No more plastic crap? Is it possible to entertain my 9 month old without buying more 'stuff'?

[missjackson]

Currently my house is strewn with various objects, plastic and otherwise, which count as 'toys' for my 9 mo old DS. He has a basket in nearly every room. He loves to pick the objects up and examine them, and with cars etc he will push them around the floor, but quickly gets bored. How can I move on to more imaginative play? At the moment it feels like I just give him things which occupy him for a few minutes or so - I'd like something or some activity that's more engaging (like lego, which he is obviously too young for). All ideas gratefully received....

I have a ten month old and I just wont buy toys for exactly this reason, she's getting some stuff to grow into for xmas this yeah. My saving grace has been a walker with wooden blocks as she will sit for ages stacking and knocking them down.

but the biggest biggest life saver has been a treasure basket. If you dont know what they are do a search here and there are loads of threads, but a basket of natural everyday objects. Mine keeps DD entertained for absolutely ages, we have fir cones, raffia mat, rubber ball, metal measuring spoons. etc etc. make yourself one its practically free!!!

At 9 mo i think you'll struggle to see any imaginitive play.

Have you tried treasure basket type stuff. Sensory things. Houshold items. Kids that age like a nice tin iirc (big roses/quality street type) filled with a few intereting bits and bobs.

I can't stand plastic stuff either but DS1 (5) can't get enough of it all.

There are lots of nice wooden toys at elc and also hippy stuff at myriad online. Or google montessori or steiner toys for less plastic. Click clack tracks are good, musical instruments, length of fabric can be fun especially if they are transparent(ish).

Or what about food to play with. Jelly, spaghetti, etc.

Jelly play is a good one, they love to squish it up. Also shaving foam and gloop.
Finger painting is nice, but not if you have a carpet, best to keep that for the kitchen.
Also, why not get all the pots and pans out of the cupboard and give a wooden spoon.
Hours of fun and noise
Or even better, have a cupboard filled with interesting stuff that they can access and let them pull it all out and put it back in.
Don't need any plastic toy tat.

I have tried treasure baskets of everyday household objects, and a new one will keep him entertained for a while, but once he's gone through all the objects, he's not interested anymore. Maybe I need to take the baskets away sometimes and cycle the objects a bit?

Is he too young for stacking rings etc? I guess so - his co-ordination wouldn't be good enough for rings.

Musical instruments good idea.. he loves the bell and the tambourine he already has... and thanks for google suggestions.

He just had a saucepan session - loved it .

Tupperware is also great fun. You can stack it, bash it, fill it with things, try and fit the lids on etc etc.

MY DD is 8 months and she loved a treasure basket idea, but like you say, they go off it after a while so maybe need to add new items.

I found our problem was we had a big box of her toys and she would sit next to it and go through everything, only concentrating on each thing for a few seconds. So I emptied it out and put a few things back in (along with wooden spoons, she loves them for some reason!). She now seems to play with each thing for longer and has developed a preference for certain things (shakers and aforementioned spoons!). Then I think when she seems to be getting bored I'll replace the things in the box with some of the ones I took out. I've also got a really old mobile phone I no longer use and she loves that. She seems to like most things that aren't really toys!

At nursery they do more messy play with the babies. DD isn't so keen on it but some love it - a big bowl of rice crispies to cruch in their hands, etc.

i suggest you go along to your local toy library. You can then borrow plastic crap and then return plastic crap when your baby is bored with it.

national association of toy libraries

Put a rubber ball in one of those small tin containers (for example the type you can get from Ikea here ). You can routinely change the contents of the tin to keep them interested - this still works for my 2yo.

Also, we made a postbox from a shoe box and used some envelopes and postcards to post in to it.

Ah yes, washersaurus, we have a homemade cardboard letter box.

And if you can't find your mobile phone you know where to look first!

bracken has lots of plastic toys and material ones. she loves her whoozit best and elc activity cubes brillant. have you tried fisherprice see through blocks and balls they have animals etc in. she goes in her leapfrog learn and groove activity station luvs it for abit.
she likes waybuloo on the tv have also got baby einstein dvds which are good.
elc do do lovely wooden toys i agree have bought her some for xmas and getting some wooden toys for her bday.
it does get easier. especially when they get to age one year .

Lego primo is the one for babies- ds loves his! He does keep trying to steal his sister's duplo though
Waterplay is good- put baby bubbles into the water in a washing up bowl, on the floor, with various things in to pour- sieve, cups, etc.
Best thing is a tea set- hours of imaginary play, esp combined with pans/wooden spoon, play food soon?

I second those who say household items. Both of mine at that age loved spatulas, spoons, whisks, baking trays. Anything really so long as they could bang it and it made a noise. Also the stair gates plus a spoon was a bit hit in the home-made xylophone (sp?) stakes.

I second those who say household items. Both of mine at that age loved spatulas, spoons, whisks, baking trays. Anything really so long as they could bang it and it made a noise. Also the stair gates plus a spoon was a bit hit in the home-made xylophone (sp?) stakes.

Mine still love playing with empty water bottles filled with rice or pasta. They are now 3 and 18 months! Actually, they loved playing with them with water in too.

Thanks for all the ideas. Sadly no toy library here - would love one. Filled water bottles is great suggestion!