Stay at home mums - How do you entertain your baby/toddler?

[mummylove]

My dd is 18 mths and loves being outdoors, she totally gone off her toys and prefers crayons, paints and chalk/blackboards. Her favourite activity is the playground, i take her every day or to see the ducks. She use to see her friends a couple of times a week but now most of the mums have gone back to work and the babies are in nurseries. I have just got a list of playgroups to take her to as I dont want her to miss out on interaction with other children.

Can anyone suggest fun things for us to do indoors and out... that does not involve too much money.

Thanks

Will read this later but...

can't this be the next Mumsnet book? I've been searching on Amazon for ages for a book with all this stuff in (am newly on maternity leave with 2.5 yr old who is used to be in nursery)

Freddicat - that is such a fab idea! I'd use it!! With 3 ds's I could do with some more ideas!

Will do some of these though - would try the painting on the path with water if it would just stop bloody raining!

I have a brilliant book that I lend to all the mums I work with. It's called Toddler Play by Gymboree and there's one called Baby Play too. I think you can get it from bookshops, mine came from a Children's Book Club. HTH. I used to take mine to garden centres, free pets to look at and rab and a coffee for me! Also, check out your Early Learning Centre shop-ours does a freeplay session during the week, making things and testing any toys you want.