Games to play with a 4month old?

[oysterpots]

I'm running out of ideas! The day seems to stretch on for hours and I don't know what to do.

Things we do already: baby massage, books, baby gym, ring nest thingy filled with toys, songs, swimming, rhymetime, shopping and walks!

Can anyone suggest anything else my DS might like to do? Thanks

Have you tried just putting him in a bouncing baby chair & having a wee snooze ?

Seriously tho - not sure how much playing needed at that age, but there are a few things which DS did like: Baby bouncers (attach them to door frames) are good, as is putting bouncy chairs near a wall/leg so that babe can push off them (kept mine going for hours). Puppets also good as well as lots of tickle games :-)

dd's favourite game atm (she's 3mo) is Mummy Singing Whilst Washing Up

sounds like your ds is doing plenty - are you getting enough magazine reading / coffee drinking time while she's amusing herself or are you down on the mat playing with her?

Please let her lay under a gym, or sit in a chair watching you, on her own for some of the time. I believe that she needs to occupy herself for some of the time, needs to learn to amuse herself. Otherwise you may find that as she grows older she demands more and more of your attention.

Oh, and ds would happily sit and watch the washing going round in the machine for a while.

oh yes, washing machine fabulous
or an open fire
or laundry blowing in the wind

When mine were little and I needed to get on with something - or just rest/read/drink tea etc, I used to lie him between two chairs with a string tied accross. Then I used to hang pretty or interesting things (like christmas tree ornaments which sparkled, coloured ribbons, leaves, fir cones, beads etc) then I would wiggle the line every so often so things spun gently or moved (like a mobile does) and often, it was either interesting enough to keep him looking or he would drift off to sleep
Obviously this is only for non sitting-up babies!

But Oysterpots - do you also do some things for you? It sounds like you are working very hard to stimulate your little one. Can you take him to a coffee shop and meet friends and have a little R&R for you?
Babies love just being out and about and you sound ever so slightly stir-crazy....?

oh, activity mat with different textures
tummy time (good for all of 30seconds...)

sounds like you're doing plenty already

just let him lie there and watch you

play peekaboo

if you're bored at home all day, why not try some mum and baby groups - contact your local NCT?

I used to work my way through DVDs while breastfeeding during the day - watching in 30 minute chunks, I got through a film a day.

make the most of this relaxing time, before he grows up into a raging toddler...

OMG! I am SUCH a slack @rse mother...........I thought i was brilliant last week because I took DD to town one morning to look at the shiny christmas things ..........

seriously Oysterpots think of something you would like to do (something you used to do?) and find a way to involve your DS. Otherwise you will go loopy. His favourite thing will be watching and copying what you do anyway.

And oh yes do do do let him play by himself sometimes. Has he found his feet yet? It's brilliant when they find their feet. My DD (5 mo) will happily spend half an hour starkers on her changing mat grabbing at her feet and trying to get them in her mouth.

I bought large beads and bells and strung them on a piece of elastic, you can give it to them straight to play or hang it on the baby gym, I also tied short strands of different coloured and textured ribbons to the baby gym, it encouraged my ds to try and grab them it was how he learned to roll over, pure desperation to get to a piece of ribbon!

IIRC then at 4 months, I just did what I wanted to do and brought ds along, so visiting friends, wandering round the shops or whatever. At home, he would sit watching me in the kitchen and if I just occasionally waved the dishtowel in his direction then he was happy. If he got grumpy, I put him in the sling and carried on with whatever I was doing.

I find hanging miscellaneous crap objets trouvee off the babygym is quite fun for me too
recent hits include the measuring spoons and the pastry brush, also those wrist rattles that drive dd insane if you try them on her wrists

but do put her down and ignore her occasionally while you paint your nails, and certainly get together with some other mums so you can all drink tea and ignore them together

Tis not your baby that is bored but you methinks. I felt like this when ds was tiny. Stop worrying about it and do what others have said - do what you want and take him along too. If you had a very structured life pre-ds it does take some adjusting

What you need is a 2-year-old for him to watch. You can borrow mine for an hour or two if you like (for a small fee - he's very entertaining) .

Seriously though, I don't think you really need to do very much when they're so tiny - lots of long walks in the park so he can look up at the trees, and like the others say, washing machine, tumble dryers and just watching you pottering around the house are probably more than enough to keep him entertained.

sounds like you are doing plenty

rest, sleep, have a cup of tea, wathc telly, read a book ! you, that is, not the baby !

your baby is 4 months old, just being awake and with you is stimulating, you don;t need to feel obliged to fill every moment with something educational or worthy

just chill, and enjoy, blow raspberries on her tummy, learn waht makes her smile, and enjoy !

you don;t need to pressure yourself

This was me last time year - DS and I went to every baby thing I could find as I was desperate to get out of the house . Although when at home I did manage to do the mooch around bit fairly well...

Please don't worry about not stimulating your baby enough - everything is new and fascinating to them, even if it's just a walk to the corner shop to buy a paper. Agree tho that you need to do some things for you - look out for things like baby cinema (grown up films but you can take the baby), NCT coffee mornings are sometimes good (and you don't have to be a member). I met someone who is now a really good mate through one of those groups - they can seem a bit cliquey sometimes but perseverance is key.

Wow - thanks everyone. You are right, it is me that is bored . And I just feel so guilty for plonking him down on the playmat and hoping he'll entertain himself for long enough for me to have a wee break. I mean a little break .

But it sounds as though I'm worrying too much and that they are ok being trundled around or just watching the dreary chores being done. Phew.

(Have been avoiding telly because he is on the verge of being obsessed with it - am I being ridiculous? Perhaps he is too young for him to develop ADD or whatever scaremonger-y thing happens to them if they watch it...)

thing is they do not find chores dreary (cf dd and the Great Washing-up Singalong)

I avoid tv during they day purely so I feel less bad when she ends up staying up with us to watch the West Wing in the evenings...

oysterpots, seriously, you have years where they need to have activities - take advantage of this time to recharge your batteries after 9 months of growing a baby and 4 months of tending to his more imediate needs .

Christ woman, give your arse a chance!!

He doesn't need all that. If you enjoy it and it gets you through the day, wonderful - but don't let yourself slip into putting pointless pressure on yourself. I think a lot of women do this because having a small baby is very unstructured, not very rewarding, one day very much like another - especially if you're used to a more structured and target-driven environment. Just be aware that he doesn't need all this at the moment - if it's making you happy, that's great, but you CAN slow down a bit and just enjoy cuddling him/pulling faces at him/reading a book, it's not neglectful, honestly!!

Wow - I have a 4 month old too and jings, I feel guilty just reading your e-mail - I often leave my wee man sitting in his bouncy chair with a cuddly toy to hold/chew/eat/gag on as I do stuff round the house or just sit on my ass with a cuppa! Obviously I do also play with him too, but give yourself a break...I reckon most babies like time just to play themselves and it prob does them no harm, even good! Best of luck trying to relax a bit!