Mums of 3 year old boys please!!!

[Pinions]

What I would like to know is what are you doing to entertain/educate/stimulate your sons?

Mine gets sooo bored and I just find it so hard to occupy him? I mean kind of "brain" things, iyswim.

He loves pre-school, part of the main school, which he goes to 5 days a week most weeks, and now that it has stopped for the summer I am finding it so hard to keep up with him, as he is just not stimulated enough.

We do all the normal things, last week we went somewhere different every single day, ie the farm, the park, swimming, etc etc, but I just feel as if he does not have enough mental/thinking type activites. Would love to hear other peoples ideas,and what you do to keep their minds occupied please??????

lol Pinions - I know exactly what you mean! (and ditto HMC)

Samanthar - that sounded a bit crap.

THANK YOU so much! Thats really helped out and exactly what I was looking for.

(Trundles wearily off to the land of over stimulation again).

www.amazon.co.uk/Space-Planets-Activity-Fun-Stickers/dp/1405216824/ref=pd_sim_b_2/026-0501235 -8598861

i got loads of activity books from lidl, the works, wilkinsons
dd has finished all hers ds wont even try and then there is no point
the only ones he has done happily are those in this series
activity fun stickers
they are themed planets, dinosaurs, sea etc etc and have mazes odd one etc and were much btter than the counting, writing, alphabet etc etc
ones as the tasks were diverse
if you want to go for other ones try the gold stars series

www.parragonpublishing.in/Gold-Stars-Books/Default.aspx
100 words is really good and the big book of maths and english too

p.s before anyone thinks im a hothouser...theres an excuse honestly..since they were 18 mths i have had chronic spine problem so cdnt leave house /push buggy/go to park etc etc. we have spent alot of time house bound and they have weatched a lot of tv too as i find grovelling round on floor too painful so when they have not been at pre school and i am having a good day we dont have tv until 4pm its just gone on and have had sporadic bursts of doing activiites. i have also learnt that ds twin will get there about 6 -9 mths after dd but he is so much quicker than her at all the computer stuff etc. it is also easy as some of the time they play great games being pirates, puppies, doctors etc together

Samanthar sounds like you're doing a fab job as you are, and its not easy even being able to whizz about so I am sure its not easy for you.

Right my next job will be to tackle that great list of you and thanks again so much x

hi pinions - I can help on the Usborne front if you need me - email me

I have just picked up some great books for doing at 49p each in Mr Men and Thomas the Tank and ds loves them. Very Educational.

I do know where you are coming from ds is same age so are our babies!!!!!! except ds1 is at pre school throughout the summer.

Orchard games are fab and I have just got their new catalogue.

You stalking me Oooggs .

Am gonna have a look at all these suggestions, plus the Usbourne books and the Orchard Games, cos DS1 is sooooooooooo bored.

Don't you sell the Usbourne books?

i send them to a holiday club. i found a brilliant outdoor nursery which is open all summer. the 'just' 4yo, 'just' 3yo and 18mo (all boys) go there.
i only meant for it to be a few days a week. but they love it. so its most days. they are devastated if they cant go!

yes I do pinions - just gone back to it - got some great 'do it' books - can do you great prices, but you could do it yourself as it is only £19 to join with £100 of books. I only do friends, family and preschool just to get free books - don't earn anything but have hundreds of books

no not stalking you - just wasting time

lego lego lego at the moment
also train tracks, one hour or tv a day (also known as 'sit still for a bit please' time), drawing, painting, 'writing', general running around outside, bike, 'helping' to make meals, funny dancing.

what a great thread for ideas for my noisy and active two.

I am glad I am not alone

Holiday club , I take it thats feepaying and pricey?

well, i guess so. is about £26 a day each.

i wasnt saying you or anyone else should do it btw. i was just admitting my own crapness at not having any useful answers to the OP question.

If I had a spare £400 a month I would join you .

Making potions is a great activity, esp in outdoorsy weather. Get everything from the kitchen that they can safely mix into a 'potion' (bicarb of soda is essential for the volcano effect); spread ingrediants out in garden; suggest that they tear up leaves etc to go in as well. Depending on what ingredients are in the potion, let them have a taste.
My DS2 has always loved potion making. Turned my back today and he had made himself a refreshing drink of:
orange juice
water
a wine gum
few drops of olive oil
dregs of wine bottle set aside for recycling (only teeniest drop)
etc

www.primarygames.com

Had a quick look at this and had me a bit worried for a min, picked one of the hardest 48 piece jigsaw to keep ds1 occupied while bathing ds2, and he did it in under 2 mins.

Then I noticed the auto-solve, or cheat button lol. !?!?