that isn't a toy. Collect up a load of stuff like wooden spoons, shower puffs, little boxes - anything she can handle safely really. The thing with most toys is that they are too prescriptive for a bright child. If you give her things that arnt to be played with in a specific way it might occupy her longer. Dd's favourite toy is a russian doll she has played with it for months - its mine dammit! I bought her a set of different coloured plastic boxes in Asda the other week - she plays with them a lot, stacking them
Up and sorting them etc. my mum bought her a small dust pan and brush - lives it and demands nuts to sweep up!
I switcher in the high chair while I cook and dump a load of utensils in front of her - she likes that - sillicone pastry brush and bag clips a big hit.

What about dressing up clothes? Dd has a box of pink glittery junk she plays with quite often.

I bought dd a leapfrog leap pad - she plays with it now and then but not enough to justify the cost

ha ha! That's ironic, Scarred, as DD is playing with a Russian doll right now to give me 2 mins to post this on the Internet! It has been in her room but out of her reach up to now, I think I'll have to move it or we will never get her to bed!

I do play with her, honest, but have to get things done too, which could approach dangerous if she really is allowed to be stuck to me like glue (ie ironing - a no no).

That's interesting about the leapfrog, I was hoping that could be a hit but it prob wouldn't hold a candle to my suffering laptop (has no 'r' key, removed by dear offspring).

Yanbu - I am a lp and I've had to get around cooking and ironing without dd burning herself etc. but.... I did notice a big difference a few months back. I used up panic like mad about the oven because dd was like a limpit when I was cooking but few months later she's happy pottering in her playroom. I'm
Ready with something to entertain her while she sits in the high chair but she's not even come in lately. I do my ironing in front of the tv when she's in bed.

Fill a bucket with warm soapy water and sit outside with her while she "does the dishes"

My dmum is a CM and the Magna Doodle is played with every single day by her charges.