things to do on a play date with my territorial toddler

[deaconblue]

Last week when other children came over to play ds screamed every time one of his toys was touched. He smacked and chucked stuff too. A good friend is coming with her toddler this Friday, she's driving a long way and I soooooo want us to have a nice time.
Plan A was to go out to park but weather forecast is crap.
Plan B - thought I would make biscuits and they could decorate them.
more ideas please that don't involve playing with toys.

ps I do realise he must learn to share but not this Friday

Have you got the sort of kitchen that can safely get good and wet? Filling a few containers with water and dotting them 'round the floor then leaving out some tupperware would probably go down well.

you could try hiding his favourite things that you know will be tricky to share

colouring at the table? or gluing and sticking?

buy bubbles - one for each child

set up a wee obstacle course if you have tunnels etc

make a wee den (thinking table cloth and chairs) for them to have snack in

go out to an indoor playarea? or go out anywhere at all. less personal stuff to fight over. or put away all fave toys before they come

oh that's a good idea. I planned to buy a fishing net for fishing for toys in water, will buy two.

thnaks for other ideas too.

What about playdoh if you're feeling brave? If they have the same lump and colour each (For extra braveness you could make a load of the same colour so no arguing over who has the blue/orange/red etc).
Or will he be possesive over the cutters?

Had a v similar situation a short while ago. Before friend and toddler arrived I suggested to dd that she could choose some toys for friend's toddler to play with while he was here. Obv dressed it up as a lovely game + much praise etc. Worked fairly well.

(she put them in a special basket and which we took downstairs. She was quite excited about the prospect of him arriving and playing with them. I cunningly removed a couple of things that may have been a bit too precious to share come the crunch.)

that sounds like it's worth a go Broccoli. On Friday he wouldn't even let them play with dd's baby toys without a strop. Obviously I made him let them play btw, he just screamed a lot and we all had a miserable time

It's so tough for them isn't it. Sharing is the most unnatural thing. Also I realised recently that I nag on at her to share her toys, while at the same time refusing to 'share my toys' with her ("don't touch mummy's dressing table", "No, give that to mummy", "Don't touch that"). Have made a concious effort to lighten up re sharing since.

I also read (probably somewhere on MN, but can't remember exactly) that it's helpful to praise all family members sharing, so eg when your dp passes you a bit of the Sunday paper, make a point of thanking him (in earshot of LO) for sharing, or when your little angel is rooting through your handbag, cheerfully point out that mummy is sharing her handbag.

'Swap' is quite good too - for the sake of harmony when LO is demanding whichever of their toys their friend is holding, suggest that they find another toy and make a swap.

Hope you have a harmonious day on Friday!

thanks. Have been and purchased a pair of fishing nets today ready for water games. shall make gingerbread dough so that they can bake together and with a bit of luck the sun will shine and we can go to the park too. He's really good at "sharing" other people's toys in other people's houses funnily enough!

It's hard, isn't it. For us, a good long round of singing with actions works as no sharing is involved, hiding games if they are old enough, any physical activity (puddle jumping if it's rainy?) and 'cooking'. I know they have to learn to share at somepint but it is so tough and a one-off visit is not the time to do it I reckon. I asked mu nursery how they cope with it and htey day they have lots of identical toys, but that is not v practical at home.

hurrah! the sun shines on me! I have spent an hour turning the garden into super duper park with paddling pool and stuff to fish out of it, cars, bikes, sand toys out. Have made sure there is 2 of everything and have only got out ds' least favourite toys to play with. I am a wonderful mum and if he's horrible after all this I give up