Entertaining a 10mo...

[Queazy]

Just that really...any ideas and tips on entertaining and stimulating a baby of roughly this age, would be very much appreciated! My friend told me she gets pots and pans out for her dd, but it honestly only keeps my lo amused for 5 min max! I've tried a 'sensory box' of things, but she just empties the contents repeatedly, showing limited interest in the contents I'm not at my wits end or anything, I love her to bits. I'm just conscious we play with the same toys or go for the same walks every day, and she's starting to get very bored!!!

Thanks all - hoping the tips etc will be useful to others too

p.s. I put following in the 'sensory' box...tin foil, a small box, rough sponge, pegs, small bottles with rice in, crinkly paper (greaseproof paper) to scrunch up and a spoon to hit the box with. I read about it...didn't quite work out the way I'd planned. Ha ha!

p.s. I put following in the 'sensory' box...tin foil, a small box, rough sponge, pegs, small bottles with rice in, crinkly paper (greaseproof paper) to scrunch up and a spoon to hit the box with. I read about it...didn't quite work out the way I'd planned. Ha ha!

Shameless place holding! Got a 10m old DD here too - would love some ideas! Altho she is going to nursery soon (a whole other thread!) but would like to entertain her on weekends. Maybe I will get some ideas from nursery and can share!

That's a great idea about the sensory box Queasy - I haven't even done that. Do you have a park near you? DD likes watching the bigger children scoot around etc and crawling on the grass. Also any soft play areas near you?

marking place here I'm going to get to work on a sensory box this afternoon. DD is very active...and nosey..so she loves going for walks but then I'm stumped on what to do

I work in a a baby room, things we put out everyday are:

Soft blocks
Hard blocks
Cars
Sensory bottles
Walkers
Bead gym
Random selection of rattles, chewy toys
Pop up toys
Baby lego
Musical instruments
Music table/door
Jumperoo
Soft toys
Tunnels
Black and white box
Balls
Telephones
Hats
Mirrors
Scarves

Activities we do:

Cornflour play
Paint
Water
Sand
Sensory paint bags
Smelly bags
Shredded paper
Playdough
Garden play with bikes, trikes, push along toys
Mud play
Shaving foams

Hth

Go for a splash in the local pool (ours has parent/baby sessions but it doesn't necessarily have to be)
Walks in the buggy (don't think they really mind where)
Sing and sign classes
Re the sensory box - remove it for several days then reintroduce it - her interest will be renewed.
Get baby books from the library, ones with flaps or touchy feely pages.
Spend time every day singing to her, she'll get to know the tuner and enjoy a little nursery rhyme concept.

*tunes not tuner!

*concert not concept!

Such brilliant ideas, thank you! My DD loves older kids too, so will try out different parks round here. She can't crawl yet, and the one soft play place I did try was a bit manic with kids running around, so think I might try that again in a couple of months.

I love all the ideas of creative play too. Do you use special recipes for playdoh etc, or are they all just non-toxic? I'd never have thought of shaving foam! Do they swish it about on card or something?

I'm honestly not this uncreative in 'real life', but my poor DD is my first experience of caring for a little person!

We have a recipe its salt, flour and water then food colouring and/or flavouring and/or glitter or loads of other things you can put in. I can get the exact recipe tomorrow if you would like?

Cookielove that would be fantastic if you don't mind, thanks so much!

My DS also 10m loves water play. I just pop a couple of towels down in the conservatory, strip him down to his nappy and give him pots and pans filled with water and various kitchen utensils and bath toys. This keeps him very happy for 30mins or so! We also bought a ball pit tent and balls from amazon very cheaply £15 or so which has proved popular. If the weather is nice I take old towels (to sit on!) to the park and a few toys/books and let him crawl around in the sunshine. They're hard work at this age though I think!

My son (10mo on Monday) loves swimming, swings and other babies. Actually just other people really. He adores cafés and bus rides as strangers smile at him.
We go for walks in the backpack and traffic free bike rides too.

Shaving foam squirted on a tray , put some toys in it or just let them rub it - usually everywhere but it cleans up easily.
Blow bubbles - get her to show you she wants more bubbles blown rather than endless bubble machine. She will love that.
Cold cooked pasta and chopped up jelly for them to play with. Great for play , sensory learning and feeding skills.
Putting toys away and only bringing out a couple at a time holds their interest in toys.
If you have the room give them a kitchen cupboard or bottom shelf of one. Fill it full of things they can pull out and explore. Some vegetables , plastic cups, wooden spoon, bath scrunchy. She will pull and hurl the contents but will be touching lots of unusual textures.

Just spotted this thread this morn and knocked up a sensory box... he just tried to eat everything! Almost took a chunk out of a cardboard tube, tried to crawl with the handle end of a wooden spoon in his mouth, it was stressful! Don't think shaving foam is a very good idea for us

Yes most things will go in their mouths, it's all part of the fun! Although obviously crawling with spoon in mouth is a definite no no. I've got the following in ours: wooden door stop, sponge scourer, whisk, selection of different fabric samples, drawstring net bag, curtain tie, flowery hairband, plastic scourer, measuring cups, silicone cupcake case, powder puff etc. Obviously he's supervised when playing with it all. Haven't tried the messy play - will leave that to nursery me thinks